Monday, January 27, 2014

Arixtra and Hematologist

Well I have 16 days left of Arixtra injections and I can't wait to be done!  I'm really not one for hurting myself on purpose, but at least these injections aren't nearly as painful as the Lovenox ones!  I went to see the Hematologist last week and it was a good visit, but then again, I always enjoy seeing him.  I asked about new blood thinners like Pradaxa etc and basically he said the safer (and more well known) choice would be coumadin.  Which is fine with me, whatever, I just don't want another pulmonary embolism.  So a few days before my injections run out I'm supposed to go back on my regular dose of Coumadin and then start getting my INR checked again regularly to make sure I'm in a therapeutic range.

Sometimes it seems like nothing major ever happened to me, medically I mean.  You just get into the routine of life and things from the past become more and more distant memories.  When I go to see this doctor, the things he says, they really solidify how grave the situation was.  He was at the hospital when I went into cardiac arrest and rushed into my room after the code blue was called.  When he was talking about whether I'd have to be on blood thinners for my whole life or not (which the answer is almost definitely yes) he said something to the effect of, 'it's amazing that you're even still alive.  You should not have made it through what happened.'  Even typing it out I get this lump in my throat.  Eventually you start to think that it doesn't really matter what happened, but it does.  Something like that changes a person and I'm glad it has.  I try not to dwell too much on what I'm doing right or wrong in life, but I sincerely hope I'm not wasting this gift of life that God has allowed me.  I hope I'm making some sort of difference, bettering someone's life, at least in a small way. 

1 comment:

JoAnn Nehs said...

You are definitely bettering my life by being here, and not in a small way, a very big way. You are and inspiration to me. I don't know what I would do without you. that was one prayer that the lord answered. Thank you God for pulling Leatrice through that horrible experience. I have never been so scared. I love you Leatrice.