August 09, 2006
11:38 am
At least my blood is thin
So, last Wednesday I wrote about the drama of finding a blood clot in my leg and the panic that ensued.
Since that day, I've been taking injections twice a day, which -- so far -- have been the worst part of this whole heart attack milieu. Giving myself a shot in the stomach is actually not that difficult, it doesn't hurt or anything -- until a few minutes later, when the injection site starts to flare up with pain, followed by an upset stomach. On top of this, I am covered with bruises, huge, dark, and ugly.
Hopefully, this morning was the last injection, as they were a stop-gap measure for the new pills I am taking to thin my blood and prevent clots.
I've been having blood drawn every few days, including this morning, to check the effectiveness of the meds. This anti-coagulation regimen means that I have to keep having blood drawn to ensure that my blood is at the right, well, consistency. After each blood test, they call to tweak my medication dosages.
This morning I also attended an anti-coagulation class, there are a lot of rules and things to watch for while on this medication. This is all so much more complicated and involved than the plain old heart attack. Not only do I have to eat sensibly, I have to eat consistently -- meaning no wild departures from my diet, eating the same things day in and day out so that my blood chemistry doesn't fluctuate too much.
So, last Wednesday I wrote about the drama of finding a blood clot in my leg and the panic that ensued.
Since that day, I've been taking injections twice a day, which -- so far -- have been the worst part of this whole heart attack milieu. Giving myself a shot in the stomach is actually not that difficult, it doesn't hurt or anything -- until a few minutes later, when the injection site starts to flare up with pain, followed by an upset stomach. On top of this, I am covered with bruises, huge, dark, and ugly.
Hopefully, this morning was the last injection, as they were a stop-gap measure for the new pills I am taking to thin my blood and prevent clots.
I've been having blood drawn every few days, including this morning, to check the effectiveness of the meds. This anti-coagulation regimen means that I have to keep having blood drawn to ensure that my blood is at the right, well, consistency. After each blood test, they call to tweak my medication dosages.
This morning I also attended an anti-coagulation class, there are a lot of rules and things to watch for while on this medication. This is all so much more complicated and involved than the plain old heart attack. Not only do I have to eat sensibly, I have to eat consistently -- meaning no wild departures from my diet, eating the same things day in and day out so that my blood chemistry doesn't fluctuate too much.
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