M
M&M
HI All, Well, I picked it up Friday night after work - my Pro Time machine - I was 'trained' for an hour or so to learn all about the machine. Got my video and instruction book and she took my INR for the first time on my my new machine - it was 1.5 - Yes, I'm 'down' again. I was 3.0 a week and a half ago. I just can't get use to being 'consistent' with my eating. I was very much a heart healthy diet and although I don't want to take any more coumadin than I have to. I'm taking 7.5 mg a day for 7 days and I still got the 1.5 INR !!! My doc's coumadin clinic doesn't communicate to well - so the last month or so - I kind of had to increase it on my own. My coumadin clinic called a week or so ago - asking my husband - as I was at work - how much medicine is she taking and what is her INR level. My husband didn't know. I don't know why they don't call me at work. Although I really don't want to talk on the phone at work. But of course I would, so I do call them back - but all I ever get is a voice machine. I was going to the local clinic in town getting it tested but they were told that they were only to test me and not to tell me how med to take.. But since my doc's clinic wasn't getting back to me as I had told them then they would simply say - well I can't tell you what to take for meds but if it was me !!! So, I followed their guidance - what the heck was I suppose to do - they certainly knew I needed some guidance. So I would tell them what I think I should take and they either agree or said well if it was them this is what they would do - but of course technically they couldn't tell me as my doc's coumadin clinic was suppose to do that. They use to have 3 nurses in my docs clinic - they are down to 1 !! But they also have this e-mail thing you can do with your PCP and so I tried to get some guidance from my PCP's nurse and she forwarded my e-mail message to the coumadin clinic - which called me and left a message. This is getting ridiculous all these voice messages and I don't think they've given me any guidance for over a month !! By the end of next month - the one nurse who is left in the dept will probably be gone !! I don't know what I'm eating that's bringing it down. But the nurse who sold the machine to me - insurance paid - said it could very well be my exercise intensity and frequency. They could have an impact on my levels - I said well the clinic nurse said that 'exercise' could effect it alittle but not that much (3.0 to 1.5) in a week and half. So, I increased my coumadin from 7.5 mg a day which I was taking for about two weeks to last night after my testing I went and took 10.0 mg and I think I'll try that for 3 days a week and 7.5 mg for four days a week - in other words I do 10.0 on Monday and 7.5 on Tuesday and back to 10.0 on Wednesday and so forth. I'm going to call my doc's coumadin clinic - AGAIN -Tuesday but I don't expect to get any help. Since I have my machine I won't probably be able to go to my local clinic - so I guess I'm really on my own now.. The nurse who gave me the machine - said I shouldn't do the doseages myself - "well, what am I suppose to do if they don't call me" - and then they gave me hell for calling them two days after I had my blood drawn.. This was the other nurse - who said - she just didn't have time - but she's since has left the dept. What MESS.. I'm excited I got my machine - but alittle nervous that I feel like I'm on my own. I mean I can't take 'nothing' while waiting for them to get back to me. So next Friday - I'll be taking my first 'test' at home !!! My insurance pays for 4 tests per month. The nurse who sold it to me - said to call when I get down to one test and she will order more and I guess it will come by mail. Of course, I'm not home to often - so I wonder if I have to be home to sign for it.. This could be messy before it all gets 'worked' out. I don't know why they don't understand that if you 'work' outside the home - your not home to take calls and delivery packages !!! I don't know how many times I tell them - I'm at WORK and if you call me at 5:00 then I'm on the road on my way HOME.. But they still call leave a voice message on my machine. Sometimes they get my husband - but he never thinks to tell them to call me at WORK !!!
Oh well, just another stressful situation to overcome. But I did get my machine - and my insurance to pay for it - My insurance approved the request in 3 days.. after my previous nurse told me it would take MOS.. I called my insurance company and they said - well if they would submit a 'request' then we would in all probability approve it and you would get the machine. OF course if they don't submit a request to us - then we can't approve it - and we have not gotten a request !!! I was so angry. Anyways, it was finally straightened out and approved in 3 days. I was her 'first' customer to have sold a machine to.. SO, I guess she's learning as she goes. I hope I get my meds better each month.
Do some of you get your own test kit packages? Who do you call - if by chance I don't get my test kits for the next 3 mos !!!
Sorry to chat so long - just frustrated and yet very happy and yet very nervous - since I will truly be on my own in all probability as far as doesage
- I'm going to take it this for one more month and if things don't get straightened out - I'll tell my cardiologist when I see him next month. I know he'll get the lead out of someone.. He will most likely be very upset.. But I certainly don't want to fight and argue as I did in the beginning to get 'help' from the coumadin clinic - I was tired of calling and leaving messages and getting ignored. I couldn't very well ignore the low INR levels. The local clinic thought I was 'right' to increase my doseage each time it was low. Some weeks I actually got a 'good' INR. But the next it would go down so then I tried for one week I would take either 5.0 mg or 7.5 depending on how much 'green' food I ate. But that didn't work to well after a week or so.
Oh well, better days are coming !!! Just have to be patient !! hopefully it will get better. Its only been 3.5 mos.. I've got to learn to be consistent.. Which I'm afraid if I stick to my heart healthy diet - I'll be taking lots more coumadin in my future I know when my INR is tooo high that 'green' tea will get it down. But I don't know how to get my INR UP quickly..
I think I should just call my cardiologist on Tuesday - or e-mail him - and let him do the talking with his coumadin clinic !!! But, I don't want to seem like a nasty lady.. and get myself all upset... I'm sure it will get straightened out SOOON.. I just wish it was sooner than later.
Thanks for listening to me 'vent'.. Sometimes you just need to vent.. it feels good to get it off my chest.. and share with people who understand.
Best Wishes
Runner
Oh well, just another stressful situation to overcome. But I did get my machine - and my insurance to pay for it - My insurance approved the request in 3 days.. after my previous nurse told me it would take MOS.. I called my insurance company and they said - well if they would submit a 'request' then we would in all probability approve it and you would get the machine. OF course if they don't submit a request to us - then we can't approve it - and we have not gotten a request !!! I was so angry. Anyways, it was finally straightened out and approved in 3 days. I was her 'first' customer to have sold a machine to.. SO, I guess she's learning as she goes. I hope I get my meds better each month.
Do some of you get your own test kit packages? Who do you call - if by chance I don't get my test kits for the next 3 mos !!!
Sorry to chat so long - just frustrated and yet very happy and yet very nervous - since I will truly be on my own in all probability as far as doesage
- I'm going to take it this for one more month and if things don't get straightened out - I'll tell my cardiologist when I see him next month. I know he'll get the lead out of someone.. He will most likely be very upset.. But I certainly don't want to fight and argue as I did in the beginning to get 'help' from the coumadin clinic - I was tired of calling and leaving messages and getting ignored. I couldn't very well ignore the low INR levels. The local clinic thought I was 'right' to increase my doseage each time it was low. Some weeks I actually got a 'good' INR. But the next it would go down so then I tried for one week I would take either 5.0 mg or 7.5 depending on how much 'green' food I ate. But that didn't work to well after a week or so.
Oh well, better days are coming !!! Just have to be patient !! hopefully it will get better. Its only been 3.5 mos.. I've got to learn to be consistent.. Which I'm afraid if I stick to my heart healthy diet - I'll be taking lots more coumadin in my future I know when my INR is tooo high that 'green' tea will get it down. But I don't know how to get my INR UP quickly..
I think I should just call my cardiologist on Tuesday - or e-mail him - and let him do the talking with his coumadin clinic !!! But, I don't want to seem like a nasty lady.. and get myself all upset... I'm sure it will get straightened out SOOON.. I just wish it was sooner than later.
Thanks for listening to me 'vent'.. Sometimes you just need to vent.. it feels good to get it off my chest.. and share with people who understand.
Best Wishes
Runner