Wafarin

What tomorow has in store for me

Advanced Prostate Cancer, David Emerson, DES, radiation, Wafarin -

Time changes many things, including treatments for my Stage IV Prostate Cancer.
Five years later, we face a new course, a new direction.

With my PSA climbing considerably over the last 6 weeks and limited treatment options to chose from, we have decided that I will start DES, a form of women’s estrogen. My friend Howard has a good write up here at hrpca.org (http://hrpca.org/estrogens.htm)

There are two potential side effects, DVT aka Deep Vein Thrombosis (blood clots) and/or Gynecomastia (breast enlargement). The former can be managed with Coumadin (Wafarin). The latter requires a one time treatment of radiation to my breasts.

So tomorrow begins the next step. I pray for good results. I pray for the longevity of this treatment. I need a mental break, I need a beach.

The needles go on, and on, and…

Advanced Prostate Cancer, blood thinners, David Emerson, INR, Lovenox, Wafarin -

My Oncologist’s Physician’s Assistant called yesterday afternoon with the results of Monday’s blood test.
When it was her, I knew it wasn’t good, as the nurse usually calls.
After increasing the blood thinner dosage to 12.5mg three days a week and 10mg the other four, she had the results. My INR was DOWN from 1.8 to 1.5! WHAT?!!!
She had spoken with Dr. V and he was concerned that perhaps the study drug (Atrasentan) was interfering with the INR number. The short story is this, I could increase the Wafarin yet again, or just suck it up and use the Lovenox exclusively (Lovenox is the thinner I have been self injecting since the clot was discovered in early August).
The choice was easy. I was already getting a little concerned about the large amounts of Wafarin I was taking and going to 12.5mg a day, everyday was not a guarantee that my INR number would ever get to 2.0.
So, just like every morning for the past seven weeks, I got up this morning and stabbed myself in the belly. I’m already bruised from side to side. I can’t imagine how my stomach will look after four more months of this daily ritual!
OK, so the whining about this is over…it’s just another bump in the road!

#’s

Advanced Prostate Cancer, Coumadin, David Emerson, Lovenox, Wafarin -

What I forgot to include in yesterday’s post was an update on the continuing saga of “The Clot”.
For six weeks now we have been trying to get my INR number high enough and stable enough to discontinue self injections of Lovenox. (INR is a blood marker used to determine the level of Wafarin or Coumadin in your blood).
In order to deal with “The Clot” I was put on Lovenox (self injection) and Coumadin (generic is Wafarin). The optimistic early prognosis from the doctors assistant was I would have to continue the self injections for 3, maybe four weeks until my INR reached a level above 2.0. It has now been over six weeks.
Things were progressing quite nicely, but not fast enough, when I reached 1.6 over two weeks ago. Last week we had a set back when it dropped to 1.3, this week it’s up a little to 1.4. My Coumadin dosage was increased again on Tuesday and we are hoping when we see Dr. V on Monday it will be really close to or above 2.0.
The worse side effect of the self injections is bruising at the injection site. So, needless to say, my stomach looks like Mike Tyson used me as a punching bag!
…oh well, life goes on…..