What Are Your Thoughts On Taking Blood Thinners??

By Roberta Palmer, RN and Patty Kunze, BSN, RNC

So…a topic that was presented to The Rollin’ RNs involves taking blood thinners. One of our readers wanted our thoughts about how long she should stay on her blood thinner prescribed to treat a blood clot.

That’s a great question worth digging into but ultimately this is a question that needs to be discussed with your doctor. It’s a very important and individualized decision that will depend on some key factors such as:

• The location of the blood clot
• Why the clot formed (what risk factors contributed to your clot)
• An assessment of your risk for developing future clots if your blood thinner is stopped (what risk factors you have which may cause a clot recurrence)
• How you have tolerated the blood thinner and what your risk for bleeding is if you stay on a blood thinner.
• Are you still having frequent blood levels drawn per your physician’s orders?

Lets start with a little background on blood clots

Step Change Studios to Represent UK at Ground-breaking Inclusive Dance Festival in US

Step Change Studio & KPD dancers in London. Photo by Stephanie Claire

Award-winning inclusive dance company Step Change Studios, has been invited to represent the UK at a ground-breaking festival for physically integrated dance, in the United States. FORWARD MOTION, produced by Florida-based Karen Peterson and Dancers, is one of the first festivals and conferences anywhere in the world, showcasing pioneering, innovate physically integrated dance. This bold festival – inclusive of those with and without disabilities, on stage, and in the audience – challenges artistic and societal perceptions of what defines physical beauty, and artistic ability.

Forward Motion will take place in the Unites States from 25-28th September, and feature some of the best dance companies of any kind, in performance, in discussion and expert workshops. With leading support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the National Endowment of the Arts, and Miami Dade County, KPD has put together a powerful line-up that will appeal to American audiences, as well as help define what physically integrated dance is in 2019.

My Non-Surgical Quest for a Pain-Free Shoulder Part 2

By Wendy Crawford

NOTE: This is a personal recount of a shoulder problem written in laymen’s terms. The author is not a medical professional. For medical advice, please consult your physician for the best course of action pertaining to your condition.
 
In a previous article, ”My Non-Surgical Quest for a Pain-Free Shoulder - Part “, I wrote about my attempts of trying to eliminate pain in my shoulders caused by calcific tendonitis and additionally, a slight tear in my rotator cuff tendon on my left WITHOUT surgery. Eventually, through a combination of ultrasound guided barbotage, TENEX procedures and exercise, my right has improved to the point that I am now pain-free and functioning normally.

Ultrasound guided barbotage is a technique using an ultrasound guided needle that breaks up calcium deposits under local anesthetic.Tenex is a procedure that uses ultrasound waves, inserted through a small incision in the skin, to identify and break up calcification and chronic tendinosis. It was much more aggressive than the ultrasound guided barbotage and according to my orthopedist, extremely effective. Right after the procedure, it was necessary for a cortisone shot to help with inflammation to promote healing. After 2 weeks, I started to introduce exercise slowly and gradually built up to full resistance, avoiding all overhead exercises.The theory is that once the calcification is broken up and the majority removed, the remaining particles will gradually disappear with exercise. Upon providing a letter of medical necessity, my insurance covered these procedures.

As happy as I was with the results of my right shoulder, I was still struggling with pain on my left. X-rays and an MRI revealed that there was very little calcification remaining but there was a slight tear. As mentioned in Part 1, my orthopedist was strongly against surgery and wanted to explore EVERY option available. He said that there was no guarantee that surgery would work and could in fact, make my shoulder worse. He was also worried that I may damage it unintentionally, during the recovery because it’s such a long process and is difficult for wheelchair-users to not use it inadvertently.