Paying for test strips...

[Bridgette]

I don't know about others on here, but this is what I do:

I don't have insurance that will pay for my supplies of test strips for my Coaguchek XS.
I pay for them - we are a family with two young children to support, a mortgage to pay and we are on a very average income but I still find a way to budget carefully so that I can afford them. That can mean going without other things in order TO afford them.

Just a thought...

Bridgette

 

[Eva]

Bridgette,

There are always priorities in our lives...and test strips are a priority for you now. You should be proud that you are wise with good judgement and I wish you that in the near future you situation changes for the better whereas you can buy your strips and have extra money for other things to do!

Next year I shall find out how much I have to pay out of pocket. This year, I paid 300 US Dollars for the machine and 24 strips out of pocket as we met the deductible. But this will be priority for us too.

 

[Bina]

That's right....it's all about budgeting and priorities.
It was actually costing us more to drive to the hospital testing lab, with gas and parking.
So, my husband gladly paid for my Coaguchek monitor....but I'm also typing on a second hand computer
that sits on my second hand desk.

 

[Jkm7]

Same situation for people on tight budgets that have to pay for any other medications or at least have co-pays. All our medications are critical to well being and have to be prioritized. One skips dinner out, the new car or clothes or whatever and budgets for medical needs as top priority with food. What can be more important than our health?

 

[Blanche]

We are about due for more strips.

We are about due for more strips.

Al and I both test and we pay for our own supplies. It has been difficult, from time to time, to balance our monthly budget. We've had to cut back on some things and make due with others.

We have not been to a first-run movie in a long time. But, there is a nice $1.00 theatre nearby. Al also tapes things of interest and films from the TV.

Many restaurants have decreased their prices, or offered early bird specials.
The Farmers' Markets that we frequent have offered us very good discounts. If we arrive late in the day, the discounts are even better.

For the two of us, testing weekly, and paying the tab for that testing, is not a choice....it is life saving event.

Many people here know that Al has three strokes in 2000. Two were "small ones" (they were not small to me.) and one was the CVA. After the 6+weeks that he was hospitalized, he was sent to rehab and speech therapy. Everyday, I watched the wheel chairs come into the therapy waiting rooms. I saw the looks on the faces of the stroke survivors and on the faces of their relatives.

I would mortgage the house, if needed, to be sure that both of us got what we needed to test weekly.

Blanche

 

[Bridgette]

Thanks Blanche, that was really well said.

If necessary, I would borrow more money on top of my mortgage, or sell the house even, in order to take care of mine and my family's health needs.

I just cannot imagine going without INR testing for ANY length of time. It is totally irresponsible to not test, IMO.....

 

[Lisa in Katy]

I don't home test, but I agree with all of you. If it ever comes to a choice between my house and my health, I'd choose my health. I want to see my children finish high school and college and I'd like to enjoy my grandchildren someday (but not too soon!). That's why I had my heart fixed - so I can live a long, healthy, happy life - and I'm not going to risk it. As I've mentioned before, my brother has all kinds of excuses to be irresponsible with his health, but I think he's stupid.

 

[lance]

We're lucky, I guess

We're lucky, I guess

We've always paid for the strips and the monitors, costs are tax deductible so we're accustomed to budgeting. Spouse is a Chrysler retiree and Greenshield stated POC monitors were dangerously inaccurate:and refused coverage. Now with Chrysler's future being unclear I'm glad everything has been budgeted for out of our own pocket. Funny how things work out sometimes.

 

[Lisa in Katy]

Mark, your opinion scares me and obviously others. It sounds like you had an incompetent doctor, and that led you to believe differently than most of us. Personally speaking, I would rather you not continue to "push" what most of us think is irresponsible behavior, because it could negatively influence others. Granted, I take a much more laid back approach than many on this site. I have been stable for quite a while and there have been times in my life when I was teaching and my hours didn't work well with the lab's hours where I tested every 2 months, with my doctor's okay, but longer than that could be dangerous. There was a time a few years ago when I was low for 2 tests in a row, requiring a minor adjustment. Absolutely nothing had changed in my diet or exercise routine. Warfarin is a funny drug. We never know exactly what affects it, but we do know that aging changes our metabolism, and that certainly has an effect on the way our bodies process Warfarin.

 

[olefin]

In my case, taking 7.5 mg EVERY day kept me stable at around 3.5, whenever tested, for quite a few years. Without major changes in my diet or activities, I expect (and was probably mostly right) that my INR wasn't going to make any drastic dips as long as I maintained the 7.5 daily dosage.

The last time I had my INR tested was more than two years ago -- stupid, I guess -- but I am pretty confident that it hasn't moved a hell of a lot.

Mark, I see your valve is about the age of mine. That is amazing how stable your INR and dosage has been.

Over the years, mine has bounced around from 1.9 to 6.6 with dosage of 6 to 8, mostly 7. In the last couple months I've had mine to change in one week, from 2.6 to 4.0 while on dosage of 7. The next week it was 4.9. And with no diet or life style change.

My first Cardiologist wanted testing monthly unless INR got out of control range then test weekly until in control.
My present Cardiologist wanted testing every 2 months but I refused to go that long.

Good luck with getting fully setup with home testing.

I feel for you folks having to pay for home testing. But I wish I was young enough that I had to pay for mine.

 

[Bina]

Just my opinion:
If "a person" wants to be completely irresponsible, and take HUGE risks with their health, that is their choice.
BUT, this is a public forum, with an emphasis on responsible health care, so would the irresponsible risk takers please refrain from discussing ACT.
Thank you!

 

[geebee]

Just my opinion:
If "a person" wants to be completely irresponsible, and take HUGE risks with their health, that is their choice.
BUT, this is a public forum, with an emphasis on responsible health care, so would the irresponsible risk takers please refrain from discussing ACT.
Thank you!

Well said Bina.

A quick note: Mark, I am very happy for you that you have not had any serious issues with your testing history. However, others should know that this is just "pure dumb luck" and not representative of what usually happens. I am, however, happy that you at least took your coumadin during that time.

 

[Bina]

Mark, there is no way that I would wish bad luck or bad health on anybody.....but not publicizing your risky behaviour would be much appreciated by many.

 

[Lisa in Katy]

(Hell, you may get lucky and something awful can happen to me, so you can tell others 'see - this irresponsible person thought he was okay, but he had a (fill in the blanks), so you have to monitor your INR regularly so that you don't end up like this idiot did.')

I'm not sure what you are trying to say as I don't think any of the regulars on this site would wish ill health on you just so we can say "told you so". That's rather childish. However, even though you say that you don't recommend non-compliance, you continually post that you practice it, and someone could say "Well this guy has gotten away with it for 3 years, so why shouldn't I?" It might not work so well for the other person, and would you really want your good luck to be the cause of another person's stroke or massive bleed?

 

[Blanche]

No one here is out to get you, Mark.

No one here is out to get you, Mark.

But some of us are out to get you to realize the damage that could be caused if poeple follow your lead and stop testing regularily.

I know what those consequences are. I live with those consequences everyday. After 10 years and 2 months of testing every 4 weeks, Al had three strokes. That was 9 years ago and the consequences of the strokes are aways with us. Nobody wants to be the cause of of a stroke.

What I wouldn't give for just one more dance...Imagine the joy of dancing with my angel!

Blanche

 

[Ross]

Not to burst anyones bubble, but not many use the ITC Protime unit anymore here and even if they do, it would be illegal for them to sell a presciption item to you without being the prescribing physician or registered pharmacist. I'm not sure anyone is willing to take that kind of a risk. For all anyone knows, you might be working for the FDA.

 

[Ross]

ProTime 3 channel cuvettes and tenderlett incision devices.

4/box

2 Day Air Shipping only.

Prescription required.

http://www.shopqas.com/shop/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=&idproduct=4

If you have a doctor friend, try this link and ask that company what they'd charge without buying the entire gig. They're showing 25 for $139 with the entire gig.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ITC-ProTime-Mic...QQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item170315952761

 

[olefin]

Mark, there is no way that I would wish bad luck or bad health on anybody.....but not publicizing your risky behaviour would be much appreciated by many.

I don't see the big deal in Marks post. I thought it was quite interesting that he had never had a serious problem from not testing. I wasn't aware that anyone had gone that long.
He wasn't offering advice, he admitted it was stupid. I feel that people that read this forum have enough sense to make up their own mind.

So you are not speaking for me.

 

[Hank]

Sanity Check

Sanity Check

All,

Let us all please keep a couple of points in mind...

1st - Not having your INR tested when ingesting what is essentially a proven safe form of rat poison is plain and simple insanity.

2nd - I worked in a county hospital for 10 years where many tens of thousands of good people go to be treated for free.

Care is available if one puts forth the effort to obtain it.

I may be wrong (and I usually am), but I'll bet internet access to be able to post on this forum costs more per month than home testing would.

We are all responsible for our own actions. Our health is important to not only us, but to those who love us. And we ALL have someone who cares.

I care for all of you out there and want us all to be safe...

 

[COLLEEN S]

I dont like being "policed" and will continue to say whatever I choose, within limits of course.