It's in your blood ...
To Prayer Partners:
I had a blood clot last June.
Until January my doctor had me taking Coumadin, a blood thinner. He took me off of it last month in order to do further testing to see if he could find the reason for my clot. He did a bunch of blood work and found out that I am Factor V Leiden Deficient. This is a hereditary blood clotting disorder that makes me more susceptible to blood clots. When I went to see my doctor for the results, he shared this information with me.
I told him that I had been experiencing pain in my left leg (same as last June), so I had an ultra-sound done. It seems I have a new clot. However, this time the doctor did not put me in the hospital, but he has given me a series of Hepron shoots and has started me back on the Coumadin. He informed me that at this point, I will be on Coumadin the rest of my life.
... I am taking it easy and doing what the doctor tells me. I am not sure what this will do to the prospect of me serving overseas long-term, but I am leaving that in the Lord's hands. If He wants me overseas, then He will provide the way.
I appreciate your prayers and support. ... I am having a wonderful time in seminary, and God is giving me opportunities for ministry in many different directions. I would ask that you pray for me as the summer approaches. I have many different options and I need to know which one the Lord would have me choose. I will keep you all updated on my comings and goings!
May God bless each of you, and may you serve Him daily!
<><
N.C.
===
Q. Mert's mundane medical question: What would happen genetically if a Factor V Leiden Deficient person were to marry & have kids with a Hemophiliac? Are they related genes? Would the kids have regular clotting factors?
A. Part I:
That's an interesting question.
I don't know what gene cause the Factor V Leiden Deficiency, and I do know that there are actually a few different (genetic) causes of hemophilia. I suppose that hemophilia might counter some effects of hypercoagulability, but more than likely, that person would have 2 different sets of problems to deal with. One that made them have trouble starting a clot (in the case of von Willebrands hemophilia) and then another stopping the clot (in the case of Factor V deficiency). This is only something that would happen if the person were to inherit copies of both genes. In a person who has one factor V deficiency, and one normal, the kid has a 50:50 chance of getting it. Then from a parent with 50:50 vWF deficiency, the kid has a 50:50 chance of getting that.
So from two heterozygous parents (refering to the alleles for the respective genes), a kid has 1/4 chance of getting both genes.
Short answer, hemophilia is likely to be from a different gene than the Factor V Leiden Deficiency.
For more info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factor_V_L
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemoph
===
A. Part II:
There is a cascade of clotting factors that lead to clots the change in factor V makes it so that it is not broken and so that the person will not stop clotting when an appropriate clot has been formed. That is basically what is happening.
I think that the cascade progresses something like this when one factor becomes activated it activates the next.
I will send you a picture that shows the clotting cascade. Clots like the one that the guy emailed you about can be very serious. if a piece of the clot breaks loose, it can get into his lung and cause problems breathing.
If it starts past the lung , it can lodge in the heart (myocardial
infacrction/heart attack), the brain (stroke/aneurism), or or other place. This is why people tell you that you should get cardiovascular exercise (keep the blood moving so it hopefully doesn't clot). Unfortunately, cardio may not be so good for a person who has a genetic disorder, and that is why you are supposed to talk to your doctor before starting a new exercise regimen.
You just happened to email me during a when i am studying cardiovascular disease.
- Nathan Hershberger
- Student Pharmacist/Mutational Analyst
I had a blood clot last June.
Until January my doctor had me taking Coumadin, a blood thinner. He took me off of it last month in order to do further testing to see if he could find the reason for my clot. He did a bunch of blood work and found out that I am Factor V Leiden Deficient. This is a hereditary blood clotting disorder that makes me more susceptible to blood clots. When I went to see my doctor for the results, he shared this information with me.
I told him that I had been experiencing pain in my left leg (same as last June), so I had an ultra-sound done. It seems I have a new clot. However, this time the doctor did not put me in the hospital, but he has given me a series of Hepron shoots and has started me back on the Coumadin. He informed me that at this point, I will be on Coumadin the rest of my life.
... I am taking it easy and doing what the doctor tells me. I am not sure what this will do to the prospect of me serving overseas long-term, but I am leaving that in the Lord's hands. If He wants me overseas, then He will provide the way.
I appreciate your prayers and support. ... I am having a wonderful time in seminary, and God is giving me opportunities for ministry in many different directions. I would ask that you pray for me as the summer approaches. I have many different options and I need to know which one the Lord would have me choose. I will keep you all updated on my comings and goings!
May God bless each of you, and may you serve Him daily!
<><
N.C.
===
Q. Mert's mundane medical question: What would happen genetically if a Factor V Leiden Deficient person were to marry & have kids with a Hemophiliac? Are they related genes? Would the kids have regular clotting factors?
A. Part I:
That's an interesting question.
I don't know what gene cause the Factor V Leiden Deficiency, and I do know that there are actually a few different (genetic) causes of hemophilia. I suppose that hemophilia might counter some effects of hypercoagulability, but more than likely, that person would have 2 different sets of problems to deal with. One that made them have trouble starting a clot (in the case of von Willebrands hemophilia) and then another stopping the clot (in the case of Factor V deficiency). This is only something that would happen if the person were to inherit copies of both genes. In a person who has one factor V deficiency, and one normal, the kid has a 50:50 chance of getting it. Then from a parent with 50:50 vWF deficiency, the kid has a 50:50 chance of getting that.
So from two heterozygous parents (refering to the alleles for the respective genes), a kid has 1/4 chance of getting both genes.
Short answer, hemophilia is likely to be from a different gene than the Factor V Leiden Deficiency.
For more info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factor_V_L
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemoph
===
A. Part II:
There is a cascade of clotting factors that lead to clots the change in factor V makes it so that it is not broken and so that the person will not stop clotting when an appropriate clot has been formed. That is basically what is happening.
I think that the cascade progresses something like this when one factor becomes activated it activates the next.
I will send you a picture that shows the clotting cascade. Clots like the one that the guy emailed you about can be very serious. if a piece of the clot breaks loose, it can get into his lung and cause problems breathing.
If it starts past the lung , it can lodge in the heart (myocardial
infacrction/heart attack), the brain (stroke/aneurism), or or other place. This is why people tell you that you should get cardiovascular exercise (keep the blood moving so it hopefully doesn't clot). Unfortunately, cardio may not be so good for a person who has a genetic disorder, and that is why you are supposed to talk to your doctor before starting a new exercise regimen.
You just happened to email me during a when i am studying cardiovascular disease.
- Nathan Hershberger
- Student Pharmacist/Mutational Analyst
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