Journal

Did 20 minutes of a rather tough workout on the exercise bike....was not really breathing super hard, but was working up quite a sweat....I was pedaling at a pretty hard resistance.  Still not the breathing really hard-type running and hiking workouts that I always did before my PE, but I am slowly getting more comfortable with pushing myself harder than a walk, yoga, or casual swim workout (those workouts can be hard too, but what I mean is I don't breath really hard as I do them).  I don't know that I am that interested in doing any hard, long running anymore, but I'd still like to feel comfortable doing so.

Thinking of going back to my tennis again soon...will have to see how I feel in these next few days off of warfarin.

I think if by the end of this month or so I will feel like I've met my goal if I do about 30 minutes of running at a moderate pace.

Well, today I am guardedly happy.  I saw my hematologist this morning and was told that they found no reason for my PE...all of my blood tests were negative.  At this time, the PE is being attributed to the Yaz birth control that I was taking.  I am planning to go off of warfarin on March 1 (just a random date that seemed good to me.....right after a big event that I am working on right now...wanted things to be calmer when I went off :).  That will be 10 months total on warfarin treatment.  I am nervous, but feel like I have some good plans with my hematologist in place.  She has given me a standing order for a d-dimer test.  I will get one after I have been off of warfarin for a month...if it is high, there is a strong likelihood that I will clot again...if it is normal, not so high of a chance.  I asked her if I could get the test done monthly for the first year....she said yes, which is why I now have the standing order.  She also gave me a prescription for a box of Lovenox....she wants me to fill this prescription whenever I am planning on any long-distance traveling (& of course, I will use if I ever have any surgical needs).  I am also having all test results sent to my PCP and my pulmonologist.  My PCP told me that he wants me to make an appointment with him and get a complete physical once I am off of warfarin.  So I will make that appointment for March....he wants to make sure that everything else looks good....give me a clean bill of health.

The only thing that I did wonder about concerning my test results was my Factor VIII activity....normal range is 60-150 and I was at 151...I guess not enough to be considered abnormal.  My family history is the only thing that has me perplexed...my mom had a PE and her brother had a DVT.  My grandma took warfarin, but I'm not sure if/when they ever knew about any specific clot with her....my mom doesn't seem to know.  My hematologist was very honest with me.  She just said there is a lot that they just don't know.  I am certainly happy that all tests were negative....and I will have good aftercare....I know the cardiologist's office wants to do a repeat echo in August just to make sure that all still looks good (no pulmonary hypertension) and the hematologist wants to do another CT scan in a year.  My CT scan in January showed that I still have a residual scar from my PE...doctor said that may or may not always be there.  My leg ultrasounds showed no evidence of a clot...now or ever.  But, the doctor said that it's likely that I had a clot in my leg that took care of itself, but a piece of that clot broke off and went to my lungs.

It's just hard to never have any tried and true stats/diagnosis.  Guess it is just time to relax and plan to some big salads and a few glasses of wine in a couple of weeks!

Nancy