Author Topic: Alexei and Hemophilia  (Read 214781 times)

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Michelle

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Re: Alexei and Hemophilia
« Reply #45 on: August 18, 2004, 10:44:56 PM »
I'm not trying to be rude or annoying to anyone, but if Alexei's hemophilia was only episodic as you say, then wouldn't that in itself suggest that it could've been something else he had?  If it was really hemophilia then it would be there all the time, not just off and on.  Like any normal kid, Alexei most likely got bruised quite often from playing.  In hemophilia, even if the person gets the slightest bruise or cut, it is a disastrous problem.  

Also, the genetic factor can also be disputed because Alexei's ancestors could very well have had something different from hemophilia.  When Alix's little brother Frittie died at a ridiculously young age from falling out of a window, it was said to be of hemophilia.  Now, maybe that was true, but I would think almost ANYONE who suffered a treacherous fall from a high up window when they're only a few years old would die.  Who wouldn't suffer from brain hemmorraging after taking a nasty fall like that if they landed on their head?  That goes for any sort of hemmorhaging for that matter.  That's serious trauma that anyone could suffer.  

I don't know much about the other "hemophiliac" relatives, but it shouldn't be dismissed that they could've had some other blood disease.  I would assume that thrombocytopenia could be genetic too.  And considering that back then no one knew of any other blood disorder besides hemophilia (because of much more primitive medical knowledge than we now have today), the people of the day would naturally assume that it was hemophilia since they didn't know any better.  

Sorry that this post turned out so long, I didn't mean to drone on.  :) ::) :P

Pravoslavnaya

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Re: Alexei and Hemophilia
« Reply #46 on: August 18, 2004, 11:47:55 PM »
Quote
I'm not trying to be rude or annoying to anyone, but if Alexei's hemophilia was only episodic as you say, then wouldn't that in itself suggest that it could've been something else he had?  If it was really hemophilia then it would be there all the time, not just off and on.


It most certainly WAS there all the time.  That is why the Tsarevich was so closely supervised as a small boy.

Quote
 Like any normal kid, Alexei most likely got bruised quite often from playing.  In hemophilia, even if the person gets the slightest bruise or cut, it is a disastrous problem.  


Remember, Alexei Nikolaevich was NOT a normal child.  What for a normal boy means dusting off the jeans and forgetting right away how he's tripped over the sidewalk could have killed the Tsarevich.  His bumps and bruises led to horrific sufferings more than once.  The horrible swellings seen on him, the painful pressure on the nerves, the possibility of bleeding to death, the complications that stiffened the joints, not to mention days or even weeks spent in bed recovering from injuries that would not have meant so much suffering for a normal child ... were not normal.  There are too many anecdotes describing his childhood injuries to cite here.  Mr. Kendrick does not make as much of when the Tsarevich was injured when he was learning to walk as the boy's grandmother did, or of nosebleeds or of complete inability to walk for weeks after leg injuries, because these various injuries suffered throughout do not lend themselves to the theory he bases on one specific bleeding episode.   They are, however, quite typical of life lived under the constant threat hemophilia presents.




Thrombocytopenia may be genetic in some cases, but is far more often induced by external causes such as drug treatments for other diseases or seen as a symptom of some cancers.  It is seen in both men and women, and is generally not regarded as a disease in and of itself.  Manifestations of a thrombocytopenic condition may include bruising and bleeding, but such bleeding as this leads to other complications than do the life-threatening episodes of hemorrhage to which a hemophiliac in the days prior to the use of Factor VIII was prone.  
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Pravoslavnaya »

Offline Belochka

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Re: Alexei and Hemophilia
« Reply #47 on: August 19, 2004, 01:30:54 AM »
Hi Michelle,

You ask good questions, so please don't feel uncomfortanble about asking them.

Persons affected with Hemophilia have the condition for life. Today it is managed thru intravenous infusion of Factor VIII concentrate and other means. Today life expectancy can be normalized by reducing chronic joint disease (a complication of this condition).

As a young child grows and becomes more active, the frequency of spontaneous bleeding into the joints may increase as a consequence. However the frequency of bleeding can decrease with age. This could be explained by the active youthfulness of children, where the risk of trauma resulting from play from falls and bumps is far greater. By this analogy, the frequency of spontaneous bleeding episodes will vary each month, it can even only occur every few years. Much depends on the type of Hemophilia present, because there are a few forms described which relate to the severity of sypmtoms and the time they are diagnosed. This means there were relatively 'healthy' periods which Alexei would have enjoyed. He swam, rowed boats and did what young lads would do, despite the constant adult supervision.

Joints are the most common sites of spontaneous bleeding, left untreated the condition will cause prolonged bleeding and is often accompanied by excessive pain and swelling. Fevers may be present. Hemophilia is usually diagnosed in the first year of life.

Historic documents tell us that Alexei appeared healthy with normal pink skin. It was not until several weeks had elapsed that he was observed to bleed spontaneously from his umbilicus.

Such descriptions would preclude that Alexei's condition could be diagnosed today as Congenital Thrombocytopenia.

Neonates with such a condition will present symptoms at birth or within 2 - 3 days post partum - showing severe, generalised petechiae (small crimson spots on the skin) caused by subcutaneous hemorrhaging. Nose bleeds and bleeding of the gums are common features, with eventual loss of eyesight (due to retinal bleeding) will also occur. The cause of death is usually intracranial hemorrhaging. Left untreated it can prove fatal. This condition can be readily excluded in the case of Alexei. Remember that Alexei was an active young lad.

The acquired form of Thrombocytopenia is excluded because this condition is not inheritable. It can develop after longterm administration of certain medications, chemotherapy, severe meningitis and complications in pregnancy and yes also viral infections.

The acquired form of Thrombocytopenia must be excluded because we know that Alexei was suffering from his blood disorder before his first birthday, it was episodic throughout his short life, which is characteristic for the diagnosis of Hemophilia. Importantly, there was no documented evidence that he was ill in Spala except from the episode which resulted from a fall in the bathtub if I remember correctly.

It would be fanciful to suggest that the Royal Disease was anything but Hemophilia. Agreeably both Hemophilia and the more recently understood mechanisms of Thrombocytopenia do have some commonalities, however the well documented descriptions of all Alexei's episodes all point to his condition as being Hemophilia.

Finally, we are aware that the Royal Disease affected some males in the Royal House. If Kendrick's hypothesis has any credibility, then how would he be able to explain how so many 'affected' male relatives developed acquired Thrombocytopenia if the condition was not Hemophilia.   
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Belochka »


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Annie

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Re: Alexei and Hemophilia
« Reply #48 on: August 21, 2004, 12:47:19 PM »
another theory on the blood disease, or is this the same thing and the same false Alexei?

http://www.npsnet.com/alexei_found/

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Re: Alexei and Hemophilia
« Reply #49 on: August 21, 2004, 12:51:06 PM »
Same theory, same author (kendrick), same false Alexei, same Agenda

Michelle

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Re: Alexei and Hemophilia
« Reply #50 on: August 21, 2004, 08:37:15 PM »
Thank you, Belochka, for your kind as well as deeply informative response. :) :) :)  It's all just so difficult and complicated to understand :-/  I don't know.  Both what you said AND Kendrick said make sense, however it's all Greek to me ::)  So I guess I'm still skeptical in both cases. . . But honestly, I'm most definitely NOT refraining from taking what you said into consideration. :)

Louise

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Re: Alexei and Hemophilia
« Reply #51 on: August 21, 2004, 09:07:48 PM »
Thank you Belochka. As Michelle stated your response was very informative and educational. I have a few questions regarding Alexei's hemophilia, and I hope someone can answer them. First, I have seen pictures of Alexei in a mud bath. What was it for and how was it suppose to benefit the child? He didn't look very pleased.

Second, and this maybe goofy, but with childhood incidents, and growth, comes tooth loss. How would the doctors and family have coped with the loss of Alexei's baby teeth? What would they do to stem the loss of blood that occurs?

Louise

Offline Belochka

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Re: Alexei and Hemophilia
« Reply #52 on: August 22, 2004, 01:54:37 AM »
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but with childhood incidents, and growth, comes tooth loss. How would the doctors and family have coped with the loss of Alexei's baby teeth? What would they do to stem the loss of blood that occurs?

Louise


Hi Louise,

To answer your question simply, the majority of hemophiliacs are able to stop bleeding from minor cuts, which would include the normal lose of deciduous teeth. One simple remedy for minor abrasions was to place ice over the site and application of pressure would have helped.

Alexei's major problem would have been if he had to undergo tooth extraction or had dental decay. Fortunately he would have been saved from from this fate by the lack of processed sugary junk food of today. However the normal daily practice of brushing his teeth would have been a constant problem.

As for mud baths, since Roman times such baths are considered to have curative properties, because of the minerals contained within the mud slurry. Traditionally the practice was used for arthritis and rheumatic ailments. If anything it is supposed to be relaxing as well, which would have helped Alexei's general wellbeing, had he enjoyed his experience!  ;D


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Louise

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Re: Alexei and Hemophilia
« Reply #53 on: August 22, 2004, 06:53:10 PM »
Thanks for the information. I have always wondered why they immersed the poor boy in mud and I can see the bewildered look on his face as he looks at his mother.

Louise
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Louise »

Alexa

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Re: Alexei and Hemophilia
« Reply #54 on: August 24, 2004, 09:16:59 AM »
Granted, I haven't read the article in question yet, but from personal experience, I recommend that anything writtin in a magazine be looked at with quesitoning eyes.  

A few months ago I had an article published in a well respected magazine as a side bar to another article about the same person I wrote about.  My (and my co-author's) article was more narrow in subject, so being a side bar made perfect sense.  However, the other article was historically questionable.  The author wrote as fact what my co-author and I (through information that was easy to find) had declared as dubious at least a year earlier.  And yet this information was printed as fact.  So please, remember what our grade shcool teachers taught us -- never believe everything you read.  And take it one step further -- just becuase it's in a pretigious or well respected magazine doesn't mean the information is accurate or true.

Alexa

Offline Belochka

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Re: Alexei and Hemophilia
« Reply #55 on: August 24, 2004, 07:57:39 PM »
Hi Louise,

There is a photograph of Dr Botkin applying the mud slurry to Alexei's arm, while an assistant worked on the legs. Derevenko is looking on from behind. Alexei is not impressed by this procedure at all!

See: p 222 in The Romanovs love, power and tragedy. Bokhanov, 1993


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Offline Belochka

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Re: Alexei and Hemophilia
« Reply #56 on: August 24, 2004, 08:09:30 PM »
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just becuase it's in a pretigious or well respected magazine doesn't mean the information is accurate or true.

Alexa


Kendrick's effort is not a scientific paper based on credible reproduceable research. It is just a basic discussion paper which places it into a different category within the journal. The unfortunate consequence is that he will remain unchallenged by notable Hematologists, which no doubt suits his purposes quite nicely.


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Louise

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Re: Alexei and Hemophilia
« Reply #57 on: August 24, 2004, 08:27:27 PM »
Thanks for the info. That book is added to my "must have" list.

Louise

Offline Belochka

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Re: Alexei and Hemophilia
« Reply #58 on: August 24, 2004, 09:05:02 PM »
 ;DHi Louise,

This particular Bokhanov book is really supurb ... an absolute "must have"! ;D
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Belochka »


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sushismom

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Re: Alexei and Hemophilia
« Reply #59 on: August 25, 2004, 03:41:18 PM »
While his theory may be within the realm of possibility, it seems unlikely. Review of this article by professionals would be for medical overview only and doesn't in any way mean his theory is correct.