Christopher Reeve has died

[aephi alum]

[Jill1228]

My mother in law told me this morning and I had to go downstairs to read it for myself! I am too thru!

My thoughts go out to his family

[preciousjeni]

I hope he didn't suffer too much. My heart really goes out to his family.

[honeychile]

Originally posted by ASUADPi
I am watching CNN Headline News right now.

All they have stated thus far is that he had developed a severe infection, had a cardiac arrest and then fell into a coma. He died around 5:30pm (EST) in New York on Sunday.


My heart and prayers go to his family and friends.

The reports I've heard so far say that he had developed bed sores which became infected. The infection attacked the heart, which caused the heart attack etc.

I am really angry about the bedsores! There are so many ways of avoiding them, or curing them - there is no way that they should have gotten that far out of control! Obviously, Mr. Reeves' immune system must have been compromised in the first place.

Too young for such a horrifying way to die...

[chideltjen]

[DigitalAngel126]

Originally posted by ktsnake
What I don't get is that he died of bed sores?

Or at least complications (the heart attack) caused by bed sores.

With all the technology and medical care he had, I don't see how this was allowed to happen.

It's an awful, AWFUL thing, BUT it does happen - - more frequently than people would think. They are MOSTLY preventable - - but not totally. There are only so many ways you can contort a human body, and most of those ways (when you don't have the capability of moving yourself in any way) include being on the surface of your back and/or butt. The body can onl ytake so much of this, and with having so much mass (he was a fairly muscular guy), the pressure points (bony promininces, wound sites, and joint area always touching the surface of the bed/chair/whatever) are put under even more stress. There are 4 stages of bedsores, and they are VERY hard to heal. Stage one is nothing but a red area - for 'younger' people, say age 52, a red area may be mistaken for just a spot where someone rubbed up against something or sat too long or at a funny angle, therefore gets no treatment. It then progresses to a stage two, in which it may actually be open, look like blisters and such, but is not down into the body cavity or tissuse. This is a pivotal treatment point, because in my experiences, once a pressure ulcer gets past this point, they are VERY hard to treat and get healed up. Next is stage three, where there is significant tissue damage to skin, muscle, etc. The fourth and final stage is when it becomes necrotic - - white or black dead areas, you can see the bone and perhaps inner structures (organs, dependant upon where the ulcer is), etc. We've got a guy right now that has one of these over his tailbone big enough for a 10-year old to put his fist through. You can see his tailbone when he stands up, you can see his muscles and fat, and everything else.

Point being, it requires VERY specific medical treatment. Even then, if it gets too bad too fast, it is VERY difficult to treat. Also, with having that large of and open area anywhere on your body, it is VERY easy to get infections - especially when you're restricted to a bed or chair 100% of the day. Therefore, it is very possible to die from this. Fairly preventable, very possible. Sucks, huh?

Very sad and unfortunate. My thoughts are with his family.

[Taualumna]

[ZTAMich]

In 1st grade I went to my very first sleepover party and we watched a Superman movie. We also got JEM watches in our goodie bags. As sad as the news is I have a happy memory of him and am glad his family does as well.

[vanda]

Bed sores, or pressure wounds as they are called now, is nothing to take lightly. I had a resident who went into the hospital for something minor, but ended up dying because her bed sores got infected ( They weren't keeping the wounds clean and dry and they weren't moving her enough). If you have family in the hospital for extended perionds please make sure their bed sores are properly taken care of.

[AKA_Monet]

Originally posted by DigitalAngel126
It's an awful, AWFUL thing, BUT it does happen - - more frequently than people would think. They are MOSTLY preventable - - but not totally..

There also could have been drug treatment complications. Many of these drugs to reduce the amount of pain and treat infections are also extremely cardiotoxic...

And he was at that age where many of these kinds of complications start--even if he was exercising--he still was a quadropeligiac that probably was unable to do the kinds of exercise that one would normally do if walking/running...

And what he probably had was an underlying genetic disorder that manifests itself when one ages in his family or under extreme duress, which he suffered...

Interestingly, embryonic stem cell therapy could have saved him from the damages caused by cardiac arrest, too. Not just for his spinal cord injury...

Prayers go out to his family...

[PhiPsiRuss]

To me, he was really Superman.

[navane]

Again, another sad loss.


.....Kelly

[Rudey]

It's sad. I think he went beyond his acting and that's admirable.

-Rudey

[wrigley]

Because he chose to participate in experimental treatments, his efforts made strides in rehabilitation for those with spinal cord injury.

My prayers go out to his family.