IanH
Well-known member
I am excited. I got my home tester yesterday and can now join the ranks of self testers.
It is a long story. My PCP didn't know too much about self testing and it would have been an uphill battle to explain the benefits to him. My Cardiologist knew more but his attitude was one of "why bother" because I was fairly stable and only testing once or twice per month. He also stated the home testers were expensive and the INR checks in the lab are covered under our medical plan (I'm in Canada).
I was running out of options but had a follow up appointment with my heart surgeon. I mentioned self testing to him and after a couple of quick questions he referred me to a Pharmacologist who happens to be the Coumadin specialist in Victoria. Apparently there was some program where the valve manufacturers provided self testers for us valvers and I just happened to ask the right question to the right person at the right time. I met with the pharmacologist yesterday and came home with an INRATIO machine (it is not the INRATIO II) and a box of 12 test strips. The test strips aren't normally part of the program but they were out of date so he gave them to me. I am going to continue going to the lab for INR tests until I can get a new batch of strips but I can "play" with the machine until then.
I did my first test as soon as I got home and came up with an INR of 2.3. My last check at the lab had been 2.2. (Even though I have a mechanical valve my range is 2.0-3.0 because I take low dose Aspirin).
I still have some hoops to go through. I have to convince my PCP to prescribe the strips so I can claim them on my extended medical through work. I also have to convince him that I am with it enough to self dose. Most of his coumadin patients can barely remember to take their pills so he is a bit wary.
I do have a question for those still reading after all this. Would my INR reading be fairly accurate and would the reading be obviously out to lunch if wrong since I'm using old strips? They expired in Nov. 08. Like I said I am not relying on it but I am just curious.
It is a long story. My PCP didn't know too much about self testing and it would have been an uphill battle to explain the benefits to him. My Cardiologist knew more but his attitude was one of "why bother" because I was fairly stable and only testing once or twice per month. He also stated the home testers were expensive and the INR checks in the lab are covered under our medical plan (I'm in Canada).
I was running out of options but had a follow up appointment with my heart surgeon. I mentioned self testing to him and after a couple of quick questions he referred me to a Pharmacologist who happens to be the Coumadin specialist in Victoria. Apparently there was some program where the valve manufacturers provided self testers for us valvers and I just happened to ask the right question to the right person at the right time. I met with the pharmacologist yesterday and came home with an INRATIO machine (it is not the INRATIO II) and a box of 12 test strips. The test strips aren't normally part of the program but they were out of date so he gave them to me. I am going to continue going to the lab for INR tests until I can get a new batch of strips but I can "play" with the machine until then.
I did my first test as soon as I got home and came up with an INR of 2.3. My last check at the lab had been 2.2. (Even though I have a mechanical valve my range is 2.0-3.0 because I take low dose Aspirin).
I still have some hoops to go through. I have to convince my PCP to prescribe the strips so I can claim them on my extended medical through work. I also have to convince him that I am with it enough to self dose. Most of his coumadin patients can barely remember to take their pills so he is a bit wary.
I do have a question for those still reading after all this. Would my INR reading be fairly accurate and would the reading be obviously out to lunch if wrong since I'm using old strips? They expired in Nov. 08. Like I said I am not relying on it but I am just curious.
