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SeaSoul
member
If you/a family member has a bleeding/clotting disorder, pls come in
SeaSoul
member
We got Cal's blood tests back today.
History: petechia (bleeding/broken capillaries under skin) off & on for 9 weeks now. CBC at onset was normal except for elevated PTT (clotting time). At first deemed viral but after they continued we were referred to a hematologist.
Saw hematologist last week, who ordered repeat PTT/Factor Tests (I think there were 4 or 5, I don't know which ones specifically).
Factor VIII came back low at 36%. Factor XII was also low at 43%.
Dr. said the XII reading has no clinical significance, but she wants to test further because of the low VIII.
She wants to do further testing for Factor VIII, Von Willebrand (for some reason I thought that's what the initial Factor tests were for), and platelet function. She actually didn't mention the platelet function testing to me over the phone, but the nurse who emailed me (I requested this in writing so I could retain it better), referenced a platelet function test. Which has me confused b/c when we saw hthe dr. last week she told me we might want do platelet function testing a couple of years down the road if symptoms continued/got worse, but right now we wouldn't b/c he's too young (they have to take a lot of blood).
She's thinking it's a mild bleeding/clotting disorder, just need to get to the bottom of it. Could be Von Willebrand, could be Hemophilia A (likely a mild form). I need to ask her to clarify about the platelet function testing.
We will be getting a call to schedule testing at the "coag lab." She assured me they would only take as much blood as was safe (well duh - I would hope so!).
Said it would take 3-4 weeks for results and they may ask us to come in for more blood if they don't have enough to begin with. Also said they'd be repeating the Factor tests just in case the results were off due to lab error.
I'm not overly concerned, but she wasn't quite as blase about it as she was last week where she basically said it was no big deal and we'd monitor him for the next couple of years. Then again, she said herself at the time that she was expecting last week's testing to be normal, so that's why we didn't really discuss the next step.
Just curious what others have been through. This is all new to me and frankly blood testing - all these Factors and such - is pretty complicated and confusing to me. Thanks.
ETA: Factor tests have to do with blood clotting:
The body's 12 clotting factors are numbered using the Roman numerals I through XII. They work together in a specialized sequence, almost like pieces of a puzzle. When the last piece is in place, the clot develops ? but if even one piece is missing or defective, the puzzle can't come together.
Childhood cancer (DH) + chemo + radiation = 0 sperm.
LO #1 - 1 unmedicated/self-monitored IUI w/ donor sperm.
LO #2 - 1 m/c, 2 BFNs, 4th IUI worked (unmedicated/self-monitored with new donor sperm).
Life is beautiful!
LO #1 - 1 unmedicated/self-monitored IUI w/ donor sperm.
LO #2 - 1 m/c, 2 BFNs, 4th IUI worked (unmedicated/self-monitored with new donor sperm).
Life is beautiful!
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Re: If you/a family member has a bleeding/clotting disorder, pls come in
World_of_Dennifer
Bloomin'_Babies
Married/Nest_Bio
2 infertiles' journey to 2 pink lines (and a baby girl)
"our IF story"
Thanks. I believe we are. All the conditions I mentioned are bleeding/clotting disorders...mild ones.
LO #1 - 1 unmedicated/self-monitored IUI w/ donor sperm.
LO #2 - 1 m/c, 2 BFNs, 4th IUI worked (unmedicated/self-monitored with new donor sperm).
Life is beautiful!
I don't know anything about clotting disorders, but I hope the further testing shows there is little/nothing to be concerned about with Cal. Please keep us posted and until then, you guys will be in my thoughts.
Amber
TTC since March '06
MFI, LPD, possible PCOS
3 chem pgs * m/c identical twins at 9w 10.06
IVF w/ICSI #2 - beta - 187! (9dp5dt), beta - 367! (11dp5dt)
IVF w/ICSI #3 - it's a girl!
My IF Blog: Between the Lines
My Parenting Blog: Letters From Your Mama
I bet it has to do with the amount of blood necessary to do the testing. How did your husband find out about his, and how was it diagnosed?
LO #1 - 1 unmedicated/self-monitored IUI w/ donor sperm.
LO #2 - 1 m/c, 2 BFNs, 4th IUI worked (unmedicated/self-monitored with new donor sperm).
Life is beautiful!
It is genetic. Both his mother and his brother have it but interestingly enough neither of his brother's kids have it. I hope Cal doens't have it either but its not hat big of a deal. My husband has medicene that he keeps in the fridge at home and he has to take it if having something like dental work done which will involve bleeding and that can be a pain but it doesnt really have a big impact on his life.