I no longer have to take warfarin.
Yes.
My hematologist is amazing but his communication method is hard to interpret. I felt compelled to confirm this information several times in order to be sure.
No more warfarin?
As in: tonight I can stop taking this medication?
I never have to take it again?
Yes.
Apparently, three years is sufficient time for a PE patient (with an unknown source of the clots - which is approximately 1/3 of PE patients) to be anticoagulated (according to 95% of the specialists). I could choose to continue to be anticoagulated but the risk of bleeding outweighs the preventative measure.
I was surprised. I had anticipated a lifelong obligation to warfarin. It isn't the easiest medication to take as there's so many things to balance and check. However, in many ways, I had been comforted taking it; it was a safety net for my brain, an assurance that I would never have another PE again. There is a small part of my brain that flagged anxiety - which I discussed with the doctor - around my concern about reoccurrence as asthma does often signal with chest pressure and (unsurprisingly) shortness of breath. However, the larger part of my thinking process reminded me that when I knew, I knew that something major was amiss. Ultimately, I know that I am ready to face that anxiety. I am ready to start taking a low dosage of asprin for 3 months as I transition off. I am ready to eat kale (and a dozen or so of other foods high in vitamin K) in copious amounts. I am ready to cancel those future bloodwork appointments. I am ready to move on.
Just two weeks away from the three year mark of the trip to the ICU, I can't help but feel a sense of freedom.
Ephesians 3:20 indeed.
