coumadin levels

[csutherland]

My husband's AVR and 1coronary bypass was 3 days ago and, according to all the charts they gave us, he's doing fantastic! He walks with absolutely no limp--he says he wouldn't even know they had bothered his leg if they didn't tell him. His chest is sore of course. He gets out of bed effortlessly. The only painful things he has left to pull out are his "jumper cables" in the chest.

The surgeon said today that the only thing keeping him hospitalized is the coumadin level that isn't there yet. Hopefully that'll happen Sat. or Sun. He hasn't felt "blue" at all yet. When might that happen?

 

[Nancy]

Your husband is doing wonderfully well. That's so great!

Coumadin levels can be tricky after surgery. They have to be at a certain lower level so they can operate, and after they have to raise them, but very gradually because they don't want to interfere with the body's ability to form enough clots to heal the wounds, so it's a slow go, and everyone is individual in how fast the INR raises.

Good for your husband that he isn't feeling depressed in the least. Sometimes it can hit after a while and some people never have an episode. He sounds like a lucky one.

Best wishes, things are really coming along.

 

[LUVMyBirman]

Welcome your husband to the other side for us! Sounds like he is progressing beautifully!

Yes, the Coumadin, grrrrr. Slow process. I was in the hospital 10 days each time with mine. Though, I hear they send some home with the Heparin injection, i.e Lovenox until the levels come up.

I am not one to enjoy the confinement of the hospital....but would defiantly feel more comfortable staying and making sure it's right!

Take care.

 

[Marty]

Coumadin post op

Coumadin post op

Gina's right. Postop is tricky and the "handoff" from the surgeon to the cardiologist is critical. I was home AM the fourth postop day feeling good(was it the Percoset?) , but in retrospect was Rx three times the correct warfarin dose for my age, 72 at the time, and surgery, mitral valve replacement, both of which make you more sensitive to the warfarin. I didn't feel too bad when I went back for my two week checkup( just a "heavy" feeling in my chest) with the surgeon ,but when he saw my Xray he was horrified(and so was I, I'm a radiologist!). Any how he sucked five pints of blood out of my chest. I could breathe a lot better after that little bump in the road and once we found my correct dose; 18.5 mgm/wk ,no more warfarin problems.Last year I got a chance to talk to the staff cardiac surgeons, PA's, and NP's at my hospital and got them to look at the post op protocol. However they still have a medical- and political problem in the "hand off" to the many cardiologists from all over that refer the patients. Sounds like your doc's are taking the time to make sure everthing is OK.Nothing the matter with that.

 

[csutherland]

Thanks for the info. He had a bad night last night--insomnia; then this morning the hospital food seemed yucky to him. I took him something and after that the noon meal was good. He got a good nap and is much better this afternoon. (Starting to dread tonight though). They've told him he can probably go home about noon tomorrow (Sunday).

 

[Gail in Ca]

Wow only 18 mg per week!!
I take 72mg weekly now and it just stays about 2.7 or so.
Lucky you!
I went home 5 days after admission. I was only needing 2mg daily, but as I healed I seemed to need more and more warfarin to keep up my inr.
Surgeon said I must have a good liver, but he was amazed at how much I was taking.
Gail

 

[Marty]

good liver!

good liver!

Gail, you don't have a good liver , you've got a great liver!
I'm 75 and may have knocked back one too many vodkas in my pre MVR life.