Quest for Home monitoring started.

[D.C.]

Only found this forum a few weeks ago doing a search.
Wow!! What a lot of info there is. Have thought about home monitoring a few times but never asked the Dr's.
Well had a 6 month check up yesterday and talked about it. Wow was that easy. She said she would start the paper work today. Wish me luck. Can hardly wait.

Being a little over three years out from surgery and INR never really controlled. The nurse who did control my INR always said I was her problem child. Even at the youthful age of 59 LOL.

She moved on to a different job leaving me to train a new one. Hopefully between the new nurse and home testing I will be a happy camper!

Duane

 

[Protimenow]

Being able to home test can feel very empowering - even if it's just avoiding a trip to a doctor or clinic for a finger stick. (For me, it was avoiding an occasional trip to a lab for a serious blood draw).

Regular testing (I test at least once a week) can help you to stabilize your INR. With access to a home tester and strips, there's little reason why you aren't able to stay on top of your INR. (It's easier to avoid testing because of inconvenience of going to the lab, etc., but if the machine and supplies are already AT HOME, it may be hard to come up with a good reason for NOT testing on schedule).

Some of us on the forum (myself included) also manage the dosing.

As far as a meter -- your insurance company (assuming that you have one) may make the choice for you. It'll probably be an InRatio 2 or CoaguChek XS. (The ProTime 3 is a good machine, too, but isn't as easy to use, and has fallen out of favor for most testers and insurers).

It'll be good to hear how your quest progresses.

(Without insurance, I was able to get my meters on eBay, with a money back guarantee, and probably for less than the deductible that some insurers may want you to pay)

 

[D.C.]

I am excited! My DR. is in another city so I have to do a Lab draw every time.
I had a lab draw for the first 63days after surgery. OUCH!! Looked like a user.

My insurance said they cover part of it. I think in the 80% range.

 

[drivetopless]

You will love it, D.C. My INRs are much more stable now that I'm home testing. Don't know why, but they are.

 

[Protimenow]

It's great to have your own meter. There are papers written that document the ability of self testers to stay within range being much higher than for those who have to do lab draws. This may be partly because it's a lot easier to do a self test than to go to a lab for a blood draw (so fewer tests are missed).

In my case, self testing may have helped me avoid some serious problems...

 

[D.C.]

Got my Coagucheck XS meter last week. When the company called about the insurance, they said I would only owe about $15. I thought I was buying the meter. NOT!! I am only renting it. So I guess I am paying about $10-15 dollars a month. Not what I was thinking but I guess I will give it a try.
Had my training last week and all was well. Yesterday by myself did not get enough blood the first try. ARG!!:mad2: Second try was AOK.

 

[Protimenow]

It takes some practice to get that big drop. Holding your hand under warm water for a few minutes can help get the blood to the capillaries.

If you're paying $10-15 a month for 3 or 4 strips (depending on how often you test - I recommend weekly testing, even if your INR is 'stable'), you're doing okay - the strips run about $4-10 or so, each, depending on where you get them.

Just don't 'milk' your finger after you incise it. (You're using 21 gauge lancets, aren't you? A finer lancet probably wouldn't give you a big enough puncture to get enough blood)

It's good to hear that you are able to self-test.

 

[D.C.]

Thanks for the response Protimenow.
I did have to milk it some. Will milking give me a bad reading? Trainer had me milk my finger that day also.
The lancets they supplied are about 2 inches long plastic with a green push button(no identification). You twist off a cap, hold it to your finger and push button.
They are not having me use the one in the kit. Any thoughts on this? Thanks.

 

[Bina]

Got my Coagucheck XS meter last week. When the company called about the insurance, they said I would only owe about $15. I thought I was buying the meter. NOT!! I am only renting it. So I guess I am paying about $10-15 dollars a month. Not what I was thinking but I guess I will give it a try.
Had my training last week and all was well. Yesterday by myself did not get enough blood the first try. ARG!!:mad2: Second try was AOK.

Congrats on your new Coaguchek XS !! (even if it is a rental)
There are many of us here using this monitor with great success and you will too.

 

[Protimenow]

The lancet you are using is probably designed to be used for INR testing. If not, it's fairly easy (and inexpensive) to get the 21 gauge lancets and a lancing device. (I have a lifetime supply of lancets, if you'd like one).

The issue with 'milking' the finger for blood is that it adds plasma and other factors that can make the test inaccurate (at least, this is an issue to be avoided for the InRatio machines, and, I suspect, for the CoaguChek XS). What may be of some help are the capillary tubes made for testing -- these take the blood into the tube by capillary action - once you get enough blood into the tube, you touch it to the strip and squeeze the other end of the tube, depositing enough blood onto the strip. You usually know pretty quickly whether there's enough blood, because there's a marking on the tube that tells you when you have enough. These are available on eBay and probably from medical device suppliers.

Another thing that I learned to be a bit helpful is to hold your hand (and finger) so that your palm is away from you -- this lets the blood flow down more easily than if you do like I used to do and keep your hand raised so you can see the blood, watching it drip down under your fingernail and away from any useful area. Holding it down keeps the blood going in the right direction--and should make it easier to get that drop and, with an XS, to touch it to the side of the strip.

I've been testing for a few years - and recently realized that the way I hold my finger - even while lancing it - could mean the difference between a good test and a wasted strip.

Keep at it -- you'll get the hang on it.

(BTW: in the past, I've used one-use lancing devices -- the ones I used were designed to get a large enough drop -- I found that, although these are pretty convenient, the 21 gauge lancets and a standard lancing device set to maximum depth work just fine)

 

[D.C.]

Thanks for the info. Did a google search and found a likeness of the lancet I was supplied. It looks like a Medline 21 gauge lancet.
Again thanks for the info. Will give the palm away a try next week. I also have the capillary tubes if I want to use them. Hope they realize I may mess up a few strips at the start!

 

[Protimenow]

Once you're almost out of strips, they may have forgotten when you first got them and will get you a new set. OTOH - you can go to other sources for the test strips, so you can test more frequently than your provider expects. For myself, I am most comfortable testing weekly. (This week, I'm testing a bit more often -- my INR has been bouncing a bit because of antibiotic use pushing it up, and reduced dosing bringing it back down. I'll probably be testing twice a week until I am certain that I'm back in range, and am not taking anything that can fool with my INR).