Self pitying whine... I guess I'll be doing du's...

[tribogota]

that altogether sucks.
I am just telling you my not so horrible story of coumadin which I have been on since april, I have over anticoagulated and underanticoagulated, but eventually got the dosage right. Mostly I eat green 2-3 times a week, and did that so that the dosage would be set to that, then I ate too many veggies and dropped to 1.34, then they upped the coumadin to compensate for the veggies, etc. etc. I still cut myself frequently, you know, grating something, or pulling something open, but they coagulate anyway, even if it is slower than usual.
the bracelet is a really good idea.
I still don't cycle or run from the hip fracture (hope to start next week though), and only swim, so cannot help you on that one.
I hope I don't have to anticoagulate the rest of my life, cause I would like to get pregnant! (like is an understatement here)

[MomOnBike]

OK, remember you work in an ER. You see the bad stuff. It skews you.

I'll be on Coumadin for the rest of my life. DVTs and a constellation of PEs will do that. I miss my leafy greens, actually I crave kale, but I do what I have to do and not let it stop me. So will you.

[emily_in_nc]

That sucks.

Just to make you feel a leetle better though, perhaps, my grandmother was on coumadin for the last 20-25 years of her life, at least, due to heart issues. Once she got the dosage adjusted, the biggest annoyance was having to go to the dr. to check her levels every three weeks, which she had to plan (and travel) around. Other than that, not many problems, and certainly no ER visits.

She lived until 94. May you do the same!

[Jolt]

That sucks! When your battery runs down, is there any way they could put the next pacer (or I should say the leads, since those are what's in the vein and apparently irritated it) somewhere that it won't create that problem? Of course, they'd also have to take out the subclavian leads that are currently there which could be pretty difficult...

[roadie gal]

That sucks! When your battery runs down, is there any way they could put the next pacer (or I should say the leads, since those are what's in the vein and apparently irritated it) somewhere that it won't create that problem? Of course, they'd also have to take out the subclavian leads that are currently there which could be pretty difficult...

When they replace the pacer, which is hopefully not for another 5 years, only the box gets replaced. They use the same wires that are already there. The wires scar into place over time. Pulling them out would destroy the vein. OUCH!