Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) Support Group
Deep-vein thrombosis, also known as deep-venous thrombosis or DVT, is the formation of a blood clot ("thrombus") in a deep vein. It can be caused by something preventing blood from circulating or clotting normally. Join the support group if you are coping with DVT and find others who are going through the same challenges.
So, I moved from NY to MA two weeks ago. As if that were not stressful enough I had to find a new doctor. My former internist told me to see a hematologist and I saw her today. My INR was good but she wanted to test for possible blood disorder. When I went to the lab I asked them how many vials they needed to take and they said 8. Well, I had a vial or two taken out at the doctor's office and then the lab wanted 8. My veins are non-existent in my arms so I have had to instruct those who take my blood that it has to come out of my hand. One and a half vials later and no blood was coming into the vial. They then wanted to send me to another department to have my blood drawn via IV. I said NOOOOOO and I left.
They told me that I could come back and do two vials at a time if I wanted to.
I thought that 8 vials was excessive. Can anyone tell me any differently?
The doctor also told me that blood testing for blood disorders hasn't really changed much in the ten years after I was first tested (negative by the way). So I wonder what is the point of torturing me.
They told me that I could come back and do two vials at a time if I wanted to.
I thought that 8 vials was excessive. Can anyone tell me any differently?
The doctor also told me that blood testing for blood disorders hasn't really changed much in the ten years after I was first tested (negative by the way). So I wonder what is the point of torturing me.
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Look at what my best friend did with my picture!
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We all have 24 hours in a day. How we spend these hours is important. Watching a little bit of a video about how sitting affects us made me aware of how much sitting and laying down I do. Gonna have to work on that.Your turn. Tell me another truth.
If you're not prepared, it really is a little freaky how much blood they take for the testing!
I started adding salads and veggies to my diet and my INR did not change much so I am grateful for that.
What would happen if they found that I had a blood disorder?
Already I get the feeling that I may have to be on Warfarin for the rest of my life although no decision has been made yet.
The vascular surgeon in NY told me that I should be on Warfarin for at least 6-9 months. This new doctor, a hematologist, said that there is no benefit to being on Warfarin for more than 6 months. I am getting really sick and tired of getting different responses from different doctors.
Anyone else having that problem?
R/Tom
You've got to realize that medicine is not an exact science. If every case were the same and every treatment the same, we could just type our symptoms into a box on the wall and get a printout of the treatment.
But, docs have different opinions depending on how they were trained and what they've seen while they've been in practice. Some are going to be more conservative and some more liberal in suggesting treatment. Some have read the up-to-date research and some are depending on what they learned in medical school. The guy who has never had an issue taking someone off warfarin at six months may have a vastly different approach then the gal who has had patients re-clot after coming off warfarin.
Ultimately, it is up to you to take their advice, ponder it, and decide what is best for you. Because, really, it is up to you to decide what is best for you. The docs might have different opinions, so you have to decide what you're most comfortable with and go from there. I mean, if you want to stop warfarin at six months, then you can do that, despite what the docs said. No one is going to drive out to your house and force the meds down your throat.
So, yeah, all of us have dealt with different information and different suggestions over the course of our treatments. And it would be helpful if every doc said exactly the same thing (although, what would be the point of getting a second opinion if that was how it worked??), but they don't all the say the same thing, and really, thank goodness for that.
Find what works for you ... what feels RIGHT for you ... and run with that. Waiting until the doctors all agree on something is as impossible as trying to get four people to all agree on the same pizza toppings. It'll never happen.
I live about 17 miles from Boston. I will look up the two doctors that you recommended.
Thanks. I was not really all that comfortable with the hematologist although she was trained at one of the best medical schools in the country.
Thanks for your reply. I do believe that if a doctor is going to treat your blood clot that they have the best knowledge available to them and not just what they learned in med school. My internist in Brooklyn did not know that the FDA has recently recommended stopping the use of bisphosphonates for treating osteoporosis after five years. She should have known that and yet I had to tell her as she was going to prescribe those meds yet again after I took a two year hiatus from them. When I told her about the FDA recommendation she looked surprised. Doctors are seeing too many patients with no time to take care of them properly. It's very disconcerting to say the least.
It's our bodies. I don't know why we'd not want to proactively inquire what's happening to us and why.