Why Did She Take Me Off Coumadin?
I'm feeling angry at my current hematologist. When I had my first PE (massive and bilateral), my hematologist, at the time, found a prothrombin gene mutation.I was also on Yasmin My hematologist at the time was so great.She explained that hormonal BC was a risk factor.She also explained that the prothrombin gene mutation was a risk factor.Since the prothrombin gene mutation was only discovered in 1996, there is no known long term outcomes for patients with it. She let me make the call about whether to stay on Coumadin after a year or not.She was very collaborative about my healthcare.We discussed the bleeding risks associated with Coumadin and the clotting risks associatedwith going off.I decided to stay on for a bit longer... Then, she moved.I got switched to a new hematologist.She insisted that I go of Coumadin. Right away. No matter what I wanted. She was a bit of a jerk about it. Guess what?Here I am with another clot in my lung, waiting for it to dissolve... I have to see her next week to follow up regarding this clot and I really don't want to seeher. I'm angry at her to be honest. The rational side of me knows that she was trying to reduce my bleeding risk by taking me offCoumadin. But she knew I had a prothrombin gene mutation. She knew I had had one PE and she set me up to have another. I am angry.
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Oh, I don\'t blame you. I had similar feelings when my PCP and her collegue misdiagnosed my DVT three times. After the third time, I had the PE the next day. I REALLY liked my doctor but I just couldn\'t continue to see her. She was very apologetic for missing the DVT, but I felt like my trust for her was completely gone. I found a new doc. I do run into my old doc every now and then at a local coffee shop and she always is so incredibly warm with me. If she and her collegue hadn\'t nearly killed me, we\'d have a marvelous doctor/patient relationship.
Hey girl I completely understand 8(.. I do not have a genetic problem as of my first tests, I will be tested again, but Ive always understood that a genetic defect pretty much meant you had to be on coumadin, so I dunno why your dr was so nonchalant about it? I mean i guess if you had no genetic factors period and the yasmin was the sole risk factor, then i can understand her saying to get off the stuff but ugh what are we suppose to do with these doctors?????
It\'s the scariest thing to realize so many healthcare professionals don\'t know much about thrombophilia - I truly love a doc that admits they don\'t know something and will either make the effort to learn b4 changing my meds, or refer me to a specialist. The good ones are out there - you owe it to yourself to find someone less arrogant!
This is SO frustrating. I have some idea of what you\'re going through - when I had my first PE, my doctor suspected it and sent me for tests. The clinic sent me to the ER where a perky young resident told me that I\'d \"clearly just pulled a muscle doing yoga.\" I was furious and knew he was wrong, but couldn\'t take a deep enough breath to protest. A few months later, I was back in another hospital with the same symptoms and a correct diagnosis...
I know it\'s hard to switch doctors, but I\'m of the opinion that whenever possible you should feel comfortable with your dr. I mean, you\'d switch hairdressers if you got a bad haircut, right? Now, don\'t get me started on our insurance systems and the impossibility of this. It\'s not a good system and sadly you\'re proof.
If it\'s anything, my doctor told me that if I only have one risk factor, she wants me off of coumadin. I have FVL, and having had two PEs and one superficial clot I really, really want to be on blood thinners the rest of my life. But, since I had FVL and was on the pill for both PEs, she wants to assume it was the pill that pushed me over the edge and take me off in a few months. I don\'t know what I\'m going to do.
If you have no choice about seeing a different doctor, I hope to god she at least apologizes. If you have a choice and can see a different doctor, why not do that?
Thanks, y\'all. Your support means so much to me. I will see her on Friday. If she doesn\'t apologize I will switch hematologists. Thanks for empowering me.