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vest & history of pulmo. embolisms -- what would you do?

M

mah

Guest
Hi. I just had my insurance deny vest coverage b/c I have had 2 pulmonary embolisms (in about as many years). I like the vest b/c it is less invasive or systemic than medication and other therapies. For a patient who gets lung infections every 7-10 weeks (and 2 PEs), is it worth it to use the vest or more harmful?
 
M

mah

Guest
Hi. I just had my insurance deny vest coverage b/c I have had 2 pulmonary embolisms (in about as many years). I like the vest b/c it is less invasive or systemic than medication and other therapies. For a patient who gets lung infections every 7-10 weeks (and 2 PEs), is it worth it to use the vest or more harmful?
 
M

mah

Guest
Hi. I just had my insurance deny vest coverage b/c I have had 2 pulmonary embolisms (in about as many years). I like the vest b/c it is less invasive or systemic than medication and other therapies. For a patient who gets lung infections every 7-10 weeks (and 2 PEs), is it worth it to use the vest or more harmful?
 
J

jpetersen

New member
Do you have an Acapella or Flutter? They should be pretty effective and likely have the same chance of doing anything the Vest would - I'd ask my RT or have your RN ask the RT for you about which one of the 3 to do.
 
J

jpetersen

New member
Do you have an Acapella or Flutter? They should be pretty effective and likely have the same chance of doing anything the Vest would - I'd ask my RT or have your RN ask the RT for you about which one of the 3 to do.
 
J

jpetersen

New member
Do you have an Acapella or Flutter? They should be pretty effective and likely have the same chance of doing anything the Vest would - I'd ask my RT or have your RN ask the RT for you about which one of the 3 to do.
 
E

entropy

Guest
Hi mah,

I had my first pulmonary embolism last month. I was worried about this same exact thing; knocking the clot loose and sending it deeper into the lung. I was told that it was safe because the clot was at a "dead end." I still didn't use my vest for a few days just to be safe.

I'm interested in your experiences with having a PE. When I had a PE I passed out, woke up on the floor in a fetal position lying in a pool of blood with no idea what happened. My dad found me and kept saying "what happened!?" I looked down at the blood and said "it's not blood, it's raspberry jelly" (LOL, he had just made some homemade raspberry jelly that looks like blood, and I'd at some that morning). The blood was coming from a cut on my nose that I got somehow. It was very odd. I got blood everywhere, all over the floor, all over my vest (which was beside me), my laptop was on the floor beside me when it was sitting on my computer desk before... I still haven't been able to piece together what actually happened. I also somehow fractured my tailbone, one of my end plates, one of my vertabrae, my nose, and now I have compressed discs ;x
 
E

entropy

Guest
Hi mah,

I had my first pulmonary embolism last month. I was worried about this same exact thing; knocking the clot loose and sending it deeper into the lung. I was told that it was safe because the clot was at a "dead end." I still didn't use my vest for a few days just to be safe.

I'm interested in your experiences with having a PE. When I had a PE I passed out, woke up on the floor in a fetal position lying in a pool of blood with no idea what happened. My dad found me and kept saying "what happened!?" I looked down at the blood and said "it's not blood, it's raspberry jelly" (LOL, he had just made some homemade raspberry jelly that looks like blood, and I'd at some that morning). The blood was coming from a cut on my nose that I got somehow. It was very odd. I got blood everywhere, all over the floor, all over my vest (which was beside me), my laptop was on the floor beside me when it was sitting on my computer desk before... I still haven't been able to piece together what actually happened. I also somehow fractured my tailbone, one of my end plates, one of my vertabrae, my nose, and now I have compressed discs ;x
 
E

entropy

Guest
Hi mah,
<br />
<br />I had my first pulmonary embolism last month. I was worried about this same exact thing; knocking the clot loose and sending it deeper into the lung. I was told that it was safe because the clot was at a "dead end." I still didn't use my vest for a few days just to be safe.
<br />
<br />I'm interested in your experiences with having a PE. When I had a PE I passed out, woke up on the floor in a fetal position lying in a pool of blood with no idea what happened. My dad found me and kept saying "what happened!?" I looked down at the blood and said "it's not blood, it's raspberry jelly" (LOL, he had just made some homemade raspberry jelly that looks like blood, and I'd at some that morning). The blood was coming from a cut on my nose that I got somehow. It was very odd. I got blood everywhere, all over the floor, all over my vest (which was beside me), my laptop was on the floor beside me when it was sitting on my computer desk before... I still haven't been able to piece together what actually happened. I also somehow fractured my tailbone, one of my end plates, one of my vertabrae, my nose, and now I have compressed discs ;x
 
M

mah

Guest
Hey Entropy. Wow, your experience with a clot...sounds way scarier than mine! With the first one, the symptoms were pretty much the same as with a normal lung infection. A CT scan was done just as a precaution, but the infection I had was pretty bad and my 02 needed to be up pretty high. My chest always hurts, so any pain from the PE would've just not registered on my radar.

With the second one, I had a sharp pain in my chest (no passing out) but I was also under "blood clot watch" b/c I was off of my Coumadin for dental work. Each MD has their own way of modifying the Coumadin regime for other procedures and I learned that if you need to be off of it for a procedure, make sure your doctor switches you to lovenox injections (which will most likely be stopped 24 hrs b4 the actual procedure).

Good luck to you.
 
M

mah

Guest
Hey Entropy. Wow, your experience with a clot...sounds way scarier than mine! With the first one, the symptoms were pretty much the same as with a normal lung infection. A CT scan was done just as a precaution, but the infection I had was pretty bad and my 02 needed to be up pretty high. My chest always hurts, so any pain from the PE would've just not registered on my radar.

With the second one, I had a sharp pain in my chest (no passing out) but I was also under "blood clot watch" b/c I was off of my Coumadin for dental work. Each MD has their own way of modifying the Coumadin regime for other procedures and I learned that if you need to be off of it for a procedure, make sure your doctor switches you to lovenox injections (which will most likely be stopped 24 hrs b4 the actual procedure).

Good luck to you.
 
M

mah

Guest
Hey Entropy. Wow, your experience with a clot...sounds way scarier than mine! With the first one, the symptoms were pretty much the same as with a normal lung infection. A CT scan was done just as a precaution, but the infection I had was pretty bad and my 02 needed to be up pretty high. My chest always hurts, so any pain from the PE would've just not registered on my radar.
<br />
<br />With the second one, I had a sharp pain in my chest (no passing out) but I was also under "blood clot watch" b/c I was off of my Coumadin for dental work. Each MD has their own way of modifying the Coumadin regime for other procedures and I learned that if you need to be off of it for a procedure, make sure your doctor switches you to lovenox injections (which will most likely be stopped 24 hrs b4 the actual procedure).
<br />
<br />Good luck to you.
 
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