We just got word today from Dr.S. who spoke to the cardiologist from I.W.K. to quit the Lovenox. You cannot guess at how happy I am to stop these injections!!! Poor Wyatt, he is looking like a very sore little pin cushion right now.
But it is also very terrifying. The blood clot in Wyatt's heart is still there and it is massive. The Lovenox was to keep the clot from getting bigger. The theory was that as Wyatt grows, the clot would get smaller in relation to his body and eventually be reabsorbed by the body. Now our family is wondering what will happen next without the Lovenox. We are meeting Dr. S. in a couple of days for a consultation to see what the next step will be.
You might be wondering what Lovenox is. It is a low molecular weight heparin, a costly drug that thins the blood. To quote Wikipedia, it is:
"Enoxaparin is a low molecular weight heparin manufactured by Sanofi-Aventis. It is marketed as Lovenox or Clexane. Enoxaparin injections are derived from the intestinal mucosa of pigs. Enoxaparin is used to prevent and treat deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, and is given as a subcutaneous injection (by a health care provider or the patient). Its use is evolving in acute coronary syndromes (ACS)."
Basically, I'd have to pinch a fatty part of either Wyatt's arms or legs, insert the needle at an angle and press the plunger all the while my little guy is howling and writhing in pain. Not fun. We were told wayyyy back in August 2008 (notice the almost full sharps container) that Wyatt should become accustomed to them and would barely flinch. HA!!! Also notice how strong of a grip my husband has on Wyatt. Needless to say, Wyatt does not like needles. Neither does Mom and Dad.The worst part about giving the injection as a parent is the fact that you are hurting your baby, even though you know you are helping them.
Moms and Dads who must give needles too, you folks are very brave people. I'm new to this, and I can't tell you how many times I dropped the wretched thing or stabbed myself with it. Of course, the needle must be absolutely sterile, so into the sharps container it would go!
Moms and Dads who must give needles too, you folks are very brave people. I'm new to this, and I can't tell you how many times I dropped the wretched thing or stabbed myself with it. Of course, the needle must be absolutely sterile, so into the sharps container it would go! This definitely isn't an experience you'd soon forget, though you'd like to. Here are my top two needle moments I'd like to forget:
- Lovenox crystallizing in the shaft of the needle, so when you inserted it, you could not get the plunger to press down to give the needle. Wyatt absolutely needed this medicine, so I'd have to stab the poor little guy again with a fresh needle and hope this one would work.
- Having a panic attack just as I was pushing the plunger of a second needle. The first one malfunctioned like how I mentioned above. My husband put that still full needle in the sharps box. Half way through administering the dose of the second needle, I couldn't remember if I gave Wyatt part of the dose from the first needle. I yanked it out and tore open the sharps box, frantically digging through the old needles to find the loaded needle while my husband looked on with horror. Crazy? Maybe, but I seriously thought I gave Wyatt too much of the blood thinner. THAT would be very bad. Ah, panic attacks. I'm new to them too. Don't you just love them? sigh
My poor little sweet pea.
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