Pulmonary Embolism Support Group

By far the most common form of pulmonary embolism is a thromboembolism, which occurs when a blood clot, generally a venous thrombus, becomes dislodged from its site of formation and embolizes to the arterial blood supply of one of the lungs. Symptoms may include difficulty breathing, pain during breathing, and more rarely circulatory instability and death.

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Ferr 03/31/2009

OK here we go to the final countdown for my colonoscopy. I go off my Coumadin and start 80 MG of Lovenox twice a day starting Wednesday. I'm not looking forward to the bruising. And I'm defiantly not looking forward to my co-workers giving me my evening shots LOL, I keep trying to remember if I was snotty or bad to them recently LOL. They could really make these shots hurt. I can give shots to others and even start IV's but not on myself, (HUMMMMM I wonder why)? Anyway my colonoscopy is scheduled for Monday morning at 7 AM PST so have to be off my coumadin for 5 days prior and then on both coumadin and lovenox until I am once again therapeutic. I will remember to set my lancet a slight bit shallower this time so my finger doesn't bleed so long when I test this time. Last time the lancet was set at 5 and I bled from that stoopid little poke for about 9 hours lol, I wasn't in danger of bleeding to death but it sure can be annoying when your trying to work. and try to get a band-aid to stick to the end of your finger when your putting on and taking off latex gloves all day. Anyway I was just keeping you all posted. Hopefully you got a chuckle out of imagining me trying to stop the bleeding of my middle finger all day and actually looking like I was flipping everyone off even my patients. Hehehehe

kate37 03/31/2009

Hi

Are you sure you cant do them yourself? Didnt think I could do them either but the anti coag nurse sat me down and made me do it! Wasnt easy but did manage it and gave them myself after that did them although it never got any easier!

All the best for your tests and hope everything goes ok

Take care

Kate x

deleted_user 03/31/2009

I had to do the Lovenox injections the first week I was diagnosed and thankfully I could give them to myself because I use to have to give myself insulin shots. I'm glad I don't have to have either one now. I would be nervous having my husband give me shots. I grew up w/a diabetic mother and she taught me at a young age on how to give her shots so when it was time for myself I wasn't too nervous and just did it. The two shots of Levonox that the nurses gave me on my first night in hospital left large bruises and lumps. The sites where I gave myself shots left only tiny bruise and no lumps.

I pray all goes well for you and your colonoscopy. I did get a chuckle out of your story about the bleeding middle finger. :) Humor is the best medicine!!!

deleted_user 03/31/2009

Hi Ferr - just want to say that I'll be thinking of you on Monday. Good luck with the colonoscopy - I hope all your tests are clear.
You've been an inspiration to me on this forum - I love the way you play down all your problems but I know deep down you're probably as scared as the rest of us!
Love Sandi x

beecute 03/31/2009

I will be thinking of you!
Hang in there.
Don't let your dog step on the injection sites and make big bruises!
(I had that problem.)

Thanks for making us smile- love the middle finger story.

Hugs.

Keep us updated when you get your test results.

markarina 03/31/2009

Just curious as to why you have to come off Coumadin, I was told that I did not need to to come off Coumadin. That said my colonoscopy was not expected to be anything other than visual with no biopsies or other procedures required.

Ferr 04/01/2009

Mark, Doc wants me off all blood thinners just in case he needs to do biopsies, cut out polyps or runs into something that looks cancerous and then he'll just take it out then and there. Guess he doesn't want to take any chances of me bleeding to death on his table.
Thanks all for your well wishes, I'm not to worried but in one hand I hope he does find something that might be the cause of these darn clots. Then we can just cut it out and be done with the blood thinning stuff, Wouldn't that be nice.

deleted_user 04/01/2009

Hi Ferr, would be interested in having a one on one session with you oneday, as it seems you have some of the issues I am dealing with. At the end of April I have to go and have an endoscopy/colonoscopy and I too need to go off warfarin and be placed on a Heperin drip for 5 or more days I am so not looking forward to it. You seem a little more philosophical than I, which is really really unlike me. But I have to admit, I am not coping not even a little bit!!! Good luck You are definately in my prayers.

deleted_user 04/01/2009

Hi Ferr,
I totally feel with you! I've been back on the shots for the last ten days and will be until after Easter as I'm off to France next week. I came off due to stomach problems and we wanted to see whether it was the Warfarin, but I've still got problems so we'll see after Easter what's going on. Seems to be a common issue round here from what I see?
Anyways, good luck with everything and show off both finger and bruises with pride - they don't need to know it doesn't really hurt as long as it looks impressive! :-D

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