TOO MUCH Rat Poison!

Heinlein said something to the effect that a pessimist is right more often than not. And, I believe when he is wrong, it’s usually a pleasant surprise.

I’ve always been a pessimist. First, I like being right. Besides, as Heinlein says, “…a pilot [or a QA Manager –HB] who isn’t a pessimist isn’t worth a hoot!” So, it’s a professional hazard.

But I do hate “sounding” like a pessimist.

Now, I could have predicted this one. My INR (International Normalized Ratio) is “way off the charts!” I am in jeopardy of bleeding out just like our little fuzzy friends who get Warfarin used against them for just this purpose. So now I discontinue the Warfarin for this week.

Let’s think about this. First, what haven’t I been doing lately? If you guessed eating, you’d be right. At least not much anyway. So what am I not getting enough of? If you replied “Vitamin K” give yourself a pat on the back. And a gold star! “The prothrombin time can be prolonged as a result of deficiencies in vitamin K, which can be caused by warfarin, malabsorption or lack of intestinal colonization by bacteria (such as in newborns).” Or how about chemo patients who have their intestinal bacteria severely reduced by chemotherapy, as evidenced by lots of flatulence. It can also be caused by not eating, which denies the source of Vitamin K to the body; food.

And, although I have read arguments on both sides, remaining a pessimist would lead me to believe that my supplementation with Omega-3 fish oils would also prolong prothrombin time. Just a guess. I discussed this with my doctor-of -the-day when they put me on the Warfarin.

So, I guess I’ll have to hit them over the head with these issues. Again.

Then again, who listens to the patient?

BTW, today was my fifth chemical, or as they say "medical," oncologist, Dr. D., not counting their Nurse Practioner. I did see him once before for about two minutes when I was in the hospital. They billed my insurance company $177 for those two minutes. Thinking back, it might have been only $80. Still, I wish I could get paid $40 a minute just for asking a couple of questions.

Oh, yeah, I only got 6 hours of sleep last night. That has been happening since I restarted chemotherapy. So, I complained. I NEED chemicals to help me sleep. Dr. D., who reminds me of Himmy, my son’s diabetic, incontinent cat, told me that as an “old man” I don’t need more than 6 hours of sleep. WTF? Nothing was done. They don't even know the sleep meds that were prescribed for me.

As I said, who listens to the patient? Now I know how Heath Ledger died!

I’m going to quit here, tonight, and see if I can’t get some sleep. I’ll be back about 3AM. :- )

Kunolunkwa!

"As a juror, I will exercise my 1000-year-old duty to arrive at a verdict, not just on the basis of the facts of a particular case, or instructions I am given, but through my power to reason, my knowledge of the Bill of Rights, and my individual conscience. When needful, I will judge the law itself." -L. Neil Smith