AP: Infection Aggravate Pope's Parkinson's (some new info + explanations)

Infection Aggravate Pope's Parkinson's

An infection and breathing difficulty are a dangerous combination for a man in his 80s with Parkinson's disease - Pope John Paul II's main underlying medical problem, doctors say.

All of these conditions make each other worse. But the pontiff's current woes don't necessarily mean he faces a downward spiral of steadily worsening health, although they do make it very tough for him to recover.

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Parkinson's disease is neurological problem that can weaken muscles that cause breathing, swallowing and other vital functions.

``There must be a suspicion that he's developed a complicating pneumonia,'' said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious diseases expert at Vanderbilt University. That would be an ``ominous'' sign for his health, Schaffner said.

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4772280,00.html

It's hard enough to swallow. Congestion certainly makes it worse and creates a strain on the entire pulmonary system.

Any infection is cause for alarm at this point.

I posted elsewhere that my mother went through Parkinsons along with Altzheiemers and the Pope shows many of the same symptoms she did in her last days.

The tone of the reports are a very telling sign...kinda like how they would start playing somber music on Radio Moscow when it was announced that Brezhnev's "flu" was a little more serious. The cable channels are already showing "morgue" footage and I've heard one "commentator" refer to the Pope in the past tense.

As with any system that's been weakened by a disease, the immune system begins to break down as the disease progresses thus making any infection lethal. If this is viral pneumonia, it'll be a peaceful departure...and his suffering will be over.