Covid-19: rough morning

[Angelssavepoppy]

Hi all,

We had a rough morning today. Dad’s heart went into a-fib, and he is still bleeding from his bladder. He is on heparin because he is still hypercoagulable so we are in this catch22- his blood is so thin that the bleed won’t stop, but we cant stop the heparin or else he will clot again. He is getting more units of blood transfused, and they’re giving him platelets bc his platelet count dropped.

Hoping the platelets help to stop the bleed but don’t cause further clots.

We need to get through this period with the bleed, because if the bleed resolves then his blood volume will hopefully increase which will correct his blood pressure and heart rate (preventing any episodes of a-fib or arrhythmias).

The good news is that he’s being given convalescent plasma today. At this point we don’t know if it will help or not but it can’t hurt and it something to just hope for.

Anecdotally- I’m a scientist and just left my position a few weeks ago in order to care for my 10 month old full time. I worked for a biotech company that is making a monoclonal antibody cocktail vaccine/cure for this virus, as well as an IL6 inhibitor similar to tocilizumab. I was heavily involved in the IL6 inhibitor, not the cocktail. I’m not sure if my dad is still fighting the virus or just the effects of the cytokine storm that resulted from the virus- so I’m not sure if an antiviral or the plasma will even help him. I wasn’t a religious person and never prayed before my dad got sick. I feel guilty about that now because I’m calling on all the angels to save my dad, my daughter’s Poppy. I have to have faith that he will beat this. It’s all I’ve got.

I hope everyone else is having a better day today. Thinking of you all and wishing we were meeting under different circumstances.

[Sepsur]

I completely understand where you are coming from. It would appear that this virus is vicious and complex, I had many of your father’s issues ( albeit for different reasons) one treatment making another step forward almost impossible, a-fib, bleeding, hypoxia and all.

There is talk, unsubstantiated, that a trial drug I am on maybe beneficial in that it reduces the potency of the devastating cytokine storm - it is a BTK inhibitor.

[Angelssavepoppy in reply to Sepsur]

You continue to give me hope, Sepsur! I feel like if we can just control his hemodynamics by stopping his bleed, so many things could potentially improve. We are waiting on the hospital bureaucracy for him to get the convalescent plasma, but I think this could not only help with the bleed but also help by giving neutralizing antibodies to quell the viral response. I've had discussions with some colleagues and the current thinking is that treating the virus will treat the hypercoagulation as well.

Here's hoping one small step can lead to bigger leaps....

Thank you Sepsur for your continued support.

[Ferham in reply to Angelssavepoppy]

I really hope you have much better news tomorrow , out of interest what is his HG level do you know ? My husband has had 2 transfusions since he has been in as they think he may have a bleed .

[Angelssavepoppy in reply to Ferham]

Thank you so much, I pray for that as well. I don’t have exact levels, his hemoglobin, hematocrit, and platelet counts actually were okay 2 days ago, and they’ve been falling since. He’s gotten several units of blood and they’ve also given him platelets. They know he has a bleed bc there is blood in his urine (Foley catheter). It’s a bladder bleed. Is your husband on anticoagulants?

[Ferham in reply to Angelssavepoppy]

He was , they have said he may have a bleed as his HG keeps dipping . I'm going to check tomorrow to see what meds he is actually on now .

[DrARDS]

We’ve had problems with my Dads trachy and his antcoagulation. Absolute nightmare.

Covid has given him PEs! 😢What a horrible nasty virus.

We can only Pray. God bless us all🙏🏽

[Angelssavepoppy in reply to DrARDS]

Ugh, its such a horrible virus DrARDS. Is your dad on anticoagulants for the PEs? My dad was given heparin and argatraban first for his small PEs. He developed larger clots in his legs, and one thing led to another and they had to give TPA. The TPA is a strong clot buster and its what contributed to the bleed my dad is experiencing now. But, my Dad's PEs have been broken up by this and also the heparin drip that he is on.

I've spoken with cardiologist colleagues (I am not a medical doctor, but a researcher w/background in some of the therapies used for covid)- and their input was that if you treat the virus (get the viral load down) you are also treating the hypercoagulation that these patients are experiencing. No one really knows the mechanism of the hypercoagulation at this point though, its a best guess.

Praying for the best for your dad as well.