Corey Jensen has given me permission to outline his progress since he became unwell in Round 7 of the NRL competition.
At the completion of the game against the Tigers, Corey felt generally unwell, with shortness of breath. He later developed chest pain, and he began to cough up blood. Corey received a scan which showed he had significant blood clots that had blocked off arteries in the base of both lungs, and which in the right side was leading to blocked off blood supply to that part of his lung.
Corey started a long period of treatment under the care of Respiratory Physicians, Haematologists, Cardiologists and Infectious Diseases specialists at the Mater Private Hospital in Brisbane.
He commenced a course of blood thinning or anti-coagulant medication with the hope that the established blood clots would break down and to stop further clots from forming. His recovery was complicated by infection, and he needed more than a litre of fluid drained via a chest tube.
Corey was eventually discharged and able to begin the long recovery process. The big concern is that the reason for developing these clots remains unknown.
Corey did have another incident with a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in his calf about a year earlier. Both incidents were considered to be unprovoked, meaning there was no obvious precipitating event or trigger, like a long-haul flight, or even an injury.
Corey is being investigated for possible causes and requires repeat definitive blood tests in around 3 weeks to see if there is an underlying autoimmune issue. Complicating this was the fact that a follow up CT scan showed that although the clots in his lung had improved, they were still present.
Because of this, his specialists have stated that Corey will require a minimum of six months on a blood thinner called Warfarin. Having to stay on Warfarin means Corey cannot take part in contact sports. He has been able to return to training and can run and lift weights. He is currently quite fit, but while he remains on Warfarin he cannot do contact training.
The future is a little uncertain for Corey. If the upcoming blood test is positive, it will likely mean he needs to stay on Warfarin for the rest of his life. If it is negative, it still means we do not know the reason for his recurrent development of blood clots.
At present it looks like he will still need to stay on blood thinners long term, but there is a possibility that a different type of blood thinner could be started, which could be potentially stopped around contact and re-started afterwards. Obviously, this is not without risk, but it could allow Corey to continue to play rugby league.
Optimal health and well-being are our absolute priorities and the next few months will determine which treatment strategy is best for Corey.
Corey wanted me to thank everyone for their best wishes and support during this difficult time for him. He also appreciates that people respect his right to privacy while he navigates a few difficult decisions ahead.
Broncos.com.au
