October 4th, 2010 4:30pm

The group of doctors just came in. They are the same ones that have been will her since Thursday when she was admitted the first time.

There are two different types of strokes. One is a clot and one is a bleed. Mom suffered from a clot stroke, so they are starting her on blood thinners tonight. They can be risky if not watched or treated correctly, so that is why they are keeping her a few days until her levels even out. They are going to start her on coumadin and levorax. Here are the descriptions so that you don't have to google them too.

Coumadin:

Also known as warfarin, this medication is used to prevent strokes in people who suffer from atrial fibrillation, people who suffer blood clotting disorders, and people who havemechanical heart valves. Coumadin can cause serious bleeding. To avoid this, people who take this medication must have routine blood testing to monitor their INR, or International Normalized Ratio. This is an international measure of coagulation which attributes a value of 1.0 to people with a normal ability to clot. As the INR increases, it reflects that a person is less likely to form blood clots. Patients with atrial fibrillation must maintain an INR of 2-3 in order to effectively decrease their risk of stroke.

Coumadin works by decreasing the amount of vitamin K available for use in the body, which in turn reduces the efficiency of blood clot formation by the body. This is why you should monitor your intake of foods that are rich in vitamin K. Consuming too much of these foods can prevent Coumadin from working properly and may leave you temporarily at a high risk of stroke. Some foods with high vitamin K content include spinach, lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. Doctors recommend that you eat the same amounts of these food items every day in order to maintain a steady level of vitamin K in your body. This will both ensure that Coumadin works properly, and that you will have a low risk of dangerous bleeding while you take Coumadin.

What to watch out for: By far the most common side effect of Coumadin is abnormal and sometimes profuse bleeding. Often the abnormal bleeding can occur inside the eye, and in the intestines. Because of this, people who take Coumadin must monitor stool color and seek medical attention if stools become black or tarry-appearing. Of course, bleeding and easy bruising can occur anywhere in the body.

Lovenox

Lovenox, also called enoxaparin, is a form of heparin called fractionated heparin. Lovenox does not require monitoring of its blood levels and it can be injected intramuscularly. People with chronic kidney disease should not use Lovenox as poor kidney function makes Lovenox accumulate in the blood. The side effects of Lovenox include skin irritation at the site of injection and nausea.

What to watch out for: Rarely people develop an allergic reaction to Lovenox and develop a rash. If severe, the reaction can cause swelling on the hands and lips, and difficulty breathing. If you develop any of these symptoms while on Lovenox you should go to an emergency room. For further symptoms (bleeding) caused by abnormal reactions to Lovenox please refer to the “what to watch out for” section under heparin (above.)

They are keeping her on Coumadin long term and Lovenox for short term. The Lovenox will be in shot form to her abdomen twice a day until her levels even out and then she will stop it and only be on Coumadin.

She can read from facebook on her phone if she covers one eye. I can't tell if she actually wants updates or if she is just proving to herself that she can do it. We all know how stubborn the damn woman is.