At this time my computer is balking and I’m only half done with this. If I don’t finish tonight, check back Monday afternoon. Thanks, Nancy
UPDATE #2 — MINOR we are still here –UPDATE TUESDAY PM
John says: Nancy has been busy setting up a tooth extraction and related meds because of the blood thinner.
Also she has been following friends with snow issues, and our local Snoqualmie Pass that got 53 inches, causing lots of problems up there, and stranded hundreds (locals and travelers). I’ve been moving snow and feeding horses, cats, and little birds. We have only a foot of snow and at 3:12 PM Tuesday the temp is 28°F.
All is well.
In spare moments she is still working on the blog.
Sunday, Feb 3
We published the blog just before midnight.
Monday, Feb 4
Today is the date of the death of my father when I was 14 years old and in High School in Atlanta, GA.
Komonews report – View idiots driving cars not cleaned off the windows or lights.
Go here for views of idiots driving
25 miles east of Seattle, Snoqualmie City has 9″ this morning.
From friend Sharon’s home in Seattle:
Snow on the Olympics, white caps on the water (Puget Sound), and bad traveling on hilly streets in North Seattle neighborhood.
Snowing hard here – received 6” John measured and it has quit.
This afternoon at 1:30 p.m., I received a call from “Roy” – a female scheduler at UW Medical Center for our consultation with Dr. Frederick A. Matsen III, M.D. in Seattle. We are scheduled at 9:15 a.m., Wednesday, February 20th. Pray for no snow on the pass for our trip over.
Tuesday, Feb 5
John planned not to go pruning at White Heron because of cold temperatures expected to last all week there. This morning the vineyard has 19°. Yesterday, snow canceled the whole pruning team’s visit.
We went for my INR blood draw this afternoon to check if Prednisone had raised it. It was up to 5.0 (very high). My normal value is ~ 2.3.
It was after hours there (after 5:00 p.m.) when I received the reported value from lab analysis, and the orders to load up on foods (high in Vitamin K) to lower it, but I was not told I could go to Ellensburg for an injection of 5mg Vitamin K to counteract it. I’m still disturbed about that omission, when I now know they give them at the Cle Elum clinic. I was told to leave off Coumadin tonight and tomorrow night. I knew too late I couldn’t do it with food alone, and I could have gone to the hospital for an injection of 5mg of Vitamin K. I wish my doctor in Cle Elum had informed me of that possible way, instead of saying do it with food. We haven’t had much of that sort of food in the house for 9 years. Besides, the amount in food is measured in micro-grams, not milli-grams.
I spent a lot of time online creating a list of all foods that lower INR and the amounts to eat for what return. It cannot be done with food alone. Important information about Coumadin (which is Warfarin):
∞ Warfarin is a blood-thinning drug that functions by inhibiting vitamin K–dependent clotting factors. Vitamin K can decrease the blood-thinning effects of warfarin and will therefore lower the PT or INR value. This may increase the risk of clotting.
The triage nurse told me not to cut myself with a knife, fall and hit my head, or do anything to cause bleeding. I was in danger.
It wasn’t absolutely necessary but Allen Aronica plowed our driveway, in time for us to leave for Ellensburg for a blood draw before 2:30 p.m. Getting it plowed reduces packing and ice.
Starting from back of my parked Subaru; on out 300’ driveway
I have spent a bunch of time over the past several days to correct an error from the WSJ’s mistake at charging a higher price for my subscription. Today, I succeeded in getting through to a person on the second team to make it right (3rd person was a charm today). It is now resolved, and I have a direct line in for the future in case it should happen in a future year. I’m approved to receive the WSJ print and digital forms as a professor for $49/year. That’s hundreds of dollars below the regular rates. My current delivery was cancelled 2/5.
Wednesday, Feb 6
Temperatures various places of interest this morning include 6.7° on our front porch, 4° at 6:53, 6° – at 8:35 – 5 miles south of us at airport, and it is 12° over at White Heron, where pruning happens.
Thinking pill, not injection, I called Super 1 Pharmacy to see if they have a 5mg Vitamin K pill to take on hand if I get a prescription sent to the Pharmacy, for cases when my INR goes sky high (5.0 as on 2/5) from increase caused by the Prednisone I’m still taking for the second week. They do not have a pill 5mg of Vitamin K at Super 1 Pharmacy or at the KVCH Pharmacy or Bi-mart. Reason they don’t carry it is that it is not in demand and an expensive bottle would have to be bought for one pill by a pharmacy.
Leaving off my Coumadin Tues & Wed completely with INR being taken again on Thursday.
Went to KVH Imaging to sign and date form for pick up CD of X-rays in Cle Elum of shoulder to take to Dr. Matsen for consultation. Between 1:00 & 3:00 went to NW Orthopedics office in Ellensburg and picked up CD of 2016 X-rays of shoulder by surgeon Richard Roux. Felicia from their medical records in Yakima brought it up for me today.
Got GoodSense Moisture Tears at Bi-Mart
John got 5 items at Amazon including a wireless mouse for me to replace mine that has a crack in the case from dropping.
We got some fresh Spinach & Collard Greens for a salad, to go with turkey, apple, Jarlberg cheese, Baguette croutons seasoned. Meant to lower my INR for tomorrow’s reading. John had roast pork, beans, tomato, chili.
Temp at bedtime on front porch, 7.7°F. At airport 3°, at 10:53; 6° at 11:53.
Neighbor Louaine wants a sort of cracker we have not had, so she gave us two to try. They are loaded with Sunflower and Flax seeds, We will have to look at WalMart and/or Winco; Costco no longer has them. We liked them but the small seeds get caught in my teeth, so we probably won’t get them for home.
Thursday, Feb 7
Called Hospital Kim & asked time for her lunch and coming in for blood draw. I have to arrive at 12:15 for my blood draw check in at the front desk.
We left for town earlier than usual on Thursday to make it to the Hospital lab for my blood draw to recheck my high INR from Monday. Then from there we went to the Rehab. I sat in the audience and announced the songs to the audience, and sang along. We had a guest accordionist from Bend, OR who plays with us when she is in town visiting her parents. Katie Eberhart is her name. Her dad was at CWU when I arrived in 1988, but I’ve only met her recently. With their ageing parents, the several children come and go so someone is with Dee and Barb.
From there John drove us home and I communicated with my doctor’s office in Cle Elum, about my medications. That’s another sad story. My primary care doctor will not refill the two I have been on since JAN 28. They were slightly removing the pain. Now I have to wait until Monday to hear if he will refill the other pain pill he has been allowing me to take when I needed it. I have been very conservative, and today, he said he would not… just when I need something to tied me over until my 2/20 consultation with the shoulder surgeon in Seattle.
We came home and had to fix an early supper so we could eat and be to CWU by 6:30 to assure a place on the front row for me to videotape the proceedings. The speaker tonight was a geography major and was my student in 1992, John Stimberis.
That’s all for now.
Thanks — Nancy