"Kaz" - Leukiemic Coma

[RSLancastr]

Part of "Kaz's" story is that prior to 9/11/2001, she suffered from leukemia, and was scheduled for a bone marrow transplant.

However, after she (supposedly) went through 9/11, after having a piece of steel removed from her head, her leukemia worsened, and she went into a "leukemic coma."

I find no references to such a thing on the web.

Is there such a thing?

 

[Soapy Sam]

Apparently, yes.
Here's one link from Google. There are others.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=3090818&dopt=Abstract

The exact text I entered was:- Leukaemic coma

Note the British spelling of " Leukaemic ".

 

[Zep]

From that site:

Intrathecal methotrexate, followed by cranial irradiation led to complete resolution of neurological signs and symptoms and a rapid clearance of CSF of leukaemic cells.

You mean NOT a Jesus rock???

 

[materia3]

Yes, there is. I'll offer you a better definition and explanation.

The MedLine case cited above is not very helpful in describing what is strictly a "leukemic coma."

Some leukemics go into reversible and irreversible (yes, people die from it because it is not well recognized or is treated too late) coma which has been blamed in some cases on their chemo, particularly methotrexate since the chemo is cytotoxic, kills cells and contributes to the following effect which can occur in leukemics either with or without chemo. In reality it's the stasis of the leukemic blast cells in the micro circulation, the "sludging" of these white blood cells, that leads to or is the direct cause of what is classically referred to as "leukemic coma." So the methotrexate therapy is not really to blame and in fact helps the problem by destroying the cells but it is important to keep the patient well hydrated and treat them for the removal of the cellular debris that results from the chemo as this quote from the following recommends:

"Initial management includes aggressive hydration; use of allopurinol and hydroxyurea; correction of abnormalities of metabolism, coagulation, and electrolytes; and
prevention of tumor lysis syndrome."

Failure to do so, resulting in leukemic coma is neglisence IMHO. In the Kaz case it was not chemo but a natural response which caused the problem which obviously was not predicted by the doctors on the case. The injury/surgery produced an inflammatory reaction, perhaps even an infection and the normal response was the production of even more leuckocytes, thus tilting the situation in the direction of even more pronounced leukostasis, more sludging, leading to leukemic coma.

I am not personally familiar with "Kaz" . Presumably this person was treated and came out of the coma?

The following citation from the Cleveland Clinic is of inestimable value in defining/illustrating the underlying condition, with full text at:

www.ccjm.org/PDFFILES/Majhail804.pdf

Here is a brief from the abstract:

CLEVELAND CLINIC JOURNAL OF MEDICINE VOLUME 71 • NUMBER 8 AUGUST 2004 633


NAVNEET S. MAJHAIL, MD
Department of Hematology, Oncology, and
Transplantation, University of Minnesota,
Minneapolis

ALAN E. LICHTIN, MD
Department of Hematology and Medical
Oncology, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation

â–Ÿ ABSTRACT

From 5% to 30% of adult patients with acute leukemias
present with hyperleukocytosis—very high white blood
cell counts (> 100,000 cells/mm3)—and symptoms of
leukostasis. These conditions are a medical emergency
that needs prompt recognition and initiation of therapy to
prevent respiratory failure or intracranial hemorrhage.
Patients should be referred as soon as possible for
induction chemotherapy and leukapheresis.

â–Ÿ KEY POINTS

Risk factors associated with hyperleukocytosis include
younger age, certain types of leukemia, and cytogenetic
abnormalities.

Symptoms of hyperleukocytosis are primarily due to
leukostasis, a clinicopathologic syndrome caused by the
sludging of circulating leukemic blasts in tissue
microvasculature.

Patients can present with symptoms ranging from
exertional dyspnea to severe respiratory distress.
Neurologic manifestations can range from mild confusion
and somnolence to stupor and coma.

Initial management includes aggressive hydration; use of
allopurinol and hydroxyurea; correction of abnormalities
of metabolism, coagulation, and electrolytes; and
prevention of tumor lysis syndrome.

Definitive treatment consists of leukocytoreduction (via
cytotoxic chemotherapy), hydroxyurea, and, in some cases,
leukapheresis.

 

[RSLancastr]

Thanks all!

I am not personally familiar with "Kaz" . Presumably this person was treated and came out of the coma?

"Kaz" is a woman who I am firmly convinced is a con artist. To read more about her, see www.StopKaz.com.

The portion of her story which pertains to the purported leukemic coma goes something like this:

She says she was diagnosed with leukemia, and was supposed to come to Los Angeles (from New York) in late September of 2001 to undergo a bone marrow transplant (some times she says it was some new procedure).

She claims to have been in the WTC on 9/11/2001, and ended up in a New York hospital where she was treated for the injuries she supposedly sustained on 9/11 (these include a piece of steel 5/8" into the left lobe of her brain, a throat "slit from ear to ear" and other injuries).

While recovering from these surgeries, she went into a "leukemic coma" which lasted for months. At some point during the coma, she flatlined for 28 minutes, during which she met Jesus, God, and others.

Upon reawakening, she still had a rock in her hand which had been given to her by Jesus while she was in heaven.

After months of physical and speech therapy, she underwent some of the marrow transplant procedure, until God told her to stop the treatments. Her doctors tried to talk her out of it, but she insisted. They tested her later, and were amazed that she was totally cured.

Heard enough?

There's more. Much more.

 

[materia3]

I took a quick look at your site. Thanks. It was interesting.


Insofar as her claim of being in a leukemic coma, it is possible. The above defines the condition and indicates how it may've occurred in a person with the injury described. The longest case of leukemic coma (in the literature) was 90 days and it can go on for one to two months until it responds to treatment.

Insofar as her claim of being cured of her leukemia, it is possible that she had a remission thanks to the treatment she already had and then stopped, not any miracle. Some types of leukemia wax and wane, go into partial remission and then return. Some are long term situations.

Insofar as her other claims are concerned, they are rather bizarre if not unbelievable. But there are all kinds of kooks out there, not just a few that exploit the 9-11 debacle.

Perhaps I didn't catch the reason, but why have you gone to such lengths to document this one particular kook?

 

[RSLancastr]

Perhaps I didn't catch the reason, but why have you gone to such lengths to document this one particular kook?

Because I find what she is doing - taking people's money by masquerading as a survivor of 9/11 - to be incredibly offensive, and feel it should be stopped.