[Dixielandjazz] Maynard's passing

[RICK KNITTEL]

 On Fri, 25 Aug 2006 11:17:14 EDT Cebuisle2 at aol.com writes:
> Maynard's web site stated he died after a short illness from liver 
> and  
> kidney failure due to an "abdominal infection." He apparently was 
> actively  playing 
> until shortly before death.
>  
> My question is- what kind of health was he in before the "abdominal  
> 
> infection?" 
>  
> and-why can't such infections be treated successfully? Anyone with  
> medical 
> expertise on the list? Or someone who was close enough to know the  
> medical 
> situation?
>  
> Is this something we older jazzers should be concerned about?? Other 
> than  
> gunshot or stab wounds I've never heard of this being the cause of 
> massive organ 
>  failure-
>  
>                                                                      
>     Ted  
>   (puzzled)
> \
>  
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> 
> 
 In 1995, I thought I had the flu and went to bed with a fever. I woke up
the next morning still with a fever and abdominal pain and constipation.
I called my GI specialist and he sent me to the emergency room for
examination. To make a long story short, diverticulitis had caused a
massive infection in my lower (Sigmoid) colon and they gave me
intravenous antibiotics. After a week in the hospital, my colon
perforated and I had developed peritonitis (massive infection in the
abdominal cavity. It could have done me in but I went to the OR, they
sectioned out the infected colon, thoroughly washed out my abdominl area
and gave me a temporary colostomy. It then took another week of massive
intraveneous antibiotics to get me well enough to go home. Four months
later, I went back in for reversal surgery where they reconnected my
colon and sent me home after a week in the hospital. The key was to keep
my digestive system inactive while the healing of the colon occurred. It
was done using a tube that continuously pumped out my stomach and kept
anything from passing further on in the system. 
 
Rick Knittel - JAZZBONE
37 Ship Channel Road; South Portland, Maine 04106-5136
Bus phone; (207)-741-2407; fax 2409; Cell: (207)-233-3480; Home;
(207)-799-6382
E-mail; Knittelsportland at juno.com; Winter (mid Jan to mid April) Office; 
7657 Bergamo Ave; Sarasota, FL 34238-4765; Phone/Fax; (941)-924-5186