MGM Executive on Life Support with Multi-Organ Failure Saved by [CENSORED]
Back From the Brink
Doctor's last-ditch effort saves Las Vegan's life, sets him on path to recovery
By SONYA PADGETT
REVIEW-JOURNAL Sunday, April 22, 2001
Greg Letourneau likes sweets.
He's even been known to eat, in one sitting, an entire lemon merengue pie. Or two.
Conventional wisdom -- and many mothers -- would say Letourneau's health is at risk because of his all-too-human love of sugar.
But not Letourneau, 44, or his sister, Jeanie Stenberg, 40. No, they both believe Letourneau owes his life to the granulated white stuff.
"It saved his life," Stenberg said. "He's my living proof."
The substance Stenberg credits with saving her brother's life isn't the kind of sugar that comes in cubes or 5-pound bags. It's actually in the form of glyconutritional supplements, a combination of sugars that are said to help cells communicate, leading to better health.
Letourneau has taken the capsules dutifully every day since November. However, his introduction to glyconutrition came the first week in October, when he received about one year's supply of the supplement intravenously while he lay in a local hospital, dying, his organs failing one by one.
Hooked up to machines that kept his heart and lungs working and his blood pressure at a life-sustaining level, Letourneau received the nutritional supplement only after his doctors exhausted every bit of conventional medicine to treat his deadly illness, which started out as a simple sore throat in mid-September.
It wasn't until Oct. 1 when Letourneau was admitted to MountainView Hospital that his family discovered he was suffering from streptococcal toxic-shock syndrome, or TSS, a life-threatening disease that among survivors usually results in the loss of arms, legs or other muscle and flesh.
"I was working a lot of extra hours," said Letourneau, executive technical director for MGM Grand. "So you expect to get worn down. My first trigger sign is a sore throat. As soon as I feel that first tingle I know I'm (worn out)."
"So I got a sore throat. I would start the day off taking four aspirin, then when that wore off I'd take Tylenol. I did that for two straight weeks."
During that time period, Letourneau continued to work even as he experienced near-crippling back pain, too.
Going to the doctor wasn't an option because, as Letourneau put it, "growing up in Minnesota you don't go to the doctor, you push yourself through (illness). I had never missed a day of work (at MGM) for six years. I made it 13 years in the Ice Capades, until I had to have back surgery. I had powered myself through a hundred other sore throats. That's what I was going to do with that one. The shame is I could have prevented this."
Finally, on a Sunday afternoon, Letourneau realized he should probably see a doctor, so he packed a bag, anticipating his hospitalization and drove to the local emergency room.
Michael Schlachter, an internist specializing in pulmonary disease and critical care, was on call at MountainView when Letourneau came into the emergency room.
"The (admitting) doctor said, `He's kind of sick, we're going to put him on the floor,' " Schlachter recalled. "When I saw Greg, it wasn't clear what was going on. He was in multi-organ failure and within 24 hours he was on life support."
After consulting with an infectious disease specialist from California, Schlachter diagnosed Letourneau with TSS, something he'd seen about five times during his 20-year medical career. Only two or three of those patients survived, but their bodies were so devastated they usually lost extremities to amputation.
The illness is caused by the same bacteria that causes strep throat. If a strep infection isn't treated in a timely fashion, it can, as in Letourneau's case, infect the blood causing TSS.
A little more than a day after being admitted to the hospital, Letourneau's arms and legs were blue and cold and had no pulses, which meant they weren't receiving blood flow.
Schlachter worked to keep Letourneau alive as his temperature soared to 107 degrees and his blood pressure plummeted to dangerously low readings.
"In my experience, when patients get to that point they don't survive," Schlachter said. "I looked at all the evidence and said, `This patient is going to die.' There was basically no hope. He was maxed out on every med we could give him."
Stenberg sat by her brother's side through the whole ordeal waiting for doctors to help him. But nine other doctors consulted with Schlachter and all gave up hope for his recovery.
"The doctor came in and said, `If you've got family you'd better get them,' " Stenberg said, fresh tears running down her face. Stenberg called a priest to give her brother last rites. "Ten doctors came to me and said he was going to die. I said, `He can't die, he's only 44. Please do something.' "
Luckily, Schlachter had an ace up his sleeve, something he could try but not make any promises about: glyconutrition.
Six hours after administering the first dose of glyconutrition, the color began to return to Letourneau's limbs. It was several days before his life was out of danger and seven weeks before he was released from the hospital, but his recovery has amazed Schlachter, who plans to write a journal article about the case.
"I've never seen it before, let alone heard of it," Schlachter said. "The whole thing is remarkable."
Looking at Letourneau now, with his athletic frame, tanned skin and overall appearance of good health and vitality, it's hard to believe he was all but dead six months ago.
Schlachter said Letourneau was fortunate not to lose his limbs, but the illness did leave its mark on his body. He lost function in both kidneys and suffered some damage to his heart, liver and gall bladder.
Letourneau was ready to wait up to two years for a kidney transplant but, as luck -- or fate -- would have it, Stenberg turned out to be a perfect match and will give her brother one of her kidneys in July.
"I love him more than life," she said in a voice strained with emotion.
Letourneau has returned to work full time even though he has to undergo dialysis and physical therapy three times weekly, for about five hours at a time. But he is happy just to be alive.
"Even from the first moment I woke up I haven't felt bad at all," he said. "Every day I feel absolutely wonderful, full of pep. I couldn't be happier. I'm absolutely amazed."
Doctor's last-ditch effort saves Las Vegan's life, sets him on path to recovery
By SONYA PADGETT
REVIEW-JOURNAL Sunday, April 22, 2001
Greg Letourneau likes sweets.
He's even been known to eat, in one sitting, an entire lemon merengue pie. Or two.
Conventional wisdom -- and many mothers -- would say Letourneau's health is at risk because of his all-too-human love of sugar.
But not Letourneau, 44, or his sister, Jeanie Stenberg, 40. No, they both believe Letourneau owes his life to the granulated white stuff.
"It saved his life," Stenberg said. "He's my living proof."
The substance Stenberg credits with saving her brother's life isn't the kind of sugar that comes in cubes or 5-pound bags. It's actually in the form of glyconutritional supplements, a combination of sugars that are said to help cells communicate, leading to better health.
Letourneau has taken the capsules dutifully every day since November. However, his introduction to glyconutrition came the first week in October, when he received about one year's supply of the supplement intravenously while he lay in a local hospital, dying, his organs failing one by one.
Hooked up to machines that kept his heart and lungs working and his blood pressure at a life-sustaining level, Letourneau received the nutritional supplement only after his doctors exhausted every bit of conventional medicine to treat his deadly illness, which started out as a simple sore throat in mid-September.
It wasn't until Oct. 1 when Letourneau was admitted to MountainView Hospital that his family discovered he was suffering from streptococcal toxic-shock syndrome, or TSS, a life-threatening disease that among survivors usually results in the loss of arms, legs or other muscle and flesh.
"I was working a lot of extra hours," said Letourneau, executive technical director for MGM Grand. "So you expect to get worn down. My first trigger sign is a sore throat. As soon as I feel that first tingle I know I'm (worn out)."
"So I got a sore throat. I would start the day off taking four aspirin, then when that wore off I'd take Tylenol. I did that for two straight weeks."
During that time period, Letourneau continued to work even as he experienced near-crippling back pain, too.
Going to the doctor wasn't an option because, as Letourneau put it, "growing up in Minnesota you don't go to the doctor, you push yourself through (illness). I had never missed a day of work (at MGM) for six years. I made it 13 years in the Ice Capades, until I had to have back surgery. I had powered myself through a hundred other sore throats. That's what I was going to do with that one. The shame is I could have prevented this."
Finally, on a Sunday afternoon, Letourneau realized he should probably see a doctor, so he packed a bag, anticipating his hospitalization and drove to the local emergency room.
Michael Schlachter, an internist specializing in pulmonary disease and critical care, was on call at MountainView when Letourneau came into the emergency room.
"The (admitting) doctor said, `He's kind of sick, we're going to put him on the floor,' " Schlachter recalled. "When I saw Greg, it wasn't clear what was going on. He was in multi-organ failure and within 24 hours he was on life support."
After consulting with an infectious disease specialist from California, Schlachter diagnosed Letourneau with TSS, something he'd seen about five times during his 20-year medical career. Only two or three of those patients survived, but their bodies were so devastated they usually lost extremities to amputation.
The illness is caused by the same bacteria that causes strep throat. If a strep infection isn't treated in a timely fashion, it can, as in Letourneau's case, infect the blood causing TSS.
A little more than a day after being admitted to the hospital, Letourneau's arms and legs were blue and cold and had no pulses, which meant they weren't receiving blood flow.
Schlachter worked to keep Letourneau alive as his temperature soared to 107 degrees and his blood pressure plummeted to dangerously low readings.
"In my experience, when patients get to that point they don't survive," Schlachter said. "I looked at all the evidence and said, `This patient is going to die.' There was basically no hope. He was maxed out on every med we could give him."
Stenberg sat by her brother's side through the whole ordeal waiting for doctors to help him. But nine other doctors consulted with Schlachter and all gave up hope for his recovery.
"The doctor came in and said, `If you've got family you'd better get them,' " Stenberg said, fresh tears running down her face. Stenberg called a priest to give her brother last rites. "Ten doctors came to me and said he was going to die. I said, `He can't die, he's only 44. Please do something.' "
Luckily, Schlachter had an ace up his sleeve, something he could try but not make any promises about: glyconutrition.
Six hours after administering the first dose of glyconutrition, the color began to return to Letourneau's limbs. It was several days before his life was out of danger and seven weeks before he was released from the hospital, but his recovery has amazed Schlachter, who plans to write a journal article about the case.
"I've never seen it before, let alone heard of it," Schlachter said. "The whole thing is remarkable."
Looking at Letourneau now, with his athletic frame, tanned skin and overall appearance of good health and vitality, it's hard to believe he was all but dead six months ago.
Schlachter said Letourneau was fortunate not to lose his limbs, but the illness did leave its mark on his body. He lost function in both kidneys and suffered some damage to his heart, liver and gall bladder.
Letourneau was ready to wait up to two years for a kidney transplant but, as luck -- or fate -- would have it, Stenberg turned out to be a perfect match and will give her brother one of her kidneys in July.
"I love him more than life," she said in a voice strained with emotion.
Letourneau has returned to work full time even though he has to undergo dialysis and physical therapy three times weekly, for about five hours at a time. But he is happy just to be alive.
"Even from the first moment I woke up I haven't felt bad at all," he said. "Every day I feel absolutely wonderful, full of pep. I couldn't be happier. I'm absolutely amazed."
posted by The Builder at
6:57 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home