Today is not good for me. Problems with my mom. (1 Viewer)

[StephenA]

She's real sick right now. Her blood is so thin, it's worse than a hemophiliac's. She had to stop her coumadin. The whole thing is making her loopy, so she says crazy things, nods off, and is more accident prone than usual. She's also afraid to sleep, and hasn't slept in at least 3 days. And to top it all off, her back's giving her problems again. I have to watch her every move so she don't do too much or hurt herself.

 

[teapot2001]

I hope your mom gets better.

~T

 

[Marshall Alsup]

Man, I hope things turn around for her. Good Luck.

-Marshall

 

[Ted Lee]

hang in there stephen.
my mom passed away when i was 19 and i've missed her ever since. you're going through a tough time right now, but it is your mom!
i once had to spend a few days with my mom in the hospital...she was totally looped from all the drugs. it was really tough on me. i was upset, worried and mad all at the same time. later she told me she didn't even remember me being there! ack!
even though it's hard right now, try to remember all the good things about her, try to embrace this time with her, and try to learn from this experience.
be sure to tell her how you feel too. (i never got closure with my mom - my single biggest regret in my life.)
once a parent is gone, it's too late. :b

 

[JoshF]

Be strong. She needs you.

 

[JasonMC]

Have they given her any Vitamin K to reverse the Coumadin? What was she taking the Coumadin for? Do you have any lab values, like a recent INR? You should have her look for serious signs of bleeding like: blood in the urine or stool (dark tarry stools) The saying crazy things may be a sign of a hemorrhagic stroke. Are her Dr's following her closely?

 

[Justin Lane]

Stephen,

I hope your mom gets back to the swing of things. It seems like you have gone through alot...your mother is lucky to have a son as caring as yourself.


J

 

[StephenA]

She has to take the coumadin for a blood disease she has(which I forget what it is), and due to the fact that she had a stroke and heart surgery. She goes in and has her blood taken every 2 weeks, which usually is good. The doctors keep a good eye on her. This has happened before, when her blood was too thin. I think she has a doctor's appointment tomorrow, so I'll see how everything goes.

 

[Rain]

Hey, Stephen.
Hang in there.
I hope your mom feels better soon.

 

[JasonMC]

Stephen,
When your mom has her blood drawn, they are measuring her protime (PT) which is the amount of time it takes for the blood to clot. Since every lab measures this differently, it is converted to INR (international normalized ratio). This is a universal measurement of your bloods ability to clot. A normal person not on coumadin or any clotting problems will have an INR of 1. For coumadin, depending on the indication, we want the INR from 2-3.5. In your mom's case probably between 2-3. This is just an assumption since I don't know your mom's history. INR's above this level increases your mom's risk of hemorrhaging. Depending on the INR and any signs of bleeding, Vitamin K can be give either orally, iv, or subcutaneously to reverse Coumadin's effect. IV Vitamin K is rarely done. Only in circumstances when immediate reversal is needed. This can result in an anaphylactic reaction. Keep us up to date.
Jason

 

[StephenA]

Wel her protime is normal now. They did say she's anemic, so she has to take iron pills. She seems to be feeling a little better, and isn't rambling on and saying crazy things anymore. She still mubles a little, though. I think she needs some sleep, but she won't listen to me when I say so. She's going back to the doctor on Monday, so I'll find out more then.

 

[Travis Olson]

Sorry to hear about that Stephen. I hope she gets well soon.

 

[Jed M]

Thats tough news Steven. I hope she gets better soon. Keep your chin up.

 

[StephenA]

Update: She is feeling much better now. She has to have a an operation though, and no one in the area will operate due to her conditions, so she has to go into Boston so specialists can do it and take extra precautions.

 

[JasonMC]

I hope everything goes well with the operation and that she recovers fully!!!