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My Friend, Mary

Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 7:15 pm
by Sharon
Mary had her surgery yesterday..blockage high up in the left jugular vein (I think I said right jugular in another thread -oops!). She is resting comfortably at the Sheraton tonight. Mary had some nausea to deal with, but seems to be over that now. The forum has talked about how Dr. D is learning, and changing his protocal. Well, Mary is his first patient being sent home without Coumadin! How lucky is she? So maybe some of you future "stenters" will be bruise free. Maybe he didn't like seeing all the black and blue spots that Marie and I showed up with when we went back for our follow-up :wink: :)
Sharon

Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 10:11 pm
by prof8
Now that is the best news I have heard yet. No Coumadin!!

Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 3:59 am
by Loobie
Oh that's awesome. I hate that crap.

Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 4:59 am
by Sharon
I should have mentioned that Mary will be on the baby aspirin and Plavix

Sharon

Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 6:41 am
by LR1234
I read something somewhere the other day about Plavix only working on some people and not on others...something to do with genetics

Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 6:49 am
by catfreak
That is wonderful. So glad your friend Mary is resting.

I can't wait to see what he chooses for me next week!

Cat

Re: My Friend, Mary

Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 7:44 am
by Rokkit
Sharon wrote:Mary is his first patient being sent home without Coumadin!
Does that mean stents would be much more likely to need cleanup at the 8 week checkup?

Rokkit

Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 11:53 am
by Sharon
Rokkit -
Does that mean stents would be much more likely to need cleanup at the 8 week checkup?
No, I seriously doubt it. He does not want to put the patients back on an operating table at 8 weeks. When I went for the procedure, he told me that he was being overly cautious about the blood thinners. He really did not think at that time we needed the Coumadin. Maybe a person's INR will determine whether he puts them on Coumadin.

Cat will be there next week...maybe she can get the answers from Dr. D.--okay, Cat?

Sharon

Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 12:14 pm
by cheerleader
Just as every patient's stenosis is different, every patients' blood issues will vary. Jeff has hypercoagulation issues, like Marie. The coumadin was helpful in his instance. Even with it, he developed a thickening in the lining of his left stent. Since the balloon procedure and finishing with the coumadin, he is now on serrapeptase, nattokinase and a variety of proteolytic enzymes to keep the fibrin and protein in his blood low. And we will keep our eyes on his SED rate and INR, to make sure his blood is flowing. But he has always had coagulation issues.

For other people, this won't be part of their profile...I would suggest that folks know their INR and coagulation numbers before going to Stanford, and have their GPs follow up with them when returning home. This is something to discuss with Dr. Dake, Cat....Sharon's right. Marie was right on with her doc and follow-up, and she still had issues with the coumadin.
we're still learning....
cheeer

Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 12:46 pm
by catfreak
Sharon wrote:
Rokkit -
Quote:
Does that mean stents would be much more likely to need cleanup at the 8 week checkup?


No, I seriously doubt it. He does not want to put the patients back on an operating table at 8 weeks. When I went for the procedure, he told me that he was being overly cautious about the blood thinners. He really did not think at that time we needed the Coumadin. Maybe a person's INR will determine whether he puts them on Coumadin.

Cat will be there next week...maybe she can get the answers from Dr. D.--okay, Cat?
Cheer wrote:
This is something to discuss with Dr. Dake, Cat....Sharon's right. Marie was right on with her doc and follow-up, and she still had issues with the coumadin.
I will surely ask Dr D about this. I took Plavix for about 2 years when my Neuro worried that I may have some vascular issues. It worked very well for me so not taking the coumadin would be a plus.

Cat

Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 12:59 pm
by Arcee
Sharon, very happy for your friend Mary ! It sounds like she and I had the stent placed in the same location.

I am still on the Coumadin but off the Plavix and I am bruising, much, much less.

Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 4:57 pm
by mrhodes40
Just to add: I actually got a blood clot in my leg while ON coumadin!! but nothing in my stents.

My doc said that coumadin not only blocks your clotting factors but it ALSO blocks the factors that dissolve one once it gets started. THAT is where my clot came from, I whacked the back of my calf and damaged the vein which then bled out into my whole lower leg below the knee--all blue. The place where it whacked formed a clot, that totally blocked the vein and took forever to start to resolve. I still have a lump there....

but that's me. The coagulation queen for some time I ended up with a very complex regimen that others will not need and geez with no coumadin now....

Well I always said this treatment would evolve and those coming later would get something different.......... :D