I've been away for awhile, so have just been catching up.
Liza, you wrote the following:
<<Assuming this scenario, for reasons of making sure all theories are based only on information dated before 7/17/1918 and that no further discussion of claimants emerges here: Why might someone make an hypothesis that the poor boy had something other than hemophilia? What circumstances would make one ask?>>
Other than for "claimant theories", those who might be researching Grigory Rasputin and his affect on the Tsarevitch would undoubtedly find this information useful. Those, for instance, who might be writing a history of him. It would be helpful to understand how Rasputin was able to intervene and help the Tsarevitch where others could not.
I, for one, understood his intervention to essentially mean 'have the child lie still, totally undisturbed, so as to not restart the bleeding and allow the system to repair itself.' I actually used this advice and I believe my doctors did as well during my last bleeding episode where they simply waited it out and medicated me so that I would be in less pain and lay still. The bleeding did stop on its own, but was carefully watched to see if they would need to take more drastic measures (which would have been surgery, as strange as that sounds).
Bear, you asked if it was true that umbilical cord bleeding was unusual for hemopheliacs. From what I have read in terms of symptoms of the other blood disorders, it is certainly more common with the other blood disorders than it is with hemophelia.
Mr. Kendrick, in regards to delirum being caused by a lack of blood to the brain, I did experience this in my first bleeding episode with no real serious neurological damage. I did find it difficult to remember words (and still do today, 20 years after, although more often when under stress). The exhaustion of having bled for over 15 hours and losing half my blood supply before action was taken (in this case, I did require surgery to stem the bleeding.) did result in delirium. Interestingly enough, they thought I required a second surgery because the numbers continued to go down, but when they went in, they found that the bleeding had stopped and there wasn't really a reason for the second surgery.
The most recent episode, one might have called me delirious, however it was more that I was inarticulate due to pain. I remember hearing the emergency respondants say "Get her husband. We're not able to get anything out of her (meaning an understanding from me was to what was happening)."
Remember, however, that I do not have hemophelia. It has been diagnosed as "probable von Willabrands", which causes its own problems. My hemotologist believes I have von Willabrands and my general practitioner doesn't believe it because the tests haven't come back "positively conclusive" and prefers to call it "thin blood", which other doctors will tell you doesn't exist. Which only goes to show that, it's possible that even today, with all the medical knowledge we do have, it could be possible that we'd still get disagreements from the professionals on what Alexei had. It is interesting that, to date, all that has been written on Alexei (except for Mr. Kendrick's analysis, understood) everyone agrees on hemophelia as the diagnosis.
Whether or not Alexei had hemophelia, the symptoms do match several bleeding disorders - none of which I understand to go into remission, which means he would have had a very difficult time surviving - although not impossibly so. But again, I haven't looked into the cancer possibilities.
Just my 2 dollars worth,
Tasha
