May, 5 1999

A friend of mine told me that her mother in Xi'an, China is suffering from a rare neurological disorder.  She is 60 years old and had been in good health until a gall bladder surgery to remove gall stones about 1.5 years ago.  The surgery went well, but soon afterwards, she began to develop symptoms that resembled Alzheimer's disease.  She appeared confused, started to lose memory, had some kind of illusions and tried to resist treatment.  The doctors thought that it was a type of psychiatric disorder and administered drugs that calmed her.  Then she appeared more demented, kind of passive, and not responsive to any sight and sounds.  She could not even recongnize her husband and childrens.  All these happend within half a year of the surgery.  She also lost other motor skills and had to be totally taken care of by others.  She has been in that kind of (somewhat stable) vegetative state for nearly a year now. The family of the patient was devastated both emontionally and
financially. They are wondering whether anyone out there might know what is going on and what kind of diagnosis and treatment might be available.  If you have any information or suggestions, I will appreciate very much hearing from you.

Thanks very much for your time.

APPARENT PATIENT LOCATION - United States