Pulmonary embolism - recovery (ageing parent)
Discussion
My 72 yo father collapsed today and was taken to hospital. He has been diagnosed with large embolisms on each lung.
Typical man, in spite of generally being healthy fit and strong (and still working, albeit from home at the moment), it turns out he’s been suffering shortness of breath for the last month....
So, it looks like a lucky escape. However, since my parents are in West Wales and 4 hours from me (NW England) and similar from my Sister in London, dropping everything to help out isn’t so easy (folks still have a handful of sheep to tend to).
What’s the prognosis like for this sort of situation? Medication and back to normal or major lifestyle changes as well (he isn’t over weight but prob drinks too much)?
Thanks all..!
Typical man, in spite of generally being healthy fit and strong (and still working, albeit from home at the moment), it turns out he’s been suffering shortness of breath for the last month....
So, it looks like a lucky escape. However, since my parents are in West Wales and 4 hours from me (NW England) and similar from my Sister in London, dropping everything to help out isn’t so easy (folks still have a handful of sheep to tend to).
What’s the prognosis like for this sort of situation? Medication and back to normal or major lifestyle changes as well (he isn’t over weight but prob drinks too much)?
Thanks all..!
Not sure how relevant it is but I suffered multiple bilateral pulmonary embolisms back in 1995 after knee surgery (I was 28). A week in hospital on Heparin then 6 months of Warfarin, then back to normal. No meds, no check ups.
Then in 2014 I suffered the same thing following brain surgery. Sent home with a batch of Fragmin to self inject, then a few months later back on the Warfarin, this time for life.
For the first year or so it was regular hospital blood tests to keep an eye on my INR (the measure of how quick your blood clots). Most people have an INR of around 1, Wafarin aims to keep mine between 2 and 3. If I cut myself I tend to bleed for a bit longer but not much more.
After a while I bought my own machine https://diagnostics.roche.com/global/en/products/i... so I could save myself the grief of hospital visits. I used to have to buy my own test strips but the hospital now provide them. When I need more strips I make an appointment to go in to get some and they calibrate my machine at the same time.
It takes all of 5 minutes to do. I check when told to by the hospital and email the result in. I get an email back telling me of any change in dose and when to test again. If my INR goes out of range significantly they ring me up to discuss a plan to get it back in range.
Then in 2014 I suffered the same thing following brain surgery. Sent home with a batch of Fragmin to self inject, then a few months later back on the Warfarin, this time for life.
For the first year or so it was regular hospital blood tests to keep an eye on my INR (the measure of how quick your blood clots). Most people have an INR of around 1, Wafarin aims to keep mine between 2 and 3. If I cut myself I tend to bleed for a bit longer but not much more.
After a while I bought my own machine https://diagnostics.roche.com/global/en/products/i... so I could save myself the grief of hospital visits. I used to have to buy my own test strips but the hospital now provide them. When I need more strips I make an appointment to go in to get some and they calibrate my machine at the same time.
It takes all of 5 minutes to do. I check when told to by the hospital and email the result in. I get an email back telling me of any change in dose and when to test again. If my INR goes out of range significantly they ring me up to discuss a plan to get it back in range.
Edited by crikey on Tuesday 2nd February 18:47
Cheers crikey - that all sounds pretty straightforward.
As he's 72, this is something that will inevitably be fine for now and then will require more management (especially if he follows his mother and develops dementia in his 80s).
But helpful to know that it's within normal life levels of management.
As he's 72, this is something that will inevitably be fine for now and then will require more management (especially if he follows his mother and develops dementia in his 80s).
But helpful to know that it's within normal life levels of management.
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