HI Madeline,

Hope you and your family had a great festive period...

That is the time (6 to 8 weeks) it takes the gallbladder to NOT be inflamed (swollen) when the gallbladder is inflame it limits the operating maneuverable area, (cramped for space). I am presently on antibiotics and on Fragmin(it's like Lovenox) a Low Weight Molecular Heparin, which is totally reversible if needed. They had a three day window to operate, but it was then that my Dr. was away(it was Christmas) and nobody else could access my files (re:. the Drug Study).
I am not in pain, but just a slight discomfort,nothing compare to what it was the first night. NOTHING!!!!!

Thanks Denis, we sure had

Ooooooh okay, now I understand. Yup, makes perfect sense. What a pity about timing over Christmas and that you now have to wait. Glad to hear that you are at least not in pain.

Will be interesting to hear what your Hematologist thinks and suggest about the drug study.

Oi, if its not the one thing hey...

Be well and chat again soon!

WELL...
Today (Jan 08/09) I had a "followup" apt with my hematologist regarding my past gallbladder happening. We sat down and she then told me "we are going to talk mainly of the pre-op, op and post op"from the DVT side of things. I said "good, I have many questions regarding all of it.
-I will continue with Fragmin (one injection a day/1500 IU) until the day before the op.
-Post OP, I will be restarting with Fragmin injections 5000 IU and until I am eating and well, at that point I will start from scratch with Fragmin 1800IU and warfarin until I reach a therapeutic range of between 2.0 and 3.0. Then I will be only on Warfarin until further notice.
I found out today that I have officially been OFF the REMEDY study since Dec.26, on the third day of my hospital stay. What that means is that I no longer am part of the double blind drug study, I still am going to be monitored by the "REMEDY" crew until august/09 but I am NOT doing either Dabigatran or Warfarin.
She then stop for a second and asked me if I had any questions concerning what she had just told me???
As I look at all the papers I had prepare, I said NO, oddly enough you have covered everything, SPECIALLY the Post Op part, about the study.

*insert heavy sigh of relief here!!!*

So there, today is the first day of many on the return road of life, as I once knew it.

Soueat!!!

Denis... how is your eye now? INR stabilizing?

Huh? Oh my eye!!! It is good now,that was a while back the blood that was present in it took about 5 days to disappear (like the ER doc said...)
As for my INR, since I'm on Fragmin injections (which is NOT affected by vitamin K ) I don't have to worry about that, until after my gallbladder operation and once I'm back on warfarin and Fragmin for a bit until I get therapeutic again... Then I will play the INR roulette game.
My hematologist thinks that I will most likely be off any anticoags by the summer. We'll see...

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA OFF ANTICOAGS!!!!!!!!!! Summer!!! My 2 favorite 3 words!

Glad the eye is better. The shots are bittersweet huh.. no inr testing.. no inr worries.. but poking.. eeww

Talk soon, Sir

Yes, I'm running out of spots where it does not hurt so much and the bruising. Aaaaaaah well...
Got a phone call from my surgeon, I have an apt on Feb 17 to check me (my gall bladder) out and schedule a day for the operation...
At least it will be done before spring rolls around.

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAA for the schedule!! Best wishes on that! Be sure to let us know how it goes..

The shots bruise less if you put the med in painfully slow (no pun intended. ha). honestly.. i hardly had a bruise... my hubby took a loooonnnngggggg time putting it in.. drop by drop. Have you tried that?

Actually that is gross in itself..

but good news on your gall.

Where is the final plateau???
So I have PTS (Post Thrombotic Syndrome) because of the blood clot some veins and valves in my leg have been damaged, OK, I can live with that, it's the ulcer part I don't like (some people with PTS get ulcers and need to get them removed)more operations...
Just found that out today, I was going for my 6 month leg measurement for my next pair of Study Fuglies and the study coordinator went and got the Hematologist after a few probes here and a few questions, I have PTS.
Lifer on Fuglies, that I can also live with, but how is that going to affect my plans of getting back in shape and on the bike after I get off the anticoags in May?

'Lifer on Fuglies, that I can also live with, but how is that going to affect my plans of getting back in shape and on the bike after I get off the anticoags in May?'

Dero... im so sorry. argh. The clot is gone right? So does PTS create more probs ie: ulcers if you work out? Is that what you are wondering?

OK, as for the PTS, what I was told by one of the many Hematologists I see, it will be painful and it MAY swell up, but the worst is the chance of getting ulcer in my leg. So biking is still in my plans for this summer.

Went and saw the surgeon on tuesday and I had a medical done on me, I'm healthy for the operation, but I still don't know when it will happen...
The waiting games, as long as I don't have any more attacks, I guess it's OK (I had two mild attacks in the last month).

OK, I have my date with the surgeon, I will be taken care of on March 26, I have all my pre-op op and post op appt all set up, just have to wait for those days and out goes the gall bladder...
Had a unusual situation happen at work, everybody knows that I work in a theatre( live plays...) so we are hosting this show from South Africa, Johanesburg to be more precise and the I was backstage when one of my co-worker's mother had to be hopitalised and knowing that she was on warfarin (for her heart) I ask my friend if he told the personel at ER that she was taking warfarine that their approach to her diagnostic may be different, (that's not the unusual ...) but the show's stage manager was right beside me when I told my friend that every time I go to the ER, that is the first thing I tell the person working the "trillage" that I have a history of DVT and that I'm presently on anticoagulants. Micheal (the Stage manager) hikes up his pant leg and shows me his COMPRESSION SOCK and asked me if I had DVT, I in turn hiked up my pant leg and showed him my comp sock. This was the first time I met a stranger that has DVT or PE, specially coming all th eway from Johanesburg...

Gizmo, from your neck of the wood...

...and yes we are comparing notes.
LOL

Hey Denis

I need to play catch-up on all the posts!

Hey, brilliant news that you are going to be off anticoags soon! Whoohooo!!! I'm really thrilled for your sake! Congrats!

Glad your appointment is now finally set, you must be very relieved! All coming together finally. Looks like you are in for a great summer. Bet you cannot wait to start mountain biking again.

Hope my fellow-Johannesburgers are behaving themselves over there on your side of the globe! Hopefully he will join the forum too!

Catch ya later!

Hiya Gismo!!!

Long time no -see...
Glad to hear from you.
Yes, your fellow SA are behaving just wonderfully. THey are starting to prepare for their flight home and Michael has been taking his aspirins in loo of the flight (8 hours to Heathrow with a 7 hours layover then a 7 hr to SA)
YUCK!!!!
Glad that is not me.

As for me, I just go back from my appt. with my hemo and next wednesday I will skipp my injection (anticoag) get operated on thursday and on friday resume to a lesser dosage of Fragmin for 14 days,
THEN THAT'S IT!!!
No more, nadda, finito...
Because of my newly diagnosed PTS (Post Thrombotic Syndrome) I have to go to a more compressed FUGLY up to a 40/50 for the rest of my life, so be it, if that is the extent of it, I can live with that.
And yes my spring/summer is already planned.

Hmmm, all of that changed...
I received a phone call from the OR saying that my operation had been canceled, not delayed, nor rescheduled but CANCELED!!! That was two days before it was suppose to take place, due to some emergency... This I don't get, if an emergency occurs it can't be plan therefor knowing that an emergencie will occur TWO DAYS PRIOR to it from happening, it is planned.
Yes, I don't know whenI will get operated.
When I received that phone call I immediatly got hold with the Thrombosis Assessment and Threatment Unit to find out what was the plan of action,
I was told STOP all anticoags, so this is day #5 w/o anticoags...
Wish me luck...