The Number

“What’s the number Rudi?” Dr. Biswas, his PCP asked.

“1.8,” replied Dad.

It’s still not high enough. For someone like Dad, on blood thinners, Dr. Biswas would like his number to be between 2 and 3. The higher the number the thinner the blood and Dad’s blood is still too thick. Pre blood thinners, Dad’s number was 1.4. Once he went back on, it slowly increased to 1.5, then 1.8 and then, much like his fluctuating weight, back to 1.5. We have increased his dosage in increments over this last month, being cautious not to increase it too much (and the fluke lower number is attributed to the cream of broccoli soup that Dad ate all week for lunch, apparently broccoli can lower the number). You don’t realize how important blood flow and thickness is until you need to monitor it weekly. I’ve come to realize that pulmonologists really are the glue that hold all the other physicians together. If you don’t have an understanding of how blood moves through our bodies and what prevents it from doing so, you are just paddling against the current, trying to figure this or that out after say a stroke, heart attack, embolism, anything inside of us. So every Friday we go to the doctor for what’s called his pro-time test and we get a number. We will continue these appointments until the number is within a range Dr. Biswas is comfortable with. Slowly but steadily we will get there because slow and steady always wins out in the end.   

Addendum: As of Dad's visit Friday 1/17/14, his pro-time number is 2, exactly where we want it for now. He was approved for bi-weekly blood checks and monthly PCP visits. All good things do come to those who wait.