GWS ColinJ.. DVT/Pulmonary Embolism

[MartinQ]

INR > 15 today, could explain why I've been feeling a bit wiped out recently .

 

[ColinJ]

INR > 15 today, could explain why I've been feeling a bit wiped out recently .

15 - you are lucky you didn't bleed to death!!!!

Are you having plenty of Vitamin K in your diet? If not, then you need to. All the latest research shows that it helps prevent wild fluctuations in INR.

(For those not in the know ... INR = International Normalised Ratio, a way of indicating the clotting time of blood. It is defined such that the blood of a 'normal' person measures about 1. For people with clotting problems, drugs are used to 'thin' the blood and reduce the risk of clotting. The aim is to try to keep the INR in the range of (typically) 2-3. 15 is horrendously high!)

I hope that the docs get you back in range ASAP, Martin, and that you start to feel better soon!

I have had 3 scans done recently ...

1. A CT scan of my lungs. My chest consultant feels that I am doing well but wanted one last scan to check that all looks ok inside. If so, then he plans to stop the routine appointments.
2. I requested a DEXA bone density scan. There are fears that extended periods on Warfarin can lead to osteoporosis. The scan should show whether this is happening to me. If it isn't yet, then the scan will at least give baseline data which future DEXA scan results can be compared with.
3. The doctors spotted something on my original chest CT scan. The scan just caught the top of one kidney and somebody noticed what looked like a cyst in there. They requested a kidney scan to get a good look at it. (I managed to get it done at the same time I was having the lung scan done, so that saved time and money.) The cyst may be historical and nothing to worry about, or it could be more sinister. I got a letter last week asking me to go and see the urologist again at the end of this month. I am worried that he may have bad news for me. I was hoping that if the news were good then he would have sent an 'all clear' letter and not made the appointment. I will find out in 3 weeks time!

 

[MartinQ]

I hope that the docs get you back in range ASAP, Martin, and that you start to feel better soon!

I have had 3 scans done recently ...

TBH, got a couple of scratches in the garden yesterday which still haven't scabbed over, this explains why. Off to the GP now to get a vitamin k shot. Normally, I'm not too bad, but the last few months have been up and down a lot, both pains & INR. Still hope I manage to stay on my bike on the commute home, otherwise things may get messy

 

[Roscoe]

Fingers crossed for you Colin

 

[RichK]

INR > 15 today, could explain why I've been feeling a bit wiped out recently .

15!

Yikes. I ended up in A&E with an INR of 4.8 (target is 2.5 - 3.0) last year. I figure you'll be having more regular monitoring for the next few weeks?

 

[MartinQ]

15!
Yikes. I ended up in A&E with an INR of 4.8 (target is 2.5 - 3.0) last year. I figure you'll be having more regular monitoring for the next few weeks?

I think I'll be very closely monitored . 4.8 isn't too bad, I've had a couple of 5 / 6's in the past couple of years, but nothing close this. Got told off by the doc last night and the nurse today for being on my bike yesterday. Used the argument that you can have accidents at home ... , don't think it really worked.
Had a shot of vit k last night (no warfarin) and another blood test at lunchtime and will find out the result later, though feel a fair bit better today compared to the past couple of weeks.

 

[ColinJ]

I'm going to get a self-testing machine. I'm hoping that I can persuade my GP that it would save the NHS money for me to do my own tests, which it would over a number of years. The trouble is they have to work to shorter term budgets so I will probably have to pay for it myself.

It would probably only take one hospital admission due to INR problems to swallow up that £300 but I suspect that argument will fall on deaf ears.

 

[MartinQ]

I'm going to get a self-testing machine. I'm hoping that I can persuade my GP that it would save the NHS money for me to do my own tests, which it would over a number of years. The trouble is they have to work to shorter term budgets so I will probably have to pay for it myself.

I think you do have to buy the machines, but sometimes the test strips can be had on prescription.
http://shop.coaguchek.com/buy/test-strips/
They're ~£3 each, so its worth doing if your GP allows it. Anecdotally, I've read that this seems to be relatively rare.

 

[ColinJ]

I think you do have to buy the machines, but sometimes the test strips can be had on prescription.
http://shop.coaguchek.com/buy/test-strips/
They're ~£3 each, so its worth doing if your GP allows it. Anecdotally, I've read that this seems to be relatively rare.

Yes, I would hope to at least get the strips prescribed. I want to test myself weekly to pick up potential problems early.

I am only being tested every 10-12 weeks currently, which I don't think is frequently enough!

 

[ColinJ]

Bone density scan results in: All looks ok.

I'll leave it another few years then request another one to see if there has been any change. At least the doctors know my baseline figures now.

No news on the chest scan yet.

I have an appointment to see the urologist at the end of the month for the results of the kidney scan. That is making me nervous because if all was well I think I might just have got a letter saying that, as I did for the bone scan ... No point in worrying about it. I'll wait to see what he has to say and worry later if I need to!

 

[Wobblers]

Bone density scan results in: All looks ok.

I'll leave it another few years then request another one to see if there has been any change. At least the doctors know my baseline figures now.

No news on the chest scan yet.

I have an appointment to see the urologist at the end of the month for the results of the kidney scan. That is making me nervous because if all was well I think I might just have got a letter saying that, as I did for the bone scan ... No point in worrying about it. I'll wait to see what he has to say and worry later if I need to!

I would have thought that if the results were more serious they would have had you back much sooner. It does seem to be a long time to wait though, doesn't it? Anyway, here's hoping all is well.

 

[ColinJ]

I would have thought that if the results were more serious they would have had you back much sooner. It does seem to be a long time to wait though, doesn't it? Anyway, here's hoping all is well.

Yes, a couple of other people have said that too. Cheers.

They know that something is in there because they spotted it in 2012. I am hoping that they just want to tell me that it looks historical and has not changed.

What I had forgotten was that I think I passed a kidney stone 40 years ago. I was in agonising abdominal pain for a few hours and then peed some blood. Of course, I did not bother seeing a doctor at the time .... (There is a bit of a pattern with me and the medical profession!) Perhaps the original CT scan showed a stone from back then.

Another couple of weeks and I will have found out. I will be angry if something serious HAS been found because that would imply that any potential treatment has been delayed since August 2012!

 

[MartinQ]

Had my own version of n+1 today, except that it was another CT scan (another thread ... https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/are-ct-scans-safe.167504/ ). Got left hooked by a car as it overtook and turned immediately left in front of me. No time to do anything apart from 1/2 crash into it and ended up on the floor with a sore head among other things, so off to 'opital again to make sure my head was OK (being on warfarin). Apart from the ambulance driver thinking I was a monkey hanger, he was pleased to see the dog tags with my details on (the real reason for posting on this thread) and respect to the local police biker who was just round the corner and sorted out all the details with the driver - must have been a moment of madness. Now off to get a new helmet, the commuter fixed and other bike on the road for tomorrow.

 

[ColinJ]

Blimey! I'm glad that you are relatively ok.

What is up with these idiot drivers? I almost got hit by a woman today. I think I will start an idiot driver thread ...

 

[ColinJ]

Chest CT scan results in and all looks 'stable'. I'll settle for that!

Two out of three results good. Just the anxious wait for the kidney results now ...

If my kidneys are ok too then I just need to get my bad tooth seen to and that will be all known problems fixed. Hopefully, the occasional symptoms that I still get are just due to infection from the tooth, and residual problems from the original clots.

Maybe that 20 minute Cragg Vale hill climb is still a realistic possibility for me!