A hard lesson learned

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Last summer I was diagnosed with diverticulosis after a bleeding episode that created anemia. Got it all straightened out and went on with my life. Have been taking iron (slow-release) every since. Fast forward to this summer. My husband and I were getting ready to move so I was busy getting ready for a garage sale and packing. Eating very poorly. Being post menopausal and having osteopenia and previously suffered a vertebral compression fracture I was behaving in a very reckless manner. I was lifting things that were way too heavy. Bingo - another compression fracture. For those who haven't experienced this it's incredibly painful. So, I contacted my PCP - had an MRI - and subsequently went in for a kyphoplasty. (Didn't do that for the first one.) Everything went fine, lowered my INR and did the whole bridging thing. INR promptly came back up upon restart of warfarin. I resumed my regular dosage and didn't seen the need for additional testing since I've been stable for over 8 years. I usually just test every 3 or 4 weeks - always toward the 3.5 mark (mitral valve).

I noticed some blood in my stool but ignored it since moving day was approaching. All of a sudden the horrific back pain resumes - looks like I've had another fracture. Ignore that and keep on packing. Because the pain was so intense I started taking naproxen at bedtime so I could get some relief in addition to the tramadol, gabapentin, and acetominophen I normally take. Moved over labor day weekend - two u-haul trailer loads and full cars - fortunately we had help loading and unloading. The last trip back to the old place was on Sunday (about 160 miles) - the plan was to take two cars and the remaining things would fit. An hour into the trip I phoned my husband who was ahead of me to pull into the Burger King at the next town. I knew I wouldn't be able to continue the drive - I was having too much trouble staying awake. So we parked my car and I rode with him to the old place. Once there we loaded up the car, I struggled to get some additional cleaning done and we left (had to leave some things behind since we ran out of room). By this point I was so weak that it took everything I had just to walk from the house to the car. We drove to the Burger King to retrieve my car but I was afraid of driving - especially since it was now dark - so we decided to get it on Monday.

Monday, Labor Day, we drove to Burger King and I was rested enough to make the one hour drive back to the new place but just barely. I recuperated for the rest of the day. Tuesday morning I decided I needed some medical intervention. Rather than go to the emergency room I called the local clinic ( this is a small town in northern Wisconsin) and got an appt with the nurse practitioner for 4:00 that afternoon. Made it to the appt and, of course, had to tell my story to the clinic nurse and then to the CNP. She seemed reluctant to believe that I knew anything about my own medical condition. Until they did the blood work. First did a fingerstick and the lab tech actually gasped. I asked how bad it was. She replied, I'm not really sure, our machine only goes up to 7.9. She also drew a venous sample for hemoglobin and hemocrit. Ultimately the hemoglobin results came back with 5.9. No wonder I was so exhausted! Their protocol for high INR is to repeat the test. Same results. The CNP was now a tad more compassionate and told me that they had already called the hospital and they were expecting me and did I want my husband to drive me or should they call the ambulance. We drove.

So, two units of blood in the ER along with a Vit K shot and then I was transferred to the bigger hospital 30 miles away where I got two more units of blood and a unit of fresh frozen plasma. Nine days later I was released from the hospital. Still dealing with the intense pain from the compression fracture but now have a wonderful doctor who is knowledgeable and compassionate.

So, the lesson(s) I've learned - when on warfarin DO NOT ignore abnormal bleeding. It's a sign that something is very wrong and has the potential to kill you. If you suddenly feel like crap get it checked out - it's your body's way of telling you that something is wrong.
 
WOW! Thanks for the warning! Sometimes we're so stubborn (and afraid!) to admit that anything could be wrong. I'm always scared that once I ask a doctor about one thing, and get it fixed, that something else will break. So i usually wait for the one thing that's bothering me to go away. In the meantime, I get used to the one thing and just deal with it. I still have concerns about something else going bad besides my heart.
I'm glad you're ok! My eyebrows raised WAY up when I read naproxin, tramadol, AND acetaminophen along with warfarin. I guess they ganged up on you, huh?
 
Scary stuff! It's amazing how we are willing to ignore our body's warnings when other life issues, such as a move, intrude. You mention northern WI. We have a place about 60 miles north of Eau Claire. Are you further north than that?
 
Hi

always good to get the cautionary tales. I'm hoping you're better now. I'd generalise and say that as we get older its always good to not ignore the signs.

Best Wishes
 
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