Hey girl,
I try not to think about this subject - though i do sometimes.

It is a bit scarey, I think no matter what Id get checked out just to put my anxious mind to rest. My mind is more powerful than anything so even if I felt like i should 'run a marathon' I think i would get checked out honestly... At least at the er they will check your INR and if they feel that its high enough to pose the risk or your injuries warrent investigation then they would do so.

But my opinion is, better safe then sorry. And save yourself popping an anti anxiety pill!

Hi Friend, You know I have been worrying about just that because of the area I Live in (lots of snow and Ice and everything in central Idaho is straight up or straight down) My pulmonologist told me even a minor slide off I need to get immediately to an ER to be checked over, especially for a head injury, Since I am also a first responder and a CNA I work with lots of doctors and nurses and other emergency personnel and they all agree. They are even the ones who bought me my medic alert braclet which they make me wear religiously. Believe it or not we do immeadiatly check for medic alert braclets or necklases when we come across an unconcious person.

I've not but this scenario is one of the reasons why I where a medical alert bracelet that indicates I'm on warfarin. If I'm ever in an accident, I want an EMT to know I've got the potential for internal bleeding.

I probably would only go to the doc or call an ambulance if I was in pain or had extraordinary bruising or was aware that I really wacked my head or slammed my chest. But really, I think it's just going to depend on the circumstances and your judgement at the time.

Well, I thankfully have not had any experience in this yet, but thank you for posting the question so I see that I'm not alone, because I worry about this pretty much every time I get into the car. My latest worry about it is that even a minor accident will make the airbag deploy and make me start bleeding. I've been using the excuse that I should sit next to my baby, but truthfully I just don't want to sit in the front seat because of it. I think I wouldn't worry so much if this were just a months-long thing, but apparently the vascular doctors are leaning toward making me a "lifer" and so these fears crop up......

I worry about this, too. I think however minor the accident, I would just go to the ER and get checked out to be safe. With the adrenalin that pumps through your body after an accident (or even a near miss), it's possible to hit your head or whack yourself really badly without even realizing it. Even minor internal bleeding for those of us on anticoagulants can be serious and may not be obvious right away. I think any emergency room personnel would totally understand why you presented yourself, even for a little fender-bender.

I have a medic-alert bracelet, too - never take it off! It's pretty - I think I'm going to have to have a ceremony the day I take it off - lol!

That's my two cents!

One of my good friends is an EMT. He told me that even if I'm in a minor fender bender that I need to go to the ER and get checked for internal bleeding.

I think that even if he hadn't told me that I still would have gone, but i'm just a worrier.

Hey all!

I used to run the 911 Center in my county and a big chunk of the emergency call volume was for crashes.

If the collision is bad enough where either you or somebody else would be calling the police anyway, and if you have the slightest sense that you may have taken a good jolt, just tell the calltaker you are at a high risk for internal bleeding and ask that they send an medic unit along with the cops. They should ask you a bunch of other questions too if they are trained properly, one of which should be "what medications are you taking?" When the med unit arrives they can help with a preliminary medical assessment to determinie if you should be transported immediately to an ER. If they say you need to go, just enjoy the ride.

But, just because a med unit comes out, it doesn't mean they are obligated to haul you off. The are just as happy to go back in service and be ready for the next call as they would be transporting you, if there does not appear to be a problem.

And, even if they tell you that you should go, you could decline to be transported. But, I think it would be horribly embarrassing explaining to Saint Peter that you died in a second car crash where you ran your car into the local Starbucks cause you got dizzy from internal bleeding. He would probably make some snarky comment about you having declined divine intervention and point you in the direction of the big Down Elevator!

If the crash is very minor fender bender, it its doubtful that you would have a problem. But if you know your INR is high, and you start to feel dizzy, have hortness of breath or other problems coming on while you are exchanging insurance information, just tell the other driver to sit tight while you call 911. Then go sit down away from where you could get hit by someone else (That would be embarrassing too!)

Like Cupcake says, better safe than telling Saint Peter you thought the paperwork for the auto insurance companies was more important.

Jim

Thanks, Jim.
I was feeling very anxious and your post brought great humor to this topic!

It's good to feel understood by all my friends here
and it's good to be able to laugh about this crazy life...

JIM...LOL!!! What a great way to think..I will
remember the St. Peter story everytime I talk my self out of ignoring anything feeling wrong with me ...like I did my originial Pe/DVT.

Thanks!

Well I wasn't in a car accident while on warfarin but I was in a pretty bad bicycle accident several months ago. I was going about 20 mph and flipped over the handle bars landing on cement and breaking my arm in two places. I went to the ER and they scanned almost my entire body looking for internal bleeding and there was none. Only problem was they gave me steroids and my INR went to 10.

Anyway, all that and everything turned out fine. Now I wouldn't recomend doing what I do but crashes are survivable.

Shawn

I love this question. It shows just how much caution we are suppose to show. But I must share with you a story sort of along the same line.
I did not get to the doc to check my inr several years ago as i was planning a fall time rock climbing trip w/ my oldest adult son. Of course I am not as agile but I do enjoy the trip and i just did not have time to get it done.
SO after i returned i found several messages from Peggy the nurse. When I came in to be checked she said very sarcastically....just what don't you understand about rock climbing and coumadin..... I suggested that I had just as good a chance of having an accident and causing internal bleeding there as I do in falling off a cliff. I added back in a sarcastic tone and I would rather die doing what i love than than driving here to see you.
OK so it is a bit off but of course we wear our ID and at least observe for any signs and symptoms of bleeding. I do not think i would rush in an ambulance and increse that cost to myself but if during business hours could call my doc and get a scan done on an outpt basis pretty quickly if symptoms were present.
I try to let common sense prevail. I wear a helmet when I climb but I do not when I drive...should i start? :)

Isn't it terrible that we wear this vail of "what if" over us...sure wish it could be removed.

good story, BethAnneS.

It is important to still enjoy what you love!
(Boy, did I enjoy some green tea ice cream last week!)

It would be funny if we all wore medical alert helmets all the time!!! Yikes!

(And yes, I wear a super cute medical alert bracelet.)

It does stink to walk around with "what ifs?"
I know that my anxiety level with tone down over time.
It did my first time on coumadin.
It has been less than a month so far this time, so I'm still at that freaked out state.

Of course, if someone hit me (like that lady almost did this morning), *she* and her insurance would have to pay for the ambulance and medical bills. I'm not worried about the cost. I haven't caused an accident in over 20 years (since i was 16) because I'm a darn good driver, so I don't plan on paying an accident-related medical bills.

I'm so completely with you. I used to love driving, but lately it just makes me anxious as I realize all of the potential for disaster.

Then again, I'm rather going through a phase of being afraid of normal stuff. I tripped over a power cord in my living room and my heart briefly stopped. I found a bruise on my leg (my dog is very, very clumsy) and considered a trip to the ER. I suspect this will only get worse in the next few months as I get closer to the date in March where my hemo wants me off coumadin. I kind of don't want to go off of it, but I don't like being on it...

My Sarcastic children suggested I get fitted for a blow up Sumo suit!!!

Oh, um, my heart did not LITERALLY briefly stop. It just felt like it.

I reread my post and didn't want anyone to get freaked out! My point is that normal, everyday stuff fills me with fear.