Thank you, my good friends, for your prayers. I promise to keep you in prayer as well.
The shots are not as bad as I feared (isn't that the way life always is?). They are big and they can bruise (as Jamie mentioned in her comment), but they don't hurt too badly and it's temporary. I'll probably have to give myself two injections of the Lovenox a day for about 8 days. And then I'll be on Coumadin for at least six months.
The scariest part of both of these drugs is the risk of bleeding. Both drugs reduce clot time, so if I cut myself with a kitchen knife or sewing scissors, I could end up bleeding for a while. My mom says she's coming over to take all my kitchen knives away!
Hopefully the clot won't grow any closer to the deep vein, and will eventually go away and this event will be a blip on the radar.
I'm taking it easy this weekend. After reading some of your kind comments on my "Why, oh why?" post I realized that maybe the problem is not that which I was afraid. It's not that I want everything. It's not greed. It's that I'm used to being able to do it all and I'm inflexible in my perfectionism. I don't think I consciously strive to be perfect, but that I'm used to it (I'm an old dog) and to just let something go is not in my character. I think I just need to be more conscious of what I'm doing and make the effort to decide which things really need to be done. I'm going to practice this weekend.
My friend Nancy once told me that when her husband left her with their three little kids she learned to give up some things. She said she knew that she was really the only on who cared if there were crumbs on the floor. Clearly the kids didn't care. I'm pretty sure my husband is not as picky as I am either. So, if you stop by (and please do) don't mind the crumbs. At least if there are crumbs, there's a yummy treat!
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Oh, Barbara, I wish I could stop by! (with a pot of warm soup)
ReplyDeleteI hope you are able to rest and that this all heals up quickly.
Okay, I'm sorry I didn't notice these lovenox post sooner!
ReplyDeleteOkay, my trick is injecting slowly. Sure poke the needling in fast, but then sit for a bit and inject the shot over about 5 slowly counted seconds. For whatever reason, this method has stopped the pain and burning that I experienced when the shots were being plunged in quickly (as the nurses did in the hospitals...and how I was originally taught)...slow injection is easier.
Then once you're done, pull out needle, release pinch skin, and don't touch or rub. I've found that sometimes of my pants will rub and cause a bruise, so often I'll roll down my jeans, or leave the button undone for about 30 minutes after the shot. And don't carry the laundry basket on the side where your shot was, that will bruise for sure!
Frankly, I was surprised they didn't start you on this sooner. Clots by nature will just get bigger, the anticoagulants won't break up the clot, but will stop it from increasing, and hopefully, prevent more of them. And as long as you're monitored closely, you watch for signs of bleeding, ect...and the drugs are calibrated appropriately, you should be okay. With Coumadin, they should be checking your PT/ INR frequently. And the antidote for too much bleeding is Vit. K... leafy greens and asperagus yum.
P.S. I stepped on something and cut my toe this morning...it was fine, it didn't gush or anything. I've had a few cuts and scratches and I really haven't noticed an increase in blood loss. Obviously, the clotting times will be adjusted to go up, but it's usually not too noticable unless you're in a serious accident or something.
ReplyDeleteJamie,
ReplyDeleteI wish you could too. I'd love the company!
AK,
Thanks for the tips. I would not have thought of the laundry basket -- that's a good one. I figured out after the first shot to go slowly -- that first one hurt, but I realized that was a lot of fluid to push in. I think I also put it too close to my belly button!
I'm happy to hear you did not bleed a lot today -- you just never know until it happens, do you?
I'll be sure to send some prayers your way. I love your blog. I always find your posts encouraging and filled with wisdom. Thanks for all that your share.
ReplyDeleteAlways put the shots at least two inches away from your belly button. The umbilicus is pretty vascular due to the umbilical ligaments that once served as your ubilical vein and artaries. When I had surgery, the doc made his main incision inside my belly button, and while it's a neat way to hide a scar, it's still scared. A few weeks after I had the PVT (well over a month after surgery), my belly button got all red and hot to touch. My surgeon suggested the ligaments/veins were irritated, and it cleared on it's own after a few days.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the little instructional video they sent me home with stated that Lovenox is suppose to go into your love handles...they thought they were so funny calling it Love-nox, snort.
Anyhow, for me it seems less painful in the U region around my abdomen, which is where patients are usually taught to administer heparin and insulin shots. Lovenox is low molecular weight heparin after all...I tend to bruise more when I use the so called love handles.
Here's a web site that might be informational. http://www.lovenox.com/consumer/default.aspx
Goodness Barbara - what a lot to worry about. Thinking of you and praying the clots will disappear! Take it easy!!
ReplyDelete