Re: Alexandra and her Health Part 2

[EmmyLee]

Very interesting topic. I'd never really given it much thought.

Marty, I'm not sure I've heard about this childhood accident? Could anyone enlighten me? I think I'll do some searching of the forum.

[Helen]

Charlotte Zeepvat even gives us a precise date for this accident:
"On 10 March [1879] she fell on a cucumber frame in the garden and cut her leg, and was proud to display her bandages beside her uncle's. 'I wish his were as trifling as hers', Ella said , though she could not help being amused." [Queen Victoria's Youngest Son - The Untold Story of Prince Leopold, p. 180]

[Erika]

I know that Carolly Erickson's book about Alexandra is not very reliable but this is how she describes the accident;
"One day in January Alicky, Irene and Ernie were playing in the garden, and Alicky began to chase the two older children, who ran across an area where seedlings were growing under glass, but Alicky, too young to be cautious, crashed through it. Blood began to pour from her lacerated legs, and she screamed in pain and fear."

[carkuczyn]

I was always under the impression that she exhibited many symptoms of porphyria.  It would explain the blotchy skin, the "heart" symptoms, and the pains in her legs.  Lots has been written and speculated on the possibility of porphyria being in her family.

[Erika]

I  always suspected that Alix suffered from a skin condition called Rosacea.

My mum suffers from Rosacea and when she is stressed or in an uncomfortable situation red spots appear on her chins and neck.

It affects mostly caucasians of mainly north-western European descent, and has been nicknamed the 'curse of the Celts' by some in Britain and Ireland, but can also affect people of other ethnicities. It begins as erythema (flushing and redness) on the central face and across the cheeks, nose, or forehead but can also less commonly affect the neck, chest, ears, and scalp. Rosacea affects both sexes, but is almost three times more common in women, and has a peak age of onset between 30 and 60.

Alix
http://s81.photobucket.com/albums/j231/Alexei-7/?action=view&current=c12a2c62.jpg

Woman suffering from Rosacea
http://www.consumersresearchcncl.org/Healthcare/Dermatologists/images/rosacea.jpg

[historyfan]

I was always under the impression that she exhibited many symptoms of porphyria.  It would explain the blotchy skin, the "heart" symptoms, and the pains in her legs.  Lots has been written and speculated on the possibility of porphyria being in her family.

I had to look up porphyria, and it does sound likely!

[EmmyLee]

Thank you, Erika and Helen. What a scary experience for her.

I'd also never really noticed how flushed Alexandra's cheeks are in that photo. It does seem possible that rosacea might have been one of her ailments.

[clockworkgirl21]

Has anyone ever seen a TV show called Mystery Diagnosis? Every episode it gives us the true stories of two people who sometimes go through years of strange symptoms and a lot of pain. Depending on the case, sometimes the person goes through years of pain, and doctors either can't figure it out or think the person is trying to get attention. The worst ones are when parents are sure something is wrong with their babies, and the doctors don't seem to care or believe them.

It would be very difficult to diagnose Alix now. I have many symptoms of diabetes myself, but I don't actually suffer from the disease.  Yet it's very interesting to read through the speculations.

[amartin71718]

I've seen it. It's really cool!

[Erika]

It would be interesting to know what the doctor, who was "thrown out" of the palace in 1911 (not 100% sure about the year) said about Alix health. I guess he said something that they didn't want to hear. I do wonder what it was...

[aleksandr pavlovich]

Attention, Reply #23:  Perhaps "psychosomatic," or the  equivalent thereof.  No definitive conclusion will ever be reached here on this topic; it is truly "playing doctor."  AP

[historyfan]

No definitive conclusion will ever be reached here on this topic; it is truly "playing doctor."  AP

Of course.  But sometimes it is fun to speculate just a little. 

[lilavanderhorn]

I don't think Alix had rosacea.  The redness and blushing happens to certain people because of their reaction to uncomfortable situations.  I know because it happens to me.  It tends to happen around the face and neck area, looks like a rash, but it goes away when I calm down.  In a shy self concious person like Alix, it was bound to flair up.  There is an actual name of this condition, it is not life threatening, but you can get surgery for it.  As for her heart issues, she had diptheria as a child, this can lead to heart failure.  She might have had this later in life, exacerbated by all the stress she was under.

[Erika]

I don't think Alix had rosacea.  The redness and blushing happens to certain people because of their reaction to uncomfortable situations.  I know because it happens to me.  It tends to happen around the face and neck area, looks like a rash, but it goes away when I calm down.  In a shy self concious person like Alix, it was bound to flair up.  There is an actual name of this condition, it is not life threatening, but you can get surgery for it.  As for her heart issues, she had diptheria as a child, this can lead to heart failure.  She might have had this later in life, exacerbated by all the stress she was under.

My mother says that people who easily tend to blush often get rosacea so maybe Alix developed it in her later years. But I don't know. I am only speculating. You are probably right lilavanderhorn.

[carkuczyn]

I just received "Purple Secret" as a Christmas gift which is a book about the genetic illnesses in the British Royal family.  It presents a strong case for the existence of porphyria in many of the descendants of King George III which would include Alexandra.  I stand by my previous statement, that I think she had porphyria.  It is an excellent read for anyone interested in further studying the illnesses of the Empress.