My story...

Nothing to report... As in, I'm still taking my two pills a day and nothing out of the ordinary has happened, yet.

Right...
Almost a year later and things have not changed, this summer has been a great summer,
A- the weather and HOT.
B- the riding (this was the first summer since 2007 that I was able to ride like the wind).

Lifer on Pradax and lifer on 30-40 compression ratio compression socks.
I still wear 20-30s when I ride. Plus I added these "Quik Clot" Advanced Clotting Sponge made by Z-MEDICA to my back pack,
only sold in the USA. It does not stop the bleeding, but slows it down, gives you more time to get to the hospital, when badly cut. (have not had a chance to try it, so I can't really comment on how well it works).

I have an appointment with my Hematologist on Nov 15 just to compare notes...

Life is good, after two clots, it's not what it used to be, but good.

Hi,My friend Ajay also suffer from PE about 45 days ago.Now he is recovering day by day.Doctors suggest him not to sit for more than 30 minutes on chair.After 30 minutes sitting he must have to walk.After 45 days coming from Hospital, he is not feel well. some problems are born after PE attack.
Now he feel some problem in feet and thy.He feel some thing is very hot in upper side of feet and Thy.When he walk then he feel some relief.He have several tests from hospitals.They told him that, now clots are almost disolve and this clot is start from knee.I just want to ask the question that when his life going to normal.when he can sit on chair without any time limit(although
Doctor said two pills a day will going life time)Taking 2 tablets a day is not big problem, but life must be easy.Doctor also told him
not to eat green leaf vegetables.Some one says it will take six months to life come on right track .

Today afternoon I have met Mr.Ajay again.Then I have check his medicine.
He has take Acitrom 4mg(Nicoumalone) tablet daily at 6PM.He has sit in his office chair.he told me that he feel some thing very hot on his feet and upper part of leg.I have discuss about this site with him.He eagerly wait your answer(response).Anything new, I will write you later.Thanks.

Many people who know that I take Pradax as an anticoag. ask me how it is, my answer has always been...
-No INRs
-No dietary restrictions
-No injections (Pradax is oral)
-No side effects (that one is big for me, I know, others may have them, but I don't.)
Then there is always the question, what would happen if you had a major bleed, (I also had that question for a long time).
Here is some literature from HeartWire on just that topic...





Dabigatran: Reassuring data on major bleeds

December 11, 2012
Sue Hughes




Atlanta, GA - Despite the fact that there is no specific reversal agent for dabigatran (Pradaxa, Boehringer Ingelheim), outcomes after major bleeding on the drug are not worse than for warfarin and might actually be better, new data suggest.

These new data come out at the same time as more reports surfaced of lawsuits against Boehringer Ingelheim alleging the drug contributed to deaths from bleeding. A Bloomberg news report notes that the company is facing more than 150 such suits in the US [1]. The company says the lawsuits are "without merit," and it will defend every case.

The data suggesting bleeding outcomes are not worse with dabigatran were presented at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2012 Annual Meeting. Senior author Dr Sam Schulman (McMaster University, Hamilton, ON), commented to heartwire: "We found that patients who had a major bleed on dabigatran had a lower 30-day mortality rate than those who had a major bleed on warfarin."

He added: "There has been some concern about bleeding with dabigatran, given the lack of a specific reversal agent, but doctors need to see these data to be reassured that this drug is not dangerous." Noting that dabigatran has a much shorter half-life than warfarin, he said: '"If the drug is stopped and the blood is replaced, bleeding on dabigatran seems to be manageable."

But Schulman said a reversal agent would still be desirable for situations where a patient has overdosed or has suddenly gone into renal failure, where concentrations of dabigatran are very high. Boehringer Ingelheim is developing a monoclonal-antibody reversal agent that is currently in early clinical trials.

For the current study, Schulman and colleagues looked at how patients with major bleeding are managed and what their outcomes were in all the phase 3 trials in which dabigatran was taken for six months to two years and compared with warfarin.

They accessed all the reports of major bleeding defined as such by an independent adjudication committee but excluded bleeds that occurred more than three days after stopping the drug, as it could be argued that they may not be drug related.

1034 major bleeds analyzed

The five studies examined included a total of 26 000 patients (including 18 000 from RE-LY), and there were 1034 major bleeds analyzed. There were more major bleeds on dabigatran (627) than warfarin (407), as there were more patients on dabigatran in the trials, Schulman noted. "This study was not about the incidence of major bleeding with the two drugs. Rather, it addressed how the bleeds were managed and what outcome resulted," he commented.

Results showed that dabigatran-associated bleeding were more likely to be treated with red blood cells, whereas patients with major bleeds on warfarin were more likely to be given plasma. Overall, the use of blood products was the same.

In terms of outcomes, patients who had a major bleed on dabigatran had a lower 30-day mortality rate than those who had a major bleed on warfarin—HR 0.55 (95% CI 0.36-0.85).

Hospitalizations for bleeding were the same in both groups, as was the mean length of hospital stay, at eight days. However, patients who bled on dabigatran had fewer nights in intensive care than those who bled on warfarin (1.9 vs 3.2).

In addition, there was a trend toward fewer surgeries to stop bleeding with dabigatran bleeds—10.7%, vs 14% for warfarin bleeds.

There was no difference in neurological function between the two groups as measured by the modified Rankin scale after intracranial hemorrhage.

There, all done.
After going almost two months of hell (ALMOST, as bad as having a clot, the initial part of having a clot), I have almost recovered from a celulitis I had in my right leg (the worst of my two DVT legs).
On Feb the 28th, I went to  the ER with what I thought was another clot in my right leg, I was basing this on the symptoms such as, swollen, red, hot to the touch and agonising.  
Waiting time, 5hrs, which was amasingly long after saying that I was having a clot, last time I went in and said I was having a clot, or was clot related, I hardly had the time to sit down before I was called... Anyways.
So, got in the EMERG and the EMERG Dr. asked me "what is wrong today?" told him I was having a clot, and I should have a doppler/ultra sound/ imaging test (however you call it where you are...)He had a good look at my leg and told me, yes we are going to send you for an ultrasound to rule out the clot, because of your past history(two clots) BUT I don't think it's a clot, yes you have all those symptoms, but a cellulitis also share those identical symptoms. He then explained to me that a cellulitis is a skin infection (the deep portion of the skin) and that when I showed him my leg, the first thing he saw was a scab on my lower part of my leg and that it is fairly new. He asked me what had happened and if I was wearing my comp sock when it happened? Yes, I was wearing my comp sock and that I had bumped my leg on the arm of a chair, hard enough to open the skin and bleed a bit, a bump.  I don't know if any of you wear comp socks, but you sweat and if you mix it up with blood, it may cause an infection, voila, cellulitis.
That had happened a week prior,it was just that day (actually overnight) that it flared up.
How do you cure a cellulitis?  Mine was a severe case, so I was told one month of intervenus antibiotics (a nurse came to my home to change the IV bag every day) then depending on how it is after a month, switch over to oral antibiotics. Then we'll see how it is...
I'm presently on my second week of the orals and if needed, I have a prescription for another 2 weeks.I will be going back to work in another week.

So the moral of the story, if you wear comp. socks and you bump yourself

CHECK IT, IF IT BLEEDS, CLEAN IT AND COVER IT WITH A DRESSING OF SOME KIND.

I was told that from now on, since I had a cellulitis, I am prone to others
IF I AM NOT VIGILANT ABOUT KEEPING A SCRATCH, A CUT or EVEN A BUG BITE CLEAN
So there, that covers my previous two months...  Not fun.