coaguchek

[Pollyanna]

Moderators, I'm sorry in advance if this is the wrong place. :)

It seemed to me that some of you have a coaguchek at home for your use. I would appreciate any info on that. My dad is on coumadin and at 71, is not in the best of health for these twice weekly trips to the hospital. He's very capable and intelligent, just shaky on his feet due to early parkinson's.

I went online and it appeared that the machines are for doctor offices???

Appreciate any help you can offer. :thanx:

Love, Pollyanna

[Raglet]

hi there

some of us have them at home, I do, and I love it. It is really worth it for me because I have to test weekly at minimum, often more frequently, and just I don't have the time to wait around at the lab getting a test done there.

It could be tricky for your dad if he is shaky in anyway (meaning tremor here, rather than just fragile) as the actual testing process is very precise in the way that the blood has to be placed on the strip. I would love them to bring out the sort of test strip which means that the blood just has to be absorbed by the test strip rather than be placed in the way it does with a coaguchek.

but, i love home testing. I think that you would probably need a prescription for one - I didn't, I just rang up roche and bought one, but my understanding of other countries is that they often have to be prescribed by a doctor, which means that you have to get the doctor to agree. My doctors are very happy with me testing, as if I home test then they know i am getting tested, where are getting me to the lab all the time was a real mission.

From memory (from others I have heard from) they are often not covered by insurance, and are quite expensive to buy. My mum bought mine (yay, go mum, you're the best!) but I have to buy the test strips which are expensive. Each test costs me $10, so if I get an error and end up wasting a strip that costs me more, so for me it is definitely more expensive that a free trip to the lab.

The other great thing about home testing is that if I go anywhere, I just pack my coaguchek and off I go. It is very portable. When i travel overseas, I take my coaguchek, coumadin and clexane (heparin injections) and I am ready to cope with pretty much anything in terms of APS (plus my dr's email, that is essential).

If your dad does want to hometest, make sure you get roche to bring one out and have him do a test before he buys, to make sure that he can actually do it. I both hometest and adjust my one coumadin, I love it, but it's not for everyone.

hth,

raglet

[peonyprincess]

I am not sure about home coag checks, but it sounds as if your father would be eligible for home health care. Call your fathers physician and let him know how difficult that it is for him to get out and go to these appointments and ask if he would refer him on to the local home care agency.

Home care is covered by private insurance as well as medicaid/medicare. They will send someone out to the home to collect the blood so that he doesn't have to make the trips. He might also qualify to have someone come in the home and help around the house, etc. Also there is physical therapy available and so much more.

This would be the best suggestion that I have for you!!


Nancy