Home Tests?

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protime machine

protime machine

If I was not contiplating a second surgery I would never have found this site or never heard of home testing. I have been going for blood tests for 18 years and I have been all over the place started out too low...then a new cardio said I had to be between 3.5 and 4.5 because I have two valves. I rather not go over 4. because of the bruising. It is bad enough there. I have been very inconsistent and have been going for testing every two weeks for over a year. After testing this many years and I have So Much scar tissue. This is the best news I've heard for a long time. I hope my Dr. approves this. From what I read about being a canidate I think I hit every category.
Thanks so Much for all the info!!!
Stay Well
:)
 
I got a home tester about a month ago

I got a home tester about a month ago

Hi all ... I'm new to the site and have been reading some of the forums. I received my machine about a month ago and I love it. My insurance initially turned me down, but my doctor and QAS helped me appeal and they covered 80% of it. In my personal appeal letter, I referenced the fact that diabetics could test at home and supplies were covered so why couldn't I? The case worker that handled my case said that was a good point to make but I don't know how influential it was in the decision. My doctor's office ended up getting one after they helped me obtain mine.

Looking forward to participating in all the wonderful forums on this site.
 
Hello Bev,

Regarding the cost of the ProTime Anticoagulation Home Test Unit, I believe the list price is $2000. The Cuvettes and Tenderletts run $10 per test (one time use).

If your insurance company won't cover the cost, you may want to see if you can negotiate a better direct sale price.

Having a home test unit brings a lot of peace of mind, not to mention freedom to travel or test at other than regular business hours.

'AL'
 
new to the board, protime ?

new to the board, protime ?

Hi, I came across this board while researching the protime at-home device for my husband (30-yrs-old)...

He underwent 2 valve replacements (bovine) in 97' and as I'm sure you all know, checking his coumadin every 2 weeks is a huge pain in the butt. We have not found any walk-in coumadin check clinics in our area, and I am thinking protime would be a great investment for us.

Unfortunately, his insurance won't cover it as contracted durable med equipment so we would have to pay a huge deductible etc. which makes it not a viable option for us, unless of course, we hit lotto. :)

In any event, I was curious if anyone knew of any way to appeal to an insurance company or change their decision? Is that even ever successful?

Thank you so much.
 
Hi Spec,

Welcome to this forum..
Call QAS and talk to Lance or Woody. (1-800-298-4515)
They will help you get this machine covered.
I was unable to persuade my insurance and paid for it myself 20 months ago now.
I believe the price of the unit has gone up since then, but as Al Capshaw before me said, you probably will be able to negotiate a better sales price with them if you have to pay for it yourself.
It is well worth the money. Just budget and make it a priority. It is a life saver to me. I take it everywhere I travel. I am going to Europe this winter and my Protime goes with. I have to buy a power conforter to be able to charge the battery just in case, but I checked at Radio Shack and they only sell for $23.00. I am also bringing plenty of supplies just in case I get stuck for some reason and have to stay longer. I am a bit nervous about going (12 hour flight), but I have to get out of my comfort zone and just do it.

Hope you'll be able to get it.

Christina
AVR's 8/7/00 & 8/18/00
TMC, Tucson. AZ
Dr. Gulshan Sethi
St. Jude's Mechanical
 
Hi Christina....we just got a call from Lance at QAS and he told us he's shipping our unit out tomorrow. Both our insurances agreed to pay for it....the primary 75% and the secondary 100%.....and I thought we would be in for a huge fight!! Am anxiously awaiting the unit and learning to test on it. What a relief it will be in that we can go away and still test. I think the best part is that we will be in control of the situation, not anyone else. Hope it's not too hard to figure out....I know Lance said that we would have 2 nurse training sessions and then have to be signed off by our cardio.

Wish us luck!

Evelyn
 
Protime

Protime

Evelym..Lots of instructions with Protime but some hints from John and I..Have your hubby a pair of good reading glasses from drugstore. You control the machine at a standup position like kitchen counter. With good light....Let him prep his finger, alcohol , dried good, ect. while you turn on machine..Takes a few minutes to warm..Then it will say incise. Tell hubby to hold lassette TIGHT againt finger, wipe off first drop and YOU hold the cup up high for him to see where to put the blood in cup.You have 2 min. to fill cup..Then you put lassette in machine with blood and remeber you only have 6 seconds to take it back out..Don't do like John did once and reach for his coffee.. Too late. The machine will beep at each instruction. Also, tell hubby to have finger below breastbone when he incises. And rub, rub, rub it a lot before..I really think 2 people can do better than one to begin with. :D Good luck, Bonnie
 
Evelyn,

I am so glad you are getting your Protime! It is absolutely great. You'll get used to it in no time.
In the beginning the 2 minutes can be a bit intimidating, but just hang in there.
QAS will do everything to help you through this, and if you waste a few cuvettes, they are also very nice in giving you a few extra the next time you have to order more supplies.
Bonnie, I also wanted my husband there in the beginning, because I was so worried in doing something wrong. Now I can do it in no time flat.
Wishing the very best. Come and see us in Vegas.

Janie,

I called QAS and they said I need a Power Converter. They said nothing about an adapter. I might want to call them again and ask. I am pretty sure I can run all the tests on the batteries during the weeks I am gone, but just in case I want to be sure I have everything on hand, and that it works.
I also need the power converter for my hair dryer, curling iron and toothbrush.
I am sure I'll do fine, just hate sitting for that long. It is a 12 hour flight total with one stop-over in Philadelphia.
I reserved with none other than US Airways, and wouldn't you know they filed chapter 11 the other day. I called, but they said it wasn't going to affect any customers or flights, so wish me luck!


Christina
AVR's 8/7/00 & 8/18/00
TMC, Tucson. AZ
Dr. Gulshan Sethi
St. Jude's Mechanical
 
Protime

Protime

Hi Christina

Thanks for the vote of confidence....I'm not too worried and Lance was great about what to do and who to call for tech support. How often do you test??? I thought we'd start out every other day and then send the results to the cardio at the end of two weeks to see if he needs an adjustment in his coumadin? Lance said we'd receive 25 cuvettes and that they should be refrigerated until about an hour or so before use. We're planning on a vacation---a well deserved one I might add--- over Labor Day in Maine, so it's a good thing....we'll have it before we leave and have about 2 weeks to get used to it.

Can't believe both our insurances approved it---WOW!! We were prepared to fight forever if necessary, but they both said yes!

Lance also mentioned the converter, but I said we weren't planning on going to Europe this year, so we wouldn't need it just now. Where are you going and when? Sounds like much fun!! QAS has them, he mentioned.

Thanks for the info....

Evelyn
 
Hi Evelyn,

I test when I need to. Sometime ago when I was more stable I tested every other week, but lately I have been testing twice a week because my INR is up and down.
I call the doctor once every two weeks and tell him my INR results. They call me back if I should stay on the same dose or go up or down. I've had to go up to 22mg a day three weeks ago. But even if they wouldn't call me back I know what to do. You learn after a while how your body reacts.

I am going to visit family in The Netherlands and Belgium. I was raised there and most of my family lives there. This is my first big L O N G trip across the ocean and I am a bit nervous.
I still had an adapter but will have to buy a converter. Yes, I know QAS sells them, but $80.00? Radio Shack sells them for $22.99. So guess where I buy the converter? LOL!!!!

Janie, I believe The Netherlands is 220. Australia is 240.
Radio Shack has an International Power Converter, so it'll work for more than one country.

Happy Protiming to all.

Christina
AVR's 8/7/00 & 8/18/00
TMC, Tucson. AZ
Dr. Gulshan Sethi
St. Jude's Mechanical
 
Hi Christina.....just got our protime kit today and are in the process of charging the batteries. Plan on watching the video and checking things out after grocery shopping. Tyce went to the cardio today and his inr was 3.2, so we have a basis to do a test tomorrow.....will definitely have questions to ask....what a thrill that the insurance approved it.....here in NY we have Multiplan and Empire (United Health) Multiplan, which is my husband' s primary approved it 75% and Empire, his secondary, approved it 100%....don't ask me why and believe me when I say I don't look a gift horse in the mouth, I'm just so glad they did. Actually they said it was durable medical equipment and that only QAS produced it so when they did their review they both said it was necessary. I wonder if it was the cardio writing the script for the Protime unit specifically????

Evelyn
 
Dosage?

Dosage?

Eveyln...What is Tyce's dosage per day? I am 5 mg. Mon-Sat. and 2 1/2 on Sun. The last two INR at home was 3.8..Stayed on same dosage and it dropped today to 3.5...I am on the 2.5-3.5 range. What I did was to have a small helping of cabbage yesterday and some green beans and a little coleslaw every now and then..Eating those greens is better than fooling with dosage. Let me know if I can help tomorrow...Bonnie
 
Hi,

I do the same thing Bonnie..I love it if my INR is 'up' a little..I go for that extra salad!!!! How did we manage before ProTime....it's so great!!!

Zip
 
Didn't call in

Didn't call in

Zip, I love mine. In fact today was the first time I didn't call my cute little clinical nurse at Card's office. She told me last week to eat some greens, stay on same dosage and don't call her for a "couple of weeks"..I will test again next Friday and call her..So those "greens" really lower your INR..Not too much..just a little here and there. :D Bonnie
 
Hi Bonnie

Tyce was 3.2 at the cardio's office today....and best of all, we received our protime kit which is sitting in my kitchen charging right now, HOORAY!!!!!! I figure we'll test him tomorrow....he ate a salad for lunch and had a glass of wine with dinner. His cardio says one glass of wine every other day is absolutely fine, so when we have spaghetti, it's definitely wine night.

Can't wait to check his levels. I don't think the salad he had today for lunch will have an effect yet, but hopefully the wine should counteract it.

I hope you got my email regarding your echo....I only have our cardio to base my feelings on, but I hope you're going to have one soon.....

I just recommended a friend of ours to VR. com...he had the same surgery Tyce had two weeks prior and is not doing well at all. Personally, I think it's emotional, as he got a clean bill of health from his cardio, but, I hope he joins our site.

Ev

Evelyn
 
Hi again....forgot to tell you Tyce's doseage. He's on 5mg monday and Friday, and 2.5 every other day. Two weeks ago when he was on only 2.5 every day, he registered 2.2 on the Richter scale (that's what I call it), so his cardio raised it on Monday and Friday and that seems to have worked.

Ev
 
First time testing

First time testing

Hi Evelyn,

You will find after the first few tests you'll know the routine and won't be nervous about doing it wrong.

I set up my opened materials on the table...turn on machine..while it's warming I alcohol wipe an dry my finger.Insert Cuvette on prompt...stick finger..wipe off 1st drop on sterile gauze..then place droplets in funnel.

The prompt will tell you to snap in the Tenderlett and press the oval..In just about 5 seconds it'll beep and tell you to remove the Tenderlett. Then just await results and follow prompts.

It is really easy and one person is all that is needed..lol..as soon as you're not nervous about it. It only takes 5 minutes at the most!! Good luck, and I'll also be glad to help if I see your distress call...grin. It'll be fine, tho!

Zipper *~*
 
Protime

Protime

Thanks, Zipper....I'm printing out your page....I'm sure it's just getting used to it....Can't wait, will let you know how we do.

Thanks for standing by.

Ev
 
Hi Guys.....SUCCESS!! We did not one, but two tests with our marvelous, wonderful toy!!! Absolutely no problem,,,,,on Monday we go to the cardio to get signed off.

The only question I have is that yesterday at the cardio his inr was 3.2.....he did eat salad for lunch and a glass of wine for dinner, and today when he tested it was 2.1 and 2.0 respectively. I don't know whether that is the difference between the machines (the cardio has a coaguchek) or his inr dropped that much in 24 hours????? Anyway, as Bonnie has already told us, NO GREENS for a bit!!! We're going to do another test on Monday and compare to the cardios and see what the difference is and if we have to factor that in.

One question I do have....the booklet says the Dr. can program the graphics to be within your normal range but you need a plugin. Well, we know he's supposed to be 2.5-3.5, but I just wondered if anyone has had their Dr. do this???? Any takers?

Thanks for all the help.....we used everyone's suggestions and it was a breeze.....I'M PSYCHED!!!!!

Ev
 
Hi Evelyn,

I am so happy you have the Protime and that it worked so well for you. Weren't you nervous or anything? You sound so "kewl" about it!
I at first was a nervous wreck, because the two minutes were terribly intimidating and I had trouble finding the right spot to incise my finger. I couldn't get enough blood out in the two minutes. I needed a lot of warming, rubbing etc.etc.. Believe me, it was trial and error at first and I wasted quite a few cuvettes. But QAS helped me through this and even send me a few extra cuvettes when I reordered. Even within the last few weeks I had 2-3 errors for reasons I don't know, and they send me three extra cuvettes with my new supply order that I received yesterday!
When I did my very first test it was .5 lower than the labs. I thought that was quite a bit of difference and I called QAS about it, but they told me not to worry and that little difference was insignificant. They explained that if you went to three different labs, that they all would give you a different result, but close. They don't do everything the same. Some tests are done right in the office, some are send out. It depends on a lot of things.
Evelyn, start trusting YOUR Protime and NEVER look back girl. This is heaven compared to what we had to go through before, don't you agree?

Happy Protiming!

Christina
AVR's 8/7/00 & 8/18/00
TMC, Tucson. AZ.
Dr. Gulshan Sethi
St. Jude's Mechanical
 
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