044. Diagnosis

[vicodincrutch]

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS

SYMPTOM(S): Uncontrollable Laughter
                          Chest Pain
                          Clumsiness
                          Which caused cranial bleeding.

POSSIBLE DIAGNOSIS:
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis--it explains the chest pains, clumsiness and the laughter. The curse is accelerating the effects the degeneration

Comments

[eduronox]

It sounds closer to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease than Sclerosis. Neither are so fast-acting. Some kind of advanced prion infection, potentially.

Kuru would explain the laughter and nerve degeneration.

[vicodincrutch]

The laughter is the main symptom. He hasn't been to New Guinea or had brains recently.

...But that would make sense. Dementia being one of the leading symptoms and the laughter as a branch off from that. An MRI and some brain fluid samples would rule that out.

I want to treat the dementia for now to make him shut up.

Great now I want to watch Indiana Jones AND One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest.

[eduronox]

It is not simple exposure nor brains that transmit Kuru, but ingestion of infected matter. It is cultivated by excessive cannibalism but can be extracted and implanted in just about anything, accidentally or otherwise. "Mad cow disease" is a notable variant.

Can the patient be coaxed to sleep naturally, or with a mild sedative? Prion infections make the brain highly unstable, treating dementia if prematurely misdiagnosed will only cause further irreparable brain damage.

[vicodincrutch]

Sorry, I was caught up in the romanticism of eating people. That must have been one angry cow.

Logically, this much laughter would have caused a syncope. It hasn't. So much for naturally. I wasn't thinking of treating the dementia without the MRI. The thought of gagging him was getting to be appealing too.

It's relatively early into CJD, if that's what it is. The dementia has no bite.

[lyra_of_dust]

A lot of people seem to be sick with it.

[vicodincrutch]

I'm getting sick with it that's for sure.

[lyra_of_dust]

People laughing, people throwing up... I dunno if this is a curse or not.

[vicodincrutch]

Well, one way to find out is waiting for midnight. Until then, I want to know if I'm right.

Drink some orange juice and wash your hands.

[holymadonna]

If the patient suffers from dementia, the anticholinergic properties of the tricyclic antidepressants would worsen their state. Are you taking such huge risk, Doctor House?

Do we have a psychiatrist who can successfully run the Mini-Mental Status Examination?

[vicodincrutch]

I only want him to shut up, Mom. Working on an alternative and a new diagnosis. A friend came over to play.

Contrary to popular belief, I don't know any shrinks. We used to have one somewhere.

[holymadonna]

Where did you find him, son? What about laboratory tests and samples? Do we have one? I think we should begin there before medicating him and if he has or not taken high doses of alcohol or drugs. Introduce me to your friend.

Doctor Lecter had opened a psychiatrist when he was in the City, but it closed down once he left.

[vicodincrutch]

Laughing like an idiot on the network. Turns out he is an idiot but the laughter is something else. Right now the diagnosis is CJD, an MRI will tell if that's close.

Ha! That's a great one, I didn't think you had it in you.

[hercount]

You are hypothesizing the City is giving genetic disorders as a curse?

[vicodincrutch]

If it can temporarily give a person breasts, why not?

[hercount]

Some can grow their own at will.

Genetic disease would assume similar genetics. From creatures that are distinctly not similar.

[vicodincrutch]

That must make for awkward conversation.

Duh. If the new diagnosis proves right, then it isn't hereditary and we have a Donner Party reunion.

*voice post*

[eternalnic]

Have you had any...*hehehe* progress made on this...?

*gasping and then more laughter*

I think I might have *deep throaty laugh followed by a gasp and then giggles* the same illness.

[vicodincrutch]

If you want an MRI, take a number.

You're laughing. What else?

[eternalnic]

Can't stop....*giggles for a bit*...hard to breath.

[vicodincrutch]

When was the last time you had beef?