I'm Warfarin for life too, after one DVT because of the size my clot was, being Factor II, and strong family history of DVT. So, I am new to this "lifer" phase too...but at least my clot has dissolved! We'll get through it together with the wisdom of many on this site, I'm sure. Hang in there!

Hia Richard, I am waiting for another LA test in a couple of weeks after DVT and if it comes back positive again I will be too. I don't know what to expect but I am hoping I will worry less than I do not being on it. It's a pain and inconvenience but I guess its just something we must learn to live with and accept. I never had any bad side effects when on warfarin. Its just a pain having to go for INR readings each week.

Not much changed for me. I mean, being on it for 6 months vs a whole life, you still have to get your INR checked, sometimes change dosages, etc. I will say, if you're going to be on it for life, find a doctor you are really comfortable with and who gets how to manage this stuff. I changed doctors once I knew I was on it for life, because she and her staff weren't able to manage the warfarin, the INR and then eventually, because I'd lost patience and tolerance, they couldn't manage my personality. They hated my guts after a while because I was relentless. I just found another doc who makes it kind of effortless. It shouldn't be a fight.

I know some people worry about long term effects of warfarin. I just don't think that way, so I don't get too fixated on that.

Some people opt for a home INR monitor. I've chosen not to go that route at this time. I've got a good thing going with my lab and my doctor and my insurance covers the lab visits at a reasonable cost, so it's not a big deal to me.

Psychologically, you learn to live with it. It becomes very normal. Like a lot of things in your life, taking warfarin is just another thing you do during the day, like taking vitamins, brushing your teeth, etc. For me, the longer I've been on warfarin, the more comfortable I am with it. Knowing I was on it for life actually released me from obsessing about my INR, about feeling afraid all the time, having this ridiculous notion that you have to limit all this wonderful food, that you can't play sports, etc. I'm on the stuff for life, so how can I live that way for the rest of my life. No way, right?

I don't live in a bubble. I do stuff I want to do, regardless of being on warfarin. The future is BRIGHT!

I've been reading all your posts. It could be a strong possibility that my husband could be on warfarin for life. Six months is up in January and he'll be reevaluated for that possibility at that time. We've talked a lot about it. Luckily has had absolutely no side effects and actually feels safer on it than not. He sees it no differently than being a diabetic. He's dealt with diabetes since age 35 and he is now 59. It was his choice to go off injections and onto an insulin pump. Like insulin, if need be, warfarin will become part of his daily routine. His lifestyle really hasn't changed. We travel and live a fairly normal life. He's not a daredevil and knows he has to take certain precautions. He's so grateful just to be alive. What started out as a simple knee replacement turned into a nightmare of multiple pe's with one in the pulmonary artery and femoral artery. I say simple surgery as he had the opposite knee replaced last year and went thru that without a hitch. All these clots despite being on louenox and up ambulating....we just didn't think this would happen. But being on this site and listening to all of you have helped us put it all in perspective. For that I will forever be grateful.

I'm a lifer too and have to echo RMB's sentiments. At this point, after three clotting events, I'm much happier being on warfarin than off. I can relax about clots and get back to living my life.

I do have to be a notch more cautious with the extreme sports and with the all-you-can-eat salad bars, but otherwise this is a good option for me. Once you get your INR stabilized, you get your blood drawn once a month and take a pill a day. It is totally do-able and much less stressful than possibly throwing out more clots.

I had maintained my own health and never planned on being a pharmaceutical junkie, so the lifer thing came as heavy news. The first thing I did was go to self-testing.
www.inrselftest.com
I buy extra strips to enable testing every 5 to 10 days, which still takes considerably less time than the old clinic visits, and keeps the ongoing risks low by keeping in-range.
Since I travel as part of my work, I continued to keep my prescription with one of the national pharmacy chains. I have already verified that I can get it filled at any of their locations if I am on the road.
Becoming a thrombophile is one of those things that does not reverse, just like a stroke or the injuries of a bad accident may not reverse. Compared to some of those other one-way tickets, DVT/PE does not appear so bad.
Life is a collection of daily habits, like getting showered, dressed, shaved, fed, and various other things that we have done for years and will do for more years to come. In time, taking a pill does not seem much to add in exchange for continued living.

More2be, I agree with your posts. Most people don't think having to take a pill or two daily is such a bad exchange for having a life. At first it may be a shock to some, but in time it becomes part of ones daily routine. My husband has insulin and coumadin, I have various pills and inhalers. Breathing can be difficult during change of seasons, but you get to know what to expect and live with it.
I just wonder how people get along without support groups such as this one. Its hard going it alone and talking to people who haven't the faintest clue what your talking about.

I just recently bought a INR/PT monitor. Expensive but a stress reliever. Now if I feel out of sorts I can check my levels at home and I can have my levels checked less often at the doctor's. I email him the results and he can adjust the amount of Warfarin if needed. Since I have to be on this for life, I think having a monitor is essential. I eat healthy, exercise on a regular, and live on a small farm that keeps me active. I have stopped riding my horse because of fear of getting thrown and having a brain bleed. My horse is young and I am in my 60's. I plan on buying an older horse. Keep living life just make a few adjustments.