Johnny Stephens
Well-known member
I'm one of those "complications" cases, so I can't comment other than to say - what about doing it BEFORE surgery? With perhaps a quick followup after the deed is done?
Questions for valve replacement patients.
- Thread starter QAS Lance
- Start date
Help Support Valve Replacement Forums:
N
Nan
another thought about timing of teaching patients to self monitor.....if it is known that the person will be getting a mechanical valve, then how about teaching the monitoring BEFORE the surgery? That would also teach them about Coumadin and why the monitoring is necessary as well as explain the PT/INR etc.
Of course if they don't know which type of valve they will end up with, or if it is an emergency, this would not work!
Of course if they don't know which type of valve they will end up with, or if it is an emergency, this would not work!
D
danielgilboa
Hi,
I voted NO.
I was discharged on day 7 (that's a privalage we have here). On day 3 I guess I could cope with the training BUT at that time I was still at my "baby" stage. I was focused on very basic functions of life, getting out of bed, walking (all the way to the doorway...), eating, sleeping, showering and so on. I don't think it would be fare to expect me to concentrate on INR testing at that stage.
When I got home I wanted the agent ot come, and I had the motivation to take responcibility and control. The agent came with the thing on about day 10, that was perfect.
By the way, is your tester sold/supported in Israel?
Daniel
I voted NO.
I was discharged on day 7 (that's a privalage we have here). On day 3 I guess I could cope with the training BUT at that time I was still at my "baby" stage. I was focused on very basic functions of life, getting out of bed, walking (all the way to the doorway...), eating, sleeping, showering and so on. I don't think it would be fare to expect me to concentrate on INR testing at that stage.
When I got home I wanted the agent ot come, and I had the motivation to take responcibility and control. The agent came with the thing on about day 10, that was perfect.
By the way, is your tester sold/supported in Israel?
Daniel
Lordy No
Lordy No
It was all I could do to talk on phone with QAS and answer their questions...I think about 2 weeks post-op.. Then I had to wait a week for my 3 week post-checkup with Cardio..and he signed the papers for me.
Hubby helped the first several months..but this is the way I get my blood to flow. Put in Cuvette...while it is warming I keep my hand under hot water from faucet....1 1/2 minutes..Dry off good. and then press hard on the outside of middle right finger. Blood flow like a stuck hog. The middle of finger seems to be harder... But everything has to be done in 3 minutes.. Swinging around, drying finger, looking down and looking up, ect..Need to be nice and calm. Get a testing now everytime. Bonnie
Lordy No
It was all I could do to talk on phone with QAS and answer their questions...I think about 2 weeks post-op.. Then I had to wait a week for my 3 week post-checkup with Cardio..and he signed the papers for me.
Hubby helped the first several months..but this is the way I get my blood to flow. Put in Cuvette...while it is warming I keep my hand under hot water from faucet....1 1/2 minutes..Dry off good. and then press hard on the outside of middle right finger. Blood flow like a stuck hog. The middle of finger seems to be harder... But everything has to be done in 3 minutes.. Swinging around, drying finger, looking down and looking up, ect..Need to be nice and calm. Get a testing now everytime. Bonnie
If you have to eat poison.... at least you should be able to self monitor it!!
If you have to eat poison.... at least you should be able to self monitor it!!
Well, Lance.... I voted ?yes?. I?m only voting for myself, not the public in general. I?d been dealing with coumadin for three months before my surgery.... so it wasn?t something brand new to me. I like to know what?s going on with my body... especially when they start replacing original parts and feeding me rat poison!! I?ve often said that I think they should hand everyone a protime machine as you leave the hospital. I?d have been willing, ready and on my best behavior on day 3. After all... if I forget everything you taught me on day 3.... I can always call you back on day 4!! And day 5 ...and day 6 ... and day 7 .....and day 8.
If you have to eat poison.... at least you should be able to self monitor it!!
Well, Lance.... I voted ?yes?. I?m only voting for myself, not the public in general. I?d been dealing with coumadin for three months before my surgery.... so it wasn?t something brand new to me. I like to know what?s going on with my body... especially when they start replacing original parts and feeding me rat poison!! I?ve often said that I think they should hand everyone a protime machine as you leave the hospital. I?d have been willing, ready and on my best behavior on day 3.
After all... if I forget everything you taught me on day 3.... I can always call you back on day 4!! And day 5 ...and day 6 ... and day 7 .....and day 8. Hey, Rain, Girlfriend
Hey, Rain, Girlfriend
I didn't know what I was even being operating on for. Was told Thursday and they operated on Monday..I do remember they (family) said I had an aneurysm.. and as I was laying flat from Cath..remembered my poor brother-in-law had died 10 years earlier from one. when my Cardio brought my surgeon down ( In about 10 minutes after I was told that) I took one look at him. He was sooo handsome..I think I would have let him cut my head off. I remember him saying at bedside to my family, I will put in a mech. valve..because I don't want her to EVER go thru this surgery again. Nothing was said about coumadin.. Only during hospital stay ..was informed that I had to take a pill a day..and sent home with some literature. I was so pumpheaded, my first coumadin draw was 3 days later at local clinic.. My next door neighbor drove me and hubby down. I walked out of house with bathrobe and slippers on..Sat in waiting room. Could have cared less. how I looked. Did that for 3 weeks..but did dress after the first visit. I think about that first visit and have to laugh..so...Boy, Yes, I wished I had known about the Protime then..but got one quickly after my Cardio signed off for me. Greatest thing since SEX... Bonnie
Hey, Rain, Girlfriend
I didn't know what I was even being operating on for. Was told Thursday and they operated on Monday..I do remember they (family) said I had an aneurysm..
and as I was laying flat from Cath..remembered my poor brother-in-law had died 10 years earlier from one. when my Cardio brought my surgeon down ( In about 10 minutes after I was told that) I took one look at him. He was sooo handsome..I think I would have let him cut my head off. I remember him saying at bedside to my family, I will put in a mech. valve..because I don't want her to EVER go thru this surgery again. Nothing was said about coumadin.. Only during hospital stay ..was informed that I had to take a pill a day..and sent home with some literature. I was so pumpheaded, my first coumadin draw was 3 days later at local clinic.. My next door neighbor drove me and hubby down. I walked out of house with bathrobe and slippers on..Sat in waiting room. Could have cared less. how I looked. Did that for 3 weeks..but did dress after the first visit. I think about that first visit and have to laugh..so...Boy, Yes, I wished I had known about the Protime then..but got one quickly after my Cardio signed off for me. Greatest thing since SEX... Bonnie
T
The Bionic Duo
Bob has BC/BS of Illinois and they just sent a denial for his INRatio monitor. Spent half the morning yesterday on the phone with QAS and they are going to follow up on the denial--I would seem what Lance said was true--they think the home monitor is unnecessary since he can go to the lab for this test. Obviously they don't take into account that if you go to a lab at least once or more a month can really add up to a lot of costs over a lifetime. Not to mention the degradation of your viens, or the gas it takes to get to the lab--I don't know about your neighborhood, but gas ain't cheap here in CA.
I hope QAS is sucessful.
Joan
I hope QAS is sucessful.
Joan
Joan
Joan
Jot down all kinds of info for Lance to give B/C..Does Bob still work..Is his clinic closed by the time he can arrive? will he lose money by leaving early?Think of anything that would be a hardship for him..to keep going to clinic for a draw. Traffic, ect...Figure up his age, # of draws a month How much each draw cost..and give them this figure over his lifetime expectacy to live.. Maybe they will see the light. Bonnie
Joan
Jot down all kinds of info for Lance to give B/C..Does Bob still work..Is his clinic closed by the time he can arrive? will he lose money by leaving early?Think of anything that would be a hardship for him..to keep going to clinic for a draw.
Traffic, ect...Figure up his age, # of draws a month How much each draw cost..and give them this figure over his lifetime expectacy to live.. Maybe they will see the light. Bonnie
T
The Bionic Duo
Well actually Bob is kinda semi-retired--he works 4 hours a day 4 days a week--just enough but not too much $$$ in order to stay under the SS limits. But the viens in his left arm are already shot, and he's just a little over a year from his AVR. I think QAS already has their ducks lined up, they more or less said the same things you did--it is NOT a luxury it is a neccissity and it will cost them XXXXX if he goes to a lab for the rest of his life etc.
I'll let QAS fight this round, but if that doesn't go well, then they better watch out, I'm not one to let sleeping dogs lie. I've dogged the insurance stuff all the way along the line, BC has managed to screw up a lot of our insurance stuff in the past year, and I haven't let them off the hook yet.
Joan
I'll let QAS fight this round, but if that doesn't go well, then they better watch out, I'm not one to let sleeping dogs lie. I've dogged the insurance stuff all the way along the line, BC has managed to screw up a lot of our insurance stuff in the past year, and I haven't let them off the hook yet.
Joan
G
Gemma
Comment from my boyfriend Jim (aortic valve replacement, last December, now the proud owner of a Coaguchek S, in spite of the fact his anti-coagulation clinic are living in the past and won't accept his home-test results): "The only thing I was concerned with 3 days after surgery was going to the toilet! I wasn't really worried about what my blood was doing at that stage. However, as I was sitting around bored a lot of the time I would have had plenty of time to be trained to do a self-test". After 4-5 days he would've been easily able to do it.
Gemma.
Gemma.
