pellicle
Professional Dingbat, Guru and Merkintologist
I just want to say that I share your view that my valve and subsequent surgery wasn't a "health problem" (it would have been were I born 20 years earlier)
New member life and regrets because of the valve
- Thread starter lsquared18
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lsquared18
Member
HI David... Thanks for responding. I am evaluating my quality of life at this point. I had two Celiac attacks in a row. That means I have to eat better and pay attention to what I eat. Same thing with the Valve. Make sure its working good despite my genetic flaws. Do what I need to to get better physically and mentally.
I had surgery in 1993 with endocarditice. It was tough five months to get better. It haunts me to this day and I am always afraid of getting it again. My other issue is that I get pneumonia quite often. Im working on getting better with that too. Baby steps. But its now or never... I self test too. I like to keep the INR around 3.5 this way I can have my green veggies which I love. So It is what it is.. Just gotta keep plugging away... I have a few Robbins in my family...
lsquared18
Member
HI Joseph thanks you for your response. Greatly appreciated. I am finally setting a goal that needs to happen in 2024. Im working on getting a podcast and website going on a cultural/religious/historical/and genealogical point of view. So I am so stoked for that. LOL Showing my age with the word stoked. LOL....Welcome aboard, I also came across the forum just this year and was happy to find kindred souls (or at least people who understand some of the challenges of OHS).
I self-test my INR (thanks in part to support from the group here) and I've never let being on Coumadin change my activities. I'm obviously more cautious in situations that could lead to broken bones or trauma but still try to get the most out of my post-op life. I don't let it stop me from travelling, hiking, gardening, or using my table saw. The only time it was an issue was when I went skydiving and the site required an EMT be present in case I twisted my ankle on landing. Of course, it's easier for me to say as I never had dreams of horse racing (cars though..) so didn't have to give up a passion due to anticoagulants. Obviously you stayed engaged in the field but I understand it's not the same level of satisfaction.
That being said, personally I did (finally) get my **** together at 29 thanks to the shock of almost dying. Set career goals, bought a house, broke off bad relationships, and found the spouse of my dreams (who I am still happily married to). Now I'm recently retired and moving on to the next phase of my life, whatever that may be.
Plenty of regrets both pre- and post-op but that's life and I can't change the past so try not to dwell on it (again, easy for me to say). We all have our own experiences and anxieties, share and take comfort in whatever therapy works for you (professional or friends or commiserating with strangers on the internet).
No slight to @pellicle, as I'm firmly in the absurdist camp, but my foundation is more Monty Python than Camus
Im in the process of changing how my body reacts to family stress and other stresses. Its just not fun to be in constant stress. So I am working on it.
I am also working on other health issues that I have as well. So hopefully this will be a big change in 2024. Time will tell. I may even get back on the horse to see how it goes. We shall see. But I believe that 2024 is skies the limit for me.
Keep well Keep happy. Happy new year...
Lawrence.
David Robbins
Active member
I have a few relatives who were born with Bicuspid Aortic valves, like me, so they may need to be reassessed for valve function before their 50's in case they experience major regurgitation. I am surprise you haven't taken the pneumovax to prevent bouts with pneumonia. I had one after my recovey in late 2008 and another at 65 as advised by my cardiologist. My cardiologist told me that I am healthier with a stronger heart then before my AVR, so I still hit it hard with exercise and now I only get joint pain which is just age and 54 years of intense exercise.
I agree with Pellicle -- test weekly, unless something changes. Testing every two days is too much -- it'll quickly run you out of strips and probably wouldn't give you a lot more knowledge about your INR than weekly testing. Warfarin has a three day half-life. It'll take three days for your current dose to show effects. If you're really concerned about how your dosages are changing your INR, it may be well to go to testing every three days, keeping the half-life in mind.
Keeping your INR at 3.5 is a hard thing to do - you'll probably fluctuate between 3.0 and 4.0 (or so). 4.0 won't kill you, but it will expose you to the possibility of increased bruising (over what, say, 3.0 would). Personally, I try to keep mine around 3.0, even though I recently had an unexplainable TIA -- I don't think INR had anything to do with my most recent TIA.
Good luck with your journey -- and know that a lot of us are here for you.
Keeping your INR at 3.5 is a hard thing to do - you'll probably fluctuate between 3.0 and 4.0 (or so). 4.0 won't kill you, but it will expose you to the possibility of increased bruising (over what, say, 3.0 would). Personally, I try to keep mine around 3.0, even though I recently had an unexplainable TIA -- I don't think INR had anything to do with my most recent TIA.
Good luck with your journey -- and know that a lot of us are here for you.
Hello - happy new year - I am under the impression “Dose to the diet”. Eat basically what you want, keep it relatively consistent, and then dial in the warfarin to maintain INR - I aim for 2.5 - 3.
Eat those greens and adjust dosage to hit the target.
