StrokeSurvivorBlog

For the last two months Steve has been closely monitored by his new cardiologist. There were four goals he wanted Steve to achieve in order for him to live a long and productive life. The number one priority was treating the atrial fibrillation, which the doctor believes was the cause of the stroke. The second [...]

For the last 3 weeks Steve has been taking an anti-coagulant to thin his blood, either Warfarin or Apixaban. A blood thinner is necessary because the atrial fibrillation causes pooling of his blood in the left ventricle of his heart. This can result in blood clots, which in turn can cause another stroke. If the blood is thinned, the chance of [...]

Thank you for your prayers regarding Steve’s last test. Everything went well with the colonoscopy and he was cleared to start the 3 1/2 yr. clinical trial with the anti-coagulant. On June 8 he received the first dose, but we don’t know if it was Coumadin or the experimental drug, Apixaban. All subsequent EKGs have shown that he [...]

Steve was just enrolled into a Phase III clinical trial being conducted by Bristol-Myers Squibb. This research study Protocol CV185030 (a.k.a. the Aristotle study) is for adults with atrial fibrillation or flutter and are at risk for having a stroke. The purpose of this clinical trial is to determine the safety and effectiveness of an investigational medication (Apixaban) compared to warfarin [...]

In the hour-long appointment we had with Steve’s new cardiologist, Dr. Rider, he addressed each one of Steve’s heart health issues, which included peripheral artery disease (PAD), coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure (CHF), and atrial fibrillation. He recommended that Steve take a stress test to determine the condition of his heart right now. He hasn’t had a stress test since 2000, [...]

Last Friday we met with Steve’s new cardiologist, Dr. James Rider, who was highly recommended by our new internist, Dr. Ed Bongiorno. I can’t stress to you enough how important it is to find the right doctor that you feel comfortable with. Even though Steve has been seen by at least 20-25 different doctors since his stroke, we did not [...]

Last Wednesday I took Steve to the emergency room at the urging of his primary care physician who thought he had a blood clot in his leg. Steve presented with swelling in his right leg and severe shortness of breath. An ultrasound of the leg showed that blood was flowing and there was no clot. [...]