What are sports limitations with anticoagulation?

[rlbaird]

I had a AVR in 2001 and have snow skiied, enjoy swimming, camping, biking (no maountain trails), softball, bowling and enjoy helping my daughter with volleyball. The main thing which you should always do before running or any other highly physical sport is to make sure you stretch your muscles before!! If you feel any tightness, I would advise to hold off for a day to prevent pulling a muscle. I did learn from my softball experience that stretching could have prevented a serious bruising on 3/4 of my leg because of a pulled muscle. I recovered to my original self in about a week and learned a valuable lesson.

 

[Harpoon]

...I got rid of my motorcycle after I went on Coumadin, thinking that road-rash was probably now a potentially terminal condition...

As a photographer who's seen at least half a dozen motorcycle accidents (and written up police press releases on a dozen more for publication) I'd say if you're in an accident with a motorcycle and you've got a bad case of roadrash, that's terminal REGARDLESS of how "thin" your blood is...


That being said, I've always wanted a Harley 'cause I'm a nut!


Actually, the point of responding is that I've always felt that limiting activities (such as motorcycle riding) because of the possible dangers they might cause is rediculous. I could have just as serious a problem with anticoagulation therapy slicing celery for a pot roast as I could "sliding into second" after tipping my Harley over.

Granted, the Harley thing also involves all sorts of other injury possiblities such as fractures, head trauma, and the like...


I've said it before, don't let being on anticoagulants govern how you live your life.

Yeah, we have to get bloodwork done on a regular (usually monthly for most) basis to be sure everyhting's on the up and up and MAYBE there qare certain foods or medications that you need to avoid because of it, but lifestyle changes shouldn't be neccesary unless they involve improving one's lifestyle, not turning your back on the things you enjoy most....


Of course, if you're a boxer, maybe it's time to step out of the ring and become a trainer or manager or something. there's ALWAYS exceptions to the rules...

 

[Barry]

...Actually, the point of responding is that I've always felt that limiting activities (such as motorcycle riding) because of the possible dangers they might cause is rediculous....

Generally, I agree with you. Safety is a highly over-rated virtue. I don't think it's necessarily a good thing that we now have an entire generation of kids who have never ridden a bicycle without a helmet on.

I am apalled at how much folks are increasingly willing to trade in safety for freedom, something our politicians are not reluctant to exploit. The way things are going, we'll soon all be able to go to the mall and shop in complete safety until curfew.

If motorcycling were important enough to me to take the risk, I would have kept the bike. Like so many things, it's a matter of figuring out the balance between risks and benefits.

 

[Gemma]

If motorcycling were important enough to me to take the risk, I would have kept the bike. Like so many things, it's a matter of figuring out the balance between risks and benefits.

My boyfriend Jim asked his surgeon about motorbiking with a mechanical valve and they said it was no problem. So he got a mechanical valve and still rides his motorbike. And frankly, I'm with Harpoon - a motorbike crash is almost definitely going to be pretty serious however long your blood takes to clot!!! Besides, the point of getting a new valve is to improve your life, not impose a long list of "can't"s on it.

But, it is one of THE most important things in his life. If I was trapped in a burning garage with Jim's favourite bike, I think I may well have to drag myself out 'cos he'd be getting his bike . Well, maybe not but it'd be a close call .

 

[Mtl Kid]

AVR Homograph

AVR Homograph

I am new to this board, rhuematic fever at 6 years old, fairly normal lifestyle till about 25 and then steadily downhill till 39 years old. Had an aortic homograph put in May 26 1999 at The Montreal Heart Institute. I skipped over the durability of the mechanical for the coumadin free lifestyle of the tissue valve. I am a black belt Karate fanatic and did not want to put an end to my karate.

2 months post op everything was fine and I could remember rollerblading all afternoon without feeling tired. However about 8 months post op something went wrong because since then I have not been 100%. What I mean is that in low to slightly moderate excertion eveything is o.k. but as soon as I shift gears and put a little heavy duty demand on my heart I quickly fizzle out. I quickly loose breath and have to stop what I am doing and relax.
All tests were done and the valve is not leaking so my cardio told me not to do anything that would tire me out. I could not acept this because the whole point of the tissue valve was to do everything for about 10 to 15 years...the approx lifespan of the valve. Dr says that with the tissue valve the aortic openning was narrowed quite a bit, gosh what would it of been with a mechanical....complete bedrest?

The biggest difference before and after is that before my surgery I was doing more physical activity than I am with my new valve but suffered in the recouperation...meaning it could of taken days to recoup but while I was doing open fights in karate all was ok. Now with my new valve I could bearly manage 1 minute of open fighting but with a short rest am quickly on me feet. Any suggestions? could it be mental? could I be asking for to much?


All info would be appreciated.

 

[Randy'38]

Welcome to the club

Welcome to the club

The biggest difference before and after is that before my surgery I was doing more physical activity than I am with my new valve but suffered in the recouperation...meaning it could of taken days to recoup but while I was doing open fights in karate all was ok. Now with my new valve I could bearly manage 1 minute of open fighting but with a short rest am quickly on me feet. Any suggestions? could it be mental? could I be asking for to much?


All info would be appreciated.

I've got a bovine pericardial AVR now and note the same problems you had then and now. It used to take a few days to recover after excessive exertion before the AVR. Now I find I tire easily after excessive exertion but recover rapidly. As an example, yesterday I played 2 hours of singles tennis and came home and shoveled and distributed about a dump truck load of wood chips for the next 5 hours. About half way through I was really dragging so I took a short break, got something to eat, and went back and finished. I was really sore last night, so took an NSAID. But I felt good other than that. My surgery was last July, so it hasn't even been a year. By the way, I'm 66 so I can't complain. I do a lot of huffing and puffing playing tennis, too, but with a 2-minute rest during changeovers and I'm ready to go again. I don't think it's mental. Your body is probably still adjusting.

Randy