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TellicoTurning

TellicoTurning

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Joined
Sep 24, 2006
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8,206
Location
Tellico Plains, Tennessee, USA.
Don't know if anyone missed me, but I'm back... In May I was diagnosed with having atrial tribulation and put on blood thinner.... first prescription was for xaralto (sp?) which the doc gave me samples, but when we went to renew was not covered by ins, so he switched to cumudin (Warfrin) which my wife has taken for 20++ years. Eight days into taking that I had a sharp pain in my mid thigh and thinking I had either pulled a muscle (not much there to pull) or I was having a blood clot..... the PA at local health clinic took one look and called an ambulance, sent me to Knoxville to hospital where I stayed for 6 days, 2 in ER, 2 in ICU and 2 in regular room.... seems I had internal bleeding in that leg. The took blood every time a nurse came near me and then put in two units to replace what they took.... my INR (measure of how thin the blood is) was 7..... my wife maintains her INR between 2 & 3....
I'm up and about and actually went out yesterday to see our cardiologist who started all this.... since LOML can't drive due to her ailments, I drove 1 1/2 hour to the docs.
Made it fine, but still hobbling a bit and waiting for my leg to get back to a normal color... it's purple, green, yellow and blotchy where the blood is slowly being re-adsorbed back into the body.
 
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TDahl

TDahl

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Dec 11, 2019
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Brentwood
Welcome back Chuck it is good to hear from you again. I am sorry to hear about you medical issues, but am happy to you're getting the care you need. Wishing you a speedy recovery so you can get back in the shop.
 
Edgar

Edgar

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Alvin, TX 77511
Welcome back, Chuck. Sorry to hear about your medical issues - that was scary! Best wishes for a good recovery. Thanks for the update.
Edgar
 
jttheclockman

jttheclockman

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Feb 22, 2005
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NJ, USA.
Have to be so careful with blood thinners. Any cut or bump can bleed so easily and hard to stop so be careful in shop. Welcome back.
 
M

montmill

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Jan 26, 2008
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644
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13528 Old Hwy. G Montfort, Wisconsin
If you're on Medicare you'll have an open enrollment period coming up this fall. You can go to your local aging and disability resource center https://www.tn.gov/aging.html and ask them to help you find an insurance Part D program that will cover Xarelto. It is easy to manage as you know because it acts differently than warfarin and doesn't require the monitoring. I hope you continue to improve and best of luck. I too have AFib it can be a bugger to manage.
 
rixstix

rixstix

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Jan 10, 2007
Messages
638
Location
Canistota, SD USA
Glad to hear things going in the right direction. INR 7, wow that was high. Wife keeps hers between 2.3 & 2.5 with weekly, at home testing.
 
sbwertz

sbwertz

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May 11, 2010
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Phoenix, AZ
I know this sounds weird, but when I had AFib, my cardiologist sent me for a sleep study. He said sleep apnea is a major cause of AFib. Sure enough, I have a form of apnea called hypopnea...I don't stop breathing, but my breathing gets very slow and shallow and my blood oxygen drops. That was what triggered the AFib. The solution for me is .5 liters of O2 at night on a nasal canula. No Afib for almost two years now.
 
sbwertz

sbwertz

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Messages
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Phoenix, AZ
montmill said:
If you're on Medicare you'll have an open enrollment period coming up this fall. You can go to your local aging and disability resource center https://www.tn.gov/aging.html and ask them to help you find an insurance Part D program that will cover Xarelto. It is easy to manage as you know because it acts differently than warfarin and doesn't require the monitoring. I hope you continue to improve and best of luck. I too have AFib it can be a bugger to manage.
Click to expand...
I had a problem with Xeralto. It upset my balance! I looked up to grab the chain on the ceiling fan and went right over backwards. Took a while for my balance to come back, and still isn't as good as it was.
 
M

montmill

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Joined
Jan 26, 2008
Messages
644
Location
13528 Old Hwy. G Montfort, Wisconsin
sbwertz said:
I had a problem with Xeralto. It upset my balance! I looked up to grab the chain on the ceiling fan and went right over backwards. Took a while for my balance to come back, and still isn't as good as it was.
Click to expand...
It looks like you're not alone with that issue. All drugs have side effects. I was given Cytoxan for polyangiitis granulomatosis and now have to be screened for bladder cancer frequently as it's a side effect. I hope you're doing better and sorry to hear that.
 
TellicoTurning

TellicoTurning

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Sep 24, 2006
Messages
8,206
Location
Tellico Plains, Tennessee, USA.
sbwertz said:
I had a problem with Xeralto. It upset my balance! I looked up to grab the chain on the ceiling fan and went right over backwards. Took a while for my balance to come back, and still isn't as good as it was.
Click to expand...
Doctors kept asking me if I've fallen recently... In thinking back, I can remember only 4 falls in my 80 years... once I stepped out of shop onto a stack of cement blocks I was using as steps... the top block rolled out from under me and I landed flat of my back across the threshold of the door... thought for sure I had broken my back... must have landed on my upper back and shoulders as I didn't even get a bruise or any soreness from that.... second time, I fell out of the shower when I used the shower chair we keep there for Dianne to sit on when she showers... I put my foot up on the stool to wash the foot, but set it on the very outer edge of the stool causing it to tip.... only thing I could grab to keep from falling was the shower curtain, which of course came down and I landed outside the shower... more embarrassment than injury there too. The last two times were in the ER when I asked to visit the restroom... I went to unbutton my pants and found my self laying on the floor under the sink.... managed to get back to my feet only to keel over backwards into the wall.... nurses rushed in and literally picked me up and sat me in a wheel chair... never did get to pee.

The xeralto wasn't a problem for me, but the doctor switched me to warfrin because of the cost of xaralto... warfrin is what did me in.... my INR was 7 when it was checked in the ER. I'm on Eliquist now and seems to be working okay for me.

I still have to stand for a few seconds after I get up from my chair to make sure I am balanced before I start to walk... My blood pressure is sometimes a little erratic.
 
Woodchipper

Woodchipper

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Joined
Mar 15, 2017
Messages
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Location
Cleveland, TN
Chuck, trust things will get better as time goes on. I'm on Xarelto for chronic blood clots in my legs. So far, I've not had any trouble or side effects. I forgot! The side effect is my wife, "Have you taken you medicine this morning/evening?" My new doctor said, "Wives save lives."
Chuck, I get up to TP to fish on up the river. Maybe we can meet sometime!
 
TellicoTurning

TellicoTurning

Member
Joined
Sep 24, 2006
Messages
8,206
Location
Tellico Plains, Tennessee, USA.
Woodchipper said:
Chuck, trust things will get better as time goes on. I'm on Xarelto for chronic blood clots in my legs. So far, I've not had any trouble or side effects. I forgot! The side effect is my wife, "Have you taken you medicine this morning/evening?" My new doctor said, "Wives save lives."
Chuck, I get up to TP to fish on up the river. Maybe we can meet sometime!
Click to expand...
Anytime, just let me know you're coming..... to make sure we're going to be home.....
I've fished the Tellico once with my son in law.... we started about a mile below the hatchery and worked our way back to the cut-off to the falls... threw everything I had except the tackle box in and caught nothing... not even a nibble.... haven't been back since. When we moved up here 17 years ago, it was my intention to spend some time on the river, but got into wood turning and forgot about the fishing.

On the blood thinner, I'm Eliquist now... can't afford Xarelto as my insurance doesn't cover it.... no problems with the Eliquist, but staying away from Warfrin.... the leg is almost back to natural colors, still some yellow and green on the inside just above the knee. Not having any trouble getting around.
 
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