AOL NEWS VIDEO

on.aol.com/video/triple-amputee-pilot-in-lincoln--neb--learns-to-fly-again-517833641?hp=1&playlist=127173&ncid=webmail23

I just watched this and do not understand how ITP made him lose his limbs. The only thing I can think of is the coma maybe...? Can anyone explain this to me please??? I didn't know we were in danger of losing our body parts too???!!!

I looked up his book to see if my hunch was right and appears it is from the info on the book on amazon.

He has itp and had drug treatment and then underwent a spleenectomy. At.some point he developed what he thought was flu and within hours ended up with sepsis (overwhelming infection). The spleenectomy gives a relatively small increased risk of sepsis (higher in children and elderly). This is usually managed by treating infections more aggressively and earlier in a person who has had a spleenectomy in the past to decrease risk of this and after spleenectomy a person does need to be aware to get help for fever and signs if infection faster...to help prevent this risk of.developing sepsis...

Sepsis itself is a complicated medical condition but can, as a complication of it, lead in a few ways to lack of perfusion and oxygenation to our bodies limbs or infection leading to need for amputation. From the book info it says he developed a "gangrene" infection of his 3 limbs leading to this need in his case. The infection in essence needed to be cut out of him by removing the limbs in this case...

Thus, it is related to in his case his itp leading to spleenectomy leading to sepsis but amputation is not going to be something anyone with itp should be worried about as a direct consequence of it.

Hope that helps allay some fears of one more thing to worry about happening etc...
You don't need to be too worried about it, however, for people who get sepsis it is a big concern and amputation is not horribly uncommon as a side effect. But amputation is not a common complication of itp!

The book looks intetesting, I think I have a new boom to add to my list of planned summer time reading! Thanks.for posting!

Thanks for the clarification. It's a shame that the news story was not clear and gave a false impression. ITP does not cause loss of limbs. Sepsis from splenectomy can.

Yes, the news story was very misleading... I am a nurse and have never worked with an ITP patient but sadly many many sepsis patients and it is an awful thing to happen! Too bad as stories like that are.good times to educate people, about itp or sepsis which also needs some public awareness!

But no need for a bunch of people.go be wrongfully worried!

Just to clarify even further.

He had ITP so he had his spleen removed.

He has no spleen which means he has a compromised immune system.

Having a compromised immune system puts you at a higher risk for infection.

Meaning his sepsis was not caused from ITP. His sepsis was caused by compromised immune system.



We could even take this apart further:

How long after the hospitalization and surgery did the sepsis occur? could he actually have a hospital acquired infection that lead to sepsis because of his compromised immune system.

Making the need for amputation totally unrelated to his ITP.


Bringing us to a very scary possibility! His loss of limbs could of been due to someone not washing their hands!



Man I think way way too much sorry guys!

Julia:

It was great until "We could take this apart even further". Then you went off the deep end! :woohoo:

Maybe someone will read the book and enlighten us.

ahh Yes Sandi that would be me!


You should join me being off the deep end is sometimes fun! :silly:

OMG! Not 2 like Julia! hahahahahahahahahha

Oh I definitely have deep end moments. Live with me for a few days!

I read it, I couldn't put it down!!

Can you summarize the story?

Diagnosed with ITP 2 years old. In teen years starting flying, He would still having bleeding episodes. So agreed to try Chemo, didn't work and started causing other issues. His parents were not comfortable with taking his spleen, but not many options left(and they revoked ins or something so he couldn't fly due to his ITP condition) So he convinced his parents to allow him to have spleen removed..That also didn't work. One day at work got sick, went home, got REAL sick, woke up from coma, taking to burn victim hospital(?) needed arm and both legs removed, also lost hearing. Went through rehab, learned to do everything again, and eventually even learned to fly again..Wanna give good idea, but don't wanna spoil it..