Re: myopathy found - biopsy scheduled...need some thoughts..

From: Mike Radcliffe (mikeradcliffenospam_at_optusnet.com.au)
Date: 07/21/04 

Date: Thu, 22 Jul 2004 06:36:50 +0800

"Bluesman" <hotblues20@netscape.net> wrote in message
news:775aa28e.0407210518.35880f59@posting.google.com...
> Greetings ~
>
> Hope I am in the right group...
>
> 69 year old woman with pnuemonia - extremely sedentary due to chronic
> pain, hiatal hernia, anemia, smoker, also suffers from depression and
> is on several medications for the above issues. She went to emergency
> and was admitted to MICU after oral antibiotics were ineffective to
> fight the pnuemonia. Breathing tube needed for 1st three days due to
> extreme difficulty moving air. Slow progress made, now on Bi-pap and
> re-breather masks - muscle test done yesterday uncovering some sort of
> myopathy.
>
> Doctors suspect some sort of muscle disease based on the results, and
> the resulting muscle weakness in her diaphram muscles is causing the
> difficulty moving air.
>
> Here are my questions (Doctors avoid speculating until they are 100%
> sure - but I want at least probabilities):
>
> Thet are planning a biopsy on the muscle - what are the possible
> results? Is it cancer? Some sort of muscle disease? What kind of
> recovery can be expected? What is the treatment? Can she get back to
> the way she was or better - or can the issues worsen?
>
> Any other thoughts on this issue are appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
>
>
> Bluesman

More likely something like motor neurone disease but could be something more
exotic. Only the doctors on the spot can really answer your questions when
they get results.
 If there is no treatment, which is a distinct possibility, you are all
going to be faced with some difficult decisions about resuscitation and
continued life support......even if she pulls through this bout of
pneumonia there may still be decisions to b made about what to do (or not
do) next time it happens.
MIKE

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