vein draw vs home test

[twinmaker]

Since I had a lot of blood work done today while at the cardio's, they did an INR while drawing the blood. I home tested last night with my INRatio and it was 3.5. The coumadin nurse called late this afternoon to let me know that the vein draw showed a 3.2. Pretty darn close. I hope this shows them that these home tests are right on the money. LINDA

 

[Ross]

Before I left for the ER I tested 3.0 and they got 3.3, so I have no qualms.

 

[Karlynn]

So did you tell the nurse "nana nana na na - told you so!"

 

[twinmaker]

Karlynn, I would have loved to, but I was nice today. I did talk to the cardio about the fiasco on the phone with his nurses about the home testing. He looked at me and laughed and said, "so you're the one". He said he personally has no problem with me testing at home and dosing myself. He said he couldn't really agree to me doing that after seeing me only once though. (Probably some office pressure there). He did in so many words say that I could probably stop calling in the results after a few more visits. He said that after only one visit he couldn't tell if I was a compliant patient or not. At least at this point, I feel the coumadin nurse is listening to me concerning the dose I think I should be taking. In fact, two weeks ago, she wanted me to take 12 mg four days a week and 13 three days a week. I told her I wanted to be on the higher side and suggested we do 13 four days a week and 12 three days. She agreed and the last two weeks, my INR has been 3.4 and 3.5. Hopefully, this will help show them that I'm a compliant patient. And don't forget the vein draw today which was 3.2. That really should prove to them that I'm compliant. LINDA

 

[Karlynn]

I'm glad your doctor is seeing it your way (the right way!).

 

[catwoman]

Linda:

But you're also smarter than the average bear (as a dear friend liked to say) and much smarter than some people who have medical initials after their names................

 

[Karlynn]

Here I go with the "diabetic thing" again. I'd be curious if your doctor also managed diabetic patients, if he would also require a new patient to him (but a long time insulin user) to phone in their results so he could be certain that they were compliant patients? Maybe he would. Maybe he's a very cautious person (not a bad thing). But my guess is that most doctors wouldn't.

 

[mtkayak]

Thank God for Home testing! My veins would run and hide every time they saw a needle

 

[twinmaker]

Karlynn, that analogy is something I forgot to bring up with him. I need to remember that for the next discussion. And Marsha, you're right. Those of us that home test and have been on Coumadin for years, know we know more than some medical people...and in my opinion, that's what scares these people and makes them dig in their heels about home testing and dosing. Mike, my veins were one of the reasons I looked into home testing to begin with. After being on Coumadin for 25 years, my veins were shot. The phlebotomists were into my hands and talking about my feet. I hate butterfly needles in the hands. I know they're not supposed to hurt as much, but they almost make me cry...and this is from someone who's really not afraid of needles. LINDA

 

[Marty]

I get one vein draw a year at the time of my annual physical. It reassures my internist. He is happy I don't bother him about dosing.

 

[Ross]

The phlebotomists were into my hands and talking about my feet. I hate butterfly needles in the hands. I know they're not supposed to hurt as much, but they almost make me cry...and this is from someone who's really not afraid of needles. LINDA

Am at this point now and I've only been on it for 5 years.

 

[twinmaker]

Ross, I'm sorry your veins are at this point already. I guess my veins must have been pretty good to last all these years. And I hardly ever got to go more than two weeks between blood draws. LINDA

 

[Ross]

Well I've been stabbed numerous times in the last 5 years, but I've been getting stabbed alot since 1991 with this darn lung disease. I don't have much of anythihng left.

 

[StretchL]

Ouch!

Ouch!

OK... Call me a wimp... I'm cool with the idea of some yahoo cutting my chest open, cracking my sternun, etc. etc., but I'm a little leery of pricking my finger for a home test. NOW... with that said, I'm even more leery of getting blood drawn from a vein once a month for the rest of my life. So...

Does it hurt when you prick your finger for the home test?

 

[mtkayak]

Does it hurt when you prick your finger for the home test?

Piece of cake, you can harldy feel it, just the intial prick. The hole is your finger is so small, most of the time you don't even need a band-aid. Just apply a little pressure.

 

[Ross]

OK... Call me a wimp... I'm cool with the idea of some yahoo cutting my chest open, cracking my sternun, etc. etc., but I'm a little leery of pricking my finger for a home test. NOW... with that said, I'm even more leery of getting blood drawn from a vein once a month for the rest of my life. So...

Does it hurt when you prick your finger for the home test?

Believe it or not, most of the time NO. Now I have missed my target on occasion and that smarts, but it's far better the vein sticks anyday.

 

[twinmaker]

Believe me, the finger stick is nothing compared to the vein draw. It's not the needle stick involved with the vein draw that is painful to me, it's what happens to your veins after years of multiple sticks. Then when they take your blood they stick the needle in and have to move it around inside several times...ugh! Then they finally decide they can't use the vein and pull out the needle and start over in a different spot. I'll definitely take poking my finger any day. LINDA

 

[aussigal]

I had both finger-prick & vein-draws done while in hospital...
The only reminder of the finger-prick was the teeny-tiny dot on the top of my finger...eventually I had teeny dots on the tips of all my fingers, gee it looked funny!

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Karlynn, I would have loved to, but I was nice today. I did talk to the cardio about the fiasco on the phone with his nurses about the home testing. He looked at me and laughed and said, "so you're the one". He said he personally has no problem with me testing at home and dosing myself. He said he couldn't really agree to me doing that after seeing me only once though. (Probably some office pressure there). He did in so many words say that I could probably stop calling in the results after a few more visits. He said that after only one visit he couldn't tell if I was a compliant patient or not. At least at this point, I feel the coumadin nurse is listening to me concerning the dose I think I should be taking. In fact, two weeks ago, she wanted me to take 12 mg four days a week and 13 three days a week. I told her I wanted to be on the higher side and suggested we do 13 four days a week and 12 three days. She agreed and the last two weeks, my INR has been 3.4 and 3.5. Hopefully, this will help show them that I'm a compliant patient. And don't forget the vein draw today which was 3.2. That really should prove to them that I'm compliant. LINDA

I'd give this doc some 'benefit of the doubt'. He was honest in his response to you that it is hard to know how / what a patient will do after only ONE meeting. Once he gets to know you better, I expect he will be more confident in your abilities to self test and self dose. NOT ALL patients are up to this and he has no way of knowing until he gets to know you better.

Have you asked him who he would recommend as a PCP? Will you be seeing him anytime soon? If so, tell him about your PCP visit and ask for a few recommendations. It takes time, but finding a Doc who will work with you and gives you credit for knowing how to take care of yourself is worth the effort.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Dennis S]

Compliant

Compliant

Does the term "compliant patient" (as applied to a rational thinking adult) stick in anyone elses craw like it does mine? I practiced law over 25 years, and believe "Compliant" clients are very comfortable for the professional' but don't necessarily get the best results. When a client asked questions or made suggestions they often caused me to think about something in a new way, and sometimes made significant improvements in their representation. I never felt smart enough (and never met anyone else who was smart enough) to demand that a client swallow their thoughts & suggestions about a matter that they often spent hours thinking, reading & talking about. As my dad often says, it can be a big mistake to assume that MD stands for Major Diety. I say a good doctor will put the emphasis on getting it right, not being compliant.