Thanks Pat,

Larry

----- Original Message -----
From: "Pat Higgo" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, September 07, 2002 11:00 PM
Subject: Re: Question


> Hey Larry,
> My name is Pat Higgo and I'm a Registered Massage Therapist who does a lot
> of lurking on PIENO.  I pulled out my text books from college, I think you
> may be refering to Amyloidosis.  "There are 2 major forms of this disease
in
> which a waxy, starchlike glycoprotein (Amyloid) accumulates in tissues and
> organs impairing their function."  I'm quoting this from a medical
> dictionary so if none of it makes sense, please let me know and i'll do my
> best to explain it to you.  "Primary Amyloidosis usually occurs with
> multiple myeloma.  Patient with Secondary Amyloidosis usually suffer from
> another chronic infectious or inflammatory disease, such as tuberculosis,
> osteomyelitis, rheumatoid arthritis or Crohn's disease.  The cause of both
> types of Amyloidosis is unknown.  Almost all organs are affected, most
often
> the heart, lungs, tongue and intestines in Primary Amyloidosis and the
> kidneys, liver and spleen in the secondary type.  Elderly patients tend to
> experience cardiac effects of the disease.  Diagnosis is made through
biopsy
> of the suspected organ.  There is no known cure for Amyloidosis, and
> treatment in the secondary type is aimed at alleviating the underlying
> chronic disease.  Patients with renal Amyloidosis are frequently
candidates
> for kidney dialysis and transplantation."  (Mosby's Medical, nursing &
> Allied Health Dictionary; 1994)  As to the state of your brother's
tendons,
> the best advice I can give you is to find a massage therapist who is
> experienced working with mobility issues.  I'm not going to tell you that
> the doctor is wrong because I don't know that he is.  There are things
that
> a massage therapist can do to soften the ligaments and to help maintain
what
> range of motion your brother still has.  It's possible that your brother
may
> not walk again, I don't want to give you false hope.  I'm thinking that it
> would wise to give it a try anyways, even if only to know that every
> possible angle was explored.  I wish you the best of luck.  If there is
> anything I can help you with, please let me know.
> Peace
> Pat
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Larry Wilson" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Saturday, September 07, 2002 9:50 PM
> Subject: Question
>
>
> My (PD)  brother went into the hospital with aspiration pneumonia and has
> been put back into the nursing home after taking about 2 weeks in the
> hospital for recuperation.  He has a feeding tube (PEG) in his stomach.
It
> was suspected the nursing home had been letting him lay down during
feeding.
> He seems to be getting well now.  John is about 1000 miles from me.
>
> When I left him in April he was walking with assistance and we had fun
> walking around the nursing home.  Since that time he has not walked and
when
> he went to see a PD DR  recently the DR said he may not be able to walk
> again because his ligaments had formed permanently and could not stretch
> now.  (Sorry about the vagueness but I can't recall what his wife said
> exactly when she took him to the DR).
>
> While he was in the hospital the DR found a rare blood disease that
affects
> the heart.  The disease is called Amaloid (I hope that is the correct
> spelling).  I tried to look this up but could not find much on it.  Does
> anybody know about this disease  and how it may affect PD patients??
>
> Thank you,
>
> Larry Wilson
> Georgia
>
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