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I just tested as I do once a month on my INRatio. Range should be 2.5 - 3.5. My INR was as low as I've ever seen it 0.8 ! I wonder if the fact that the drop of blood wasn't big enough to cover the entire circle on the test strip could have affected the result. There was, however, enough...

Like "Just Ask," I lost a little weight. I went into the hospital at about 170 lbs.(77.1 kg) and left 8 weeks later at about 128 lbs. (58 kg). I'm just under 6 ft. (182.88 cm), so this was not terribly healthy, but that is what a gastric tube in lieu of feeding or liquids by mouth will do to...

On 7/27/2004 I was fine until about 11 p.m. On 7/28/2004 my sister took me to the E.R. because I was suffering from a tightness in my chest for about 18 hours. Shortly thereafter they took me to ICU, unable to diagnose my burst Mitral Valve. On 8/17/2004 had surgery to replace Mitral Valve...

Thank you Kathy. Not needing to take medications for other ailments very often, I forget what I can (should) or can't (should not) take. Anybody else help with something to take for nausea?

I have noticed that a number of us don't have gallbladders (sometimes incorrectly spelled "gall bladder"). I have noticed that in the past several months I often suffer from a very mild nausea. Do you? What about recommending a med that will not affect my inr?

Yeah, isn't that funny. I was laughing as I got out of the water because I was thinking about sharks.

Thank you for your comments. It really looks more like a scrape than a cut. The bleeding has stopped and I want to keep it unbandaged so that it can begin healing. Since it doesn't look infected, it's just another "VR annoyance."

As a mature adult, I thought that I was perfectly comfortable with being "different." Now, however, I'm very frustrated. After some personal issues at home the past few weeks, I was able to score a week of relaxation in Hawaii (where I'm sitting typing on my computer right now). It's...

Chris, It's been 5 1/2 years since I had my surgery (08/17/04), but your experience sounds rather similar to my own. I spent 3 weeks before my surgery and another 3 weeks after my surgery in ICU and a good part of that was on a ventilator. One of the dreams that I recall was that one of the...

This is interesting because I was "cleansed" on Monday and went in for my colonoscopy, fully anti-coagulated on Tuesday morning. Not only that, but he had to do a small biopsy. My dr. is a heart valver on warfarin and he told me that he would cauterize anything that he needed to "cut." In and...

Kathy, Mine was the other extreme (from everybody other than Smiley), because I had the surgery 21 days after getting out of the hospital for my VR (where I had spent 6 wks in ICU & 2 weeks in recovery). A mere 10 days for the gall bladder, full-incision surgery. I blame most of the extended...

I had been totally unconscious for 3 1/2 weeks when my drs and family made the decision, but I'm happily clicking away with a St. Jude Mitral Valve. Coumadin? I don't touch the stuff. I do, though, eat my Warfarin every night and love the stuff. :D

I must say that the insurance companies have it made today. I can't change my deductible because I have a (significant) pre-existing condition and my wife and I are self-employed. One could say that I'm lucky that I already had insurance before I got sick, but now most of us are just scrwd...

This whole thread is almost funny to me. I increased my Blue Cross deductible to $5000 (plus 80% of the next $2500) 5 1/2 years ago, only months before I spent 2 months in ICU and another 4 months recovering. Other than 2004 when I easily met my deductible, I pay almost entirely for any...

Irreligionist? Great word. Interesting that most of the people here who are not god-fearing are not from the U.S. I have to concur with Emu, because Abbanabba said it quite well. In any case, what could have been a nasty poll is very civil. Let's all be like Bridgette and "respect the...

Gina, Happy Birthday to you and your STJ. May you have happiness & health for the next 50 (or more years). Signed, Another happy, healthy STJ, 4-year old veteran looking to last about 45 more years, also.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALLEN! :cool:

Thank you one & all & best wishes to all valvers on long, happy, healthy lives.

Happy 27 to you!!! It's nice to know that these things last that long and just as significant that you are doing well. Signed, another August valver. (08/17/2004) Jess

i just wrote this post and it disappeared. :mad: On Aug. 17, 2004 I had my St.Jude MV installed after spending 3 weeks in ICU with drs. unable to diagnose my condition. A little less than 5 weeks later, having lost almost 50 lbs., unable to swallow, I was wheeled out to my friend's car where...