The vascular specialist got back to me yesterday, yay! The nurse and doctor called me at the same time… what are the odds of that?
I didn’t know this (obviously) but COVID (which I had August 1-7) can cause your body to create antibodies that make your blood more likely to clot, and I tested really high for those antibodies, so the doctor wants me to go on another blood thinner – Warfarin (commonly known as Coumadin). Warfarin is more high maintenance than the blood thinner I was on (Apixaban, brand name Eliquis) and requires regular blood work to check my INR (international normalized ratio – how fast your blood clots).
I started the Warfarin and am still taking the Eliquis and see another specialist Thursday morning to test my INR and learn all about Warfarin and if I need to change anything about my lifestyle while I am on it. There are a lot of things to be cautious about when you’re on blood thinners (try not to fall or bump your head because you could get a brain bleed, don’t eat too much Vitamin K because the body uses it to clot, blah blah blah). I don’t have a medical tag but I did order a new RoadID (which does not have the exact medication name since those are changing):
and put this note on the back of my phone:
There is a lot I don’t know yet. They have to change the levels of the meds I am on to get me to a “therapeutic” level. I have to ask what that means. I have to ask if they think this will be long term. I have to ask if more scans are required to look for clots. I have to ask how often I have to go in for blood testing or if I do it at home. I have to ask if I can stay on Eliquis long term since it’s easier (they were talking about getting me off of it and on Warfarin only). I have so many questions.
And if you read this far, good for you! I am mostly writing this so I remember what is going on!
This is such a crazy thing to go through so I’m glad you’re writing it out to remember it! Are you writing down your questions so you remember what you need to ask? I always have a million questions but then I forget every single one when I’m at the doctor’s, haha. Fingers crossed this isn’t something you have to be on FOREVER.
Me too! Gah. It’s a lot to remember! I am writing down my questions too otherwise I would forget as well!!!
Oh, I could go off on a lot of this but suffice to say – I am so glad they added to your anticoagulants, and yes, Warfarin is a pain in the proverbial you know what. That said, it works. It’s the Old Guard of anticoagulants, even if it is annoying. Here’s hoping that you do not have to remain on these long-term. I am just glad you don’t have RAGBRAI coming up – that would be much too risky! Take care of yourself.
Yeah, that is what they told me – they were switching me to it because it’s so old and reliable! LOL. I hope I don’t have to stay on them too long past my next ultrasound!