2/21 - Blood Clot Update

Leo's Hematologist ordered a series of genetic tests to determine if he was predisposed to a clotting disorder. The first test they ran is called Factor 5 and it is the most common cause of clotting issues. Leo was negative for Factor 5. Prothrombin gene mutation is the second most common cause of inherited blood clot issues. It is present in about 2% of Caucasians in the U.S. The gene mutation can be inherited from one or both parents. Leo has only received the mutation from one of us. People with one copy of the gene have about a 5 times greater chance of clotting issues than a person without the mutation. Therefore, even with the mutation most people do not show any symptoms. This holds true with Terry and I since no one in our families has a history of blood clots. People who have inherited the gene from both parents have about a 50 times higher risk of clots. The Hematologist thinks Leo's gene mutation along with his illness and dehydration created the perfect storm for a clot and that is why he ended up with two in one day. She said long-term we just need to be aware of the issue whenever he is receiving medical treatment or will be immobile for long periods of time like in an airplane or a car ride. She said he likely won't need it, but low dose therapeutic aspirin is a common treatment for people with clots. She also recommended that both Sammie and I be tested for the gene just for awareness.

Yesterday was another good day for Leo. He is currently on the lowest ventilator settings and he will likely start CPAP trials after rounds today. For people who breath through their nose, moving from a vent to CPAP is a huge step because it means removing the tube from the throat and just replacing it with a high flow nasal cannula. For people with a trach, there is not a lot of difference since they both involve a tube attached to the trach at the neck. However, it is a step closer to getting Leo off the machine :). He is completely off the pain killer Fentanyl and is on a very low dose of relaxer. He will soon just be receiving pain/relaxer on an as needed basis. So far he appears happy and hasn't been scrunching up his face.

Last night I had a special treat and two of my friends from work, Julie and Lauren, came up for a visit :). I'm headed home today after rounds and Terry is coming up after work. Sammie is doing much better and seems to be back to her cute little self again.

Here is a pic from Leo's Bsptism on Sunday: