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.
A month and a few days, that is. This is just a status update. I'm still alive and kicking!
I had a PE in July 2009 after rotator cuff surgery. Was on Warfarin for a year, but now I've been off since the beginning of August. I was on a high dosage (15 mg) and that mostly kept me in the middle of 2 and 3.
Now I am taking an adult strength Bayer aspirin each morning. Still taking the Integra Plus Iron and B-complex. Will have a blood test at the end of September and we'll decide if I should stay on the Integra or go back to a Men's One-A-Day vitamin. The One-A-Day has vitamin K so I had to stop that while I was on the Warfarin.
Under my current health plan, the Integra is cheaper than any Iron+B supplements that I can find even at Sam's Club or BJ's. But we'll see going forward. It's possible that now without the Warfarin I don't need iron or B supplements.
Best wishes to all here. I'll try to remember to check in periodically. :)
I had a PE in July 2009 after rotator cuff surgery. Was on Warfarin for a year, but now I've been off since the beginning of August. I was on a high dosage (15 mg) and that mostly kept me in the middle of 2 and 3.
Now I am taking an adult strength Bayer aspirin each morning. Still taking the Integra Plus Iron and B-complex. Will have a blood test at the end of September and we'll decide if I should stay on the Integra or go back to a Men's One-A-Day vitamin. The One-A-Day has vitamin K so I had to stop that while I was on the Warfarin.
Under my current health plan, the Integra is cheaper than any Iron+B supplements that I can find even at Sam's Club or BJ's. But we'll see going forward. It's possible that now without the Warfarin I don't need iron or B supplements.
Best wishes to all here. I'll try to remember to check in periodically. :)
Glad to hear things are going well.
So what have you noticed in being off the medication for a month? Any change in energy levels or other things?
Also, have you developed any anxiousness due to the fact that you no longer have the safety net of the blood thinner?
Thanks
Robert
I have noticed that I am sleeping through the night a bit more regularly. I am not so sure I have a lot more energy, but then remember my previous comment regarding Vitamin B's and Iron. It's possible that the Integra has been shoring up my energy levels for the last eight or nine months, and I have not stopped the Integra Plus just yet. Waiting for doctor's opinion on that.
I have also begun light workouts in the last two weeks, so it's hard to tell what's making me tired TODAY. Possibly the increased activity. I've been going somewhat easy, but I think now it's time to get serious. I would like to run a 5 K in November and I am way behind schedule in my training; ouch!
As for your question regarding anxiety. No anxiety at all. But I never thought of Warfarin as a "safety net". Oh sure, when I feel a little twinge now and again in my back or my side or someplace else, the thought does come to mind.
But what am I going to do, sit here and worry myself? That does nobody any good. And everybody feels pinches and twinges of pain from time to time. I still remember the golfball sensation that got me to go to the hospital, and that has not recurred.
There is a risk of another PE, yes. I have to be alert to that possibility. But in my case, I think the risk of staying on blood thinners outweighs the risk of being off them. I have written about this in one or two other threads.
Again, this is my thinking, and only applies to my body. Knowing my family history (long-lived on both sides), living in my own skin, and considering my own body and my own health, etcetera.
As long as I am active, I don't believe my body will generate another PE. I've had this body for over 45 years, so I'm merely going on past performance (yeah, I know I know!).
Obviously I cannot recommend to anybody else that what I have chosen is what they should choose.
But now I can work in the garden without fear. I can climb a ladder without reservation. I can go for a run or a swim without worrying that a bump on the head is going to result in a trip to the emergency room.
Now mind you all: I'm stubborn; I admit that! But not "stupid stubborn" about all this. I take my daily aspirin. I drink lots of water. I'm active, though not as much as I should be (yet). If I ever need to take a car ride or a plane ride longer than two hours, I'll wear the fugly circulation socks. Yeah, maybe I'll wear them with a striped golf shirt and plaid shorts with my belt hiked way up over my belly-button!
Okay, maybe not. But ya gotta have fun, right? :D
My approach to all this is that it's a calculated risk. I've spoken with my parents about it. I've talked with my closest friends, and even some people at work. Everybody knows that if I suddenly kick off due to another PE, it was my decision and it was not carelessly made.
And hey, I could just as easily die of something else. Car accident. Terrorist attack. Airplane dropping a nut, bolt, or rivet on my head. Stray bullet. Intentional bullet. :O
Hmmm, given all that, maybe it's better for me to have my clotting factors! Just kidding. Like I said, ya gotta have fun. :)
Seriously though, if I develop another PE (and if I survive it), then of course I'll re-assess my situation. But in that case, I'd probably consider that it's not so much a safety net as it is a necessary precaution. I shall worry about that bridge when (if) I get to it.
Thanks for your interest. Wish me luck...