As many of you know Gene has been taking Coumadin (Warfarin) for a number of years now and has been self-monitoring his blood coagulation via a meter made by Roche that uses test strips.
Initially we were able to buy the test strips through the Roche representative on our island. It wasn’t easy to do as the rep was constantly traveling covering our whole large island, but it was doable. Then the rep was replaced by another man and buying them through him didn’t work at all well. In fact, it was impossible. Gene had to go off from Warfarin for a number of months because we had no way to test if his blood coagulation rate was within safe and therapeutic range. He really needs to be taking Warfarin, especially since having a stroke when off from Warfarin for surgery a year and a half ago.
More than a year ago he was able, with a great deal of help from our NTM buyer in Manila, to make contact with the main Roche office in Manila and has since been able to buy test strips directly from them.
For the past few couple of months he has been having trouble keeping his coagulation rate within the right range so has gone through quite a few test strips as he has tried this and that to see what is causing the problem. He still has more trial and testing to do, but is down to only two test strips. So he ordered more from Roche. But, Roche has a new regulation as of the first of this year that they can no longer invoice from their office so can’t sell them to us. Our contact there said he would work on trying to sell them to us by invoicing through one of their distributors, and that he expected to have an answer by the end of last week. Last week has passed by and it is now the end of the day Tuesday here, and we haven’t yet heard from him.
It is not possible for us to import test strips from another country because the test strips have to been kept within a certain temperature range except for a short period of time or they are ruined. And they could easily be subjected to too high temperature during the days of shipping. Pharmacies here don’t sell them and can’t order them for us.
If we are not able to buy test strips then we will have to live out in town so Gene can have his blood tested at a hospital however often he needs to have it tested, which is every four or five days now until he gets it regulated and once regulated it will be once a month.
It is not only expensive to live out in town and to have his blood checked at a hospital, but it means that Gene wouldn’t have ready access to his translation helper.
So, please PRAY, that we will be able to buy test strips, and soon. Of course, our Lord knows the future, and He could be using this to keep us away from our village for a time for some reason only He knows. So, let us pray, “As the Lord wills.”