It was a joke...sort of.

I realized I need to let you in on the joke. Well, it's not really a joke, but it needs some clarification. In the hospital they began my treatment with an iv of heparin. Heparin is a fast-acting and strong anti-coagulant.. It is delivered by iv because it's effects do not last long. My understanding is it is a first-response measure during a stroke. As I was on the heparin, they began to give me coumodin to help keep my blood thin and keep it from coagulating. As I was released from the re-hab ward, the doctor called the coumodin rat poison. He wasn't kidding.

Technically, I'm not on coumodin anymore. I'm on the generic version warfarin. Here is what wikipedia has to say about warfarin.

Warfarin (also known under the brand names Coumadin, Jantoven, Marevan, and Waran) is an anticoagulant. It was initially marketed as a pesticide against rats and mice, and is still popular for this purpose, although more potent poisons such as brodifacoum have since been developed.

Wikipedia is not the most reliable source in the universe, so here is what the OED says about warfarin.

A water-soluble crystalline anticoagulant used as a selective rodenticide, and as a prophylactic against embolism in the treatment of thrombosis; 3-(3-oxo-1-phenylbutyl)-4-hydroxycoumarin, C₁₉H₁₆O₄; (also warfarin sodium) the sodium salt of this.

Please note the fancy words for rat poison. So, while I do try to avoid weird chemicals, I am not kidding when I say I take rat poison everyday.