My wife (69) is in hospital after having experienced an episode of extreme dizziness and speech slurring on Saturday. The emergency doctors diagnosed this as having to do with low blood pressure. During her visit they took blood for analysis and sent her home. Then Saturday night, near midnight, they called and said we needed to get her to the hospital immediately because her blood failed a coagulant test.
So, we got her there around 1 a.m. Sunday. As of yesterday they were thinking it's Acquired Hemophilia, a rare (1 in a million) autoimmune disease and are doing a lot of tests. Because of Covid, they sent me home and absolutely would not allow me to be with her as she is going through all of this. While it's understandable and I agree with the reasoning, nonetheless it's all quite frightening--neither of us has ever not been at the side of the other during any illness.
At the hospital they won't let her even get out of bed to go to the bathroom or take a shower without a nurse to accompany her, in case of a fall. They are treating her with an immune suppressing drug (prednisone via infusion) to fix the hemophilia problem. But this brings a host of other complications, especially during the current Covid pandemic. I've spent most of my time yesterday and this morning going down internet rabbit holes trying to learn about this condition. They told us that she may be in hospital for 2 or even 3 weeks as they try to pin down the cause and raise her blood coagulant to safe levels again.
Then today, a different doctor suggested it might be Lupus instead. So more and different tests. The uncertainty is maddening.
Meanwhile about three months ago she was diagnosed with Parkinson's and is on levodopa to treat symptoms.
Is anyone personally familiar with either of these two blood conditions? Effects of long term prednisone use? I am looking to our network here for some help. Thanks so much.
-BB