I forgot to update after Marcs Doctors visit a few weeks ago. It went well, he found out that the clot is not genetic (that's good right?!) but they still don't know what caused it. There are other tests they can do but because of the medication they can't give him the tests. Apparently the medication fucks up the tests. So his INR is still at a good level and he actually bought non prescription compression stockings this weekend. They are Sigvaris but the compression is less. He tried them out yesterday and so far he really likes them, if these stockings work it will save us so much money. His doctor gave him to go ahead to try them and said if they don't work it's a 20$ loss. Today is the real test i guess, Marc is wearing one of them to work. What is good about these is not only the price but they are knee high so they do not fall down and annoy him. (he can get knee high prescription ones but they cost 120 and insurance does not cover them).
So Marcs leg is behaving so far and we are glad it has become something we don't worry or think about on a regular basis anymore. I still check his leg out to see how it is doing but we can relax a little bit.
I turned the big 2-4 last Thursday. Wasn't to bad i guess. I hate my birthdays (not because of the age but because almost every year it has been a disappointment.....). This year Marc decided to leave friends out of it and just spend it together. He gave me perfume (Vera Wang Classic...love it!) and some cake lol. On friday he told me to get all dressed up and he took me to a lovely little Italian restaurant. The food was soooo good! I also got new heels which are so comfortable! Anyways so that was my birthday, it was quiet and good.
In less that a month we are off to celebrate our first year wedding anniversary! We can not wait. It will be a well deserved weekend away from everyone and everything. We can't wait to try all the wine and just relax! My super awesome dress is apparently arriving today. I still can not believe that. I ordered it from the states 2 weeks ago and last week i got an email saying they were behind and that it would ship on the 17th. Ok :( so i checked today and it is already in Montreal. I have NEVER had something ship that fast from the states. Crazy i tell you....Crazy.
Besides all that life is good. We got our new couch and we are toughly enjoying it (although getting it is a whole other story....never buy anything from Leons...NEVER)
Showing posts with label cumadin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cumadin. Show all posts
14 September 2010
12 August 2010
The Story
So around January 24, 2010 my husband (Marc) was told he had a blood clot. DVT.
The hospital we started with was well.....lets just say they need either new staff, new equipment or both. The told us that the clot will be gone by mid-week. We didn't know much about clots then and we were hopeful that a few shots of heparin would dissolve it and his leg would no longer be the size of popeyes arm. We were wrong.
Every day that week he had to go in for a shot of heparin in the stomach. He bruised like crazy, he was extremely tired, had no energy and just looked lost. None of the doctors really knew anything. There is a blood clot clinic in downtown Montreal, close to where we live. But the hospital (an hour away) told us they have everything they need to care for Marc.
He had to get an ultrasound. That took over 3 hours of waiting and we eventually found out that they actually never put the information in the file (where the clot was, about how big it was--that is another story).
After about 3 weeks of constant hospital visits, him staying at his parents (which i am so very Thankful for, they stressed me out but i am so Thankful they were there to help. As well as his aunt and uncle). He came home. He needed a cane to walk and even then he could barely walk for 10 minutes without pain. He needed constant rest and was (still is) on Cumadin.
Eventually, after constant calls to his doctor and me ready to punch his nurse in the face he got seen by the blood clot clinic. Ever since he has been there his energy and his outlook on having DVT is so much better! They give him so much information, they told him to get compression stockings (a post will come about this) and he got a stylish cane.
They actually give proper ultrasounds for blood clots and get the results fast. They know what they are talking about and have lots of experience.
So it's the end of July. He was told the clot is almost completely dissolved and he can actually walk for a long time without his leg balloning up or causing pain (compression stockings are amazing!!).
I still get asked when he will have a normal life. Marc has a normal life, he is a little slower but he is still Marc. Still the man i love. Still the man i told i would be with in sickness and in health. He is still living a normal life.
The hospital we started with was well.....lets just say they need either new staff, new equipment or both. The told us that the clot will be gone by mid-week. We didn't know much about clots then and we were hopeful that a few shots of heparin would dissolve it and his leg would no longer be the size of popeyes arm. We were wrong.
Every day that week he had to go in for a shot of heparin in the stomach. He bruised like crazy, he was extremely tired, had no energy and just looked lost. None of the doctors really knew anything. There is a blood clot clinic in downtown Montreal, close to where we live. But the hospital (an hour away) told us they have everything they need to care for Marc.
He had to get an ultrasound. That took over 3 hours of waiting and we eventually found out that they actually never put the information in the file (where the clot was, about how big it was--that is another story).
After about 3 weeks of constant hospital visits, him staying at his parents (which i am so very Thankful for, they stressed me out but i am so Thankful they were there to help. As well as his aunt and uncle). He came home. He needed a cane to walk and even then he could barely walk for 10 minutes without pain. He needed constant rest and was (still is) on Cumadin.
Eventually, after constant calls to his doctor and me ready to punch his nurse in the face he got seen by the blood clot clinic. Ever since he has been there his energy and his outlook on having DVT is so much better! They give him so much information, they told him to get compression stockings (a post will come about this) and he got a stylish cane.
They actually give proper ultrasounds for blood clots and get the results fast. They know what they are talking about and have lots of experience.
So it's the end of July. He was told the clot is almost completely dissolved and he can actually walk for a long time without his leg balloning up or causing pain (compression stockings are amazing!!).
I still get asked when he will have a normal life. Marc has a normal life, he is a little slower but he is still Marc. Still the man i love. Still the man i told i would be with in sickness and in health. He is still living a normal life.
11 August 2010
What is DVT?
DVT: Deep Vein Thrombosis.
It is a blood clot found in deep veins in the leg or pelvis area. Sometimes it can appear in arms. In Marcs case he had a constant muscle cramp feeling in his right leg, and the leg grew to twice it's normal size. He had trouble walking and on the Sunday that is when we went to the hospital.
You can get DVT from having surgery, being obese, traveling for long distances, certain drugs or already being at risk for clots.
The clot can dislodge and travel to the lungs causing a pulmonary embolism. It can be fatal. Doctors do not always want to remove it because it can cause parts of the clot to dislodge or the whole thing can move. Most times it is treated with blood thinner. In Marcs case he was told that the vein would be unrepairable, his leg would always swell up and he can be at risk for another clot.
Doctors find the clot using ultrasounds and they detect it with blood tests. They either put the patient on heparin-shots that are given in the stomach or they put them on blood thinner pills (cumadin, warfarin). They start with the shots first to stabilize and then work from there. It takes many blood tests to get the right dosage of blood thinner. Marcs blood had to be between 2.0 and 3.0.
Usually if you get more than one clot they put you on blood thinner for the rest of your life. In Marcs case, although he only had one clot so far, he may be on the blood thinner forever because of his damaged vein.
Compression stockings. They have helped so much! He has to get thigh high ones because the clot was found behind the knee (maybe he can get knee high ones now but we wont know until August). They can be a pain in the summer when it's really hot and he wont wear shorts. He has just started to go out in flip flops. I don't know if i would be able to wear anything but pants if i needed a compression stocking. They aren't the prettiest things out there, but they help.
Marc goes in for another ultrasound on August 5th and then see's the doctor the next day. Hopefully the good news will continue!
It is a blood clot found in deep veins in the leg or pelvis area. Sometimes it can appear in arms. In Marcs case he had a constant muscle cramp feeling in his right leg, and the leg grew to twice it's normal size. He had trouble walking and on the Sunday that is when we went to the hospital.
You can get DVT from having surgery, being obese, traveling for long distances, certain drugs or already being at risk for clots.
The clot can dislodge and travel to the lungs causing a pulmonary embolism. It can be fatal. Doctors do not always want to remove it because it can cause parts of the clot to dislodge or the whole thing can move. Most times it is treated with blood thinner. In Marcs case he was told that the vein would be unrepairable, his leg would always swell up and he can be at risk for another clot.
Doctors find the clot using ultrasounds and they detect it with blood tests. They either put the patient on heparin-shots that are given in the stomach or they put them on blood thinner pills (cumadin, warfarin). They start with the shots first to stabilize and then work from there. It takes many blood tests to get the right dosage of blood thinner. Marcs blood had to be between 2.0 and 3.0.
Usually if you get more than one clot they put you on blood thinner for the rest of your life. In Marcs case, although he only had one clot so far, he may be on the blood thinner forever because of his damaged vein.
Compression stockings. They have helped so much! He has to get thigh high ones because the clot was found behind the knee (maybe he can get knee high ones now but we wont know until August). They can be a pain in the summer when it's really hot and he wont wear shorts. He has just started to go out in flip flops. I don't know if i would be able to wear anything but pants if i needed a compression stocking. They aren't the prettiest things out there, but they help.
Marc goes in for another ultrasound on August 5th and then see's the doctor the next day. Hopefully the good news will continue!
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