It's so hard and depressing reading about Peter Falk's decline

[CatWoman]

damn!! :cry:

'Columbo' Actor Peter Falk Placed In Conservatorship

LOS ANGELES — A judge placed former "Columbo" star's Peter Falk in a conservatorship Monday to ensure his daughter could occasionally visit the ailing 81-year-old actor.

Falk's wife of more than 30 years, Shera, will remain in control of his personal care and affairs. Falk has advanced dementia, likely from Alzheimer's disease, one of his doctors testified Monday.

Catherine Falk petitioned in December to take over her father's affairs despite a sometimes contentious relationship with Falk and his wife. By court order, she will be allowed a 30-minute visit with her father every other month.

Falk's condition virtually ensures he will not remember the meetings, his doctor said.

The Emmy-winning actor slipped rapidly into dementia since a series of dental operations in late 2007, Dr. Stephen Read testified Monday, the final day of a two-day conservatorship hearing.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/02/columbo-actor-peter-falk-_n_210120.html

[LostinVA]

1. I wonder what the dental operations ahd to do with this?

Something very similar happened to Maureen McCormick and her father -- her (literally) psycho brother took over her father's life and money.

[InvisibleTouch]

2. Release of mercury into the bloodstream, perhaps? n/t

[LostinVA]

3. I thought of that -- but the "rapidly" is odd

[JuniperLea]

4. Due to anesthesia, perhaps?

There is a similar dementia that befalls heart surgery patients.

[trotsky]

6. Well that's no fun.

Gotta tie everything into the GLOBAL CONSPIRACEE TO KILL US WITH MERCURY!!!!1!1! ZOMG!!!!

[JuniperLea]

7. Naw...

That's what the "economic crisis" is for!

[Tanuki]

11. Possibly a systemic infection from a dental abscess?

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001060.htm
Some people with prolapsed a mitral valve have to take antibiotics when they have even routine dental cleaning, to avoid bacterial endocarditis, which can set up a secondary brain infection. Don't know if this has anything to do with Falk's situation, however. Other possibilities could be anoxia during surgery of any kind, or reaction to the anesthesia. Sometimes people who have vulnerable brains (e.g., early Alzheimer's, before anyone really noticed there was a problem) look much worse when recovering from anesthesia, and people erroneously blame the surgery, even though the process was already well under way.

[JuniperLea]

15. Good info and link...

Yes, could be many things.

Very sad.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

20. It there were a lot of fillings

and a lot of them were removed improperly, then yes, there can be a rapid effect. Couple this with other infirmities of old age, and it is a recipe for disaster.

[RaleighNCDUer]

8. For some reason I don't understand, it often happens after some kind

of surgery - maybe anesthesia is a trigger.

May father had very few problems - just an occasional spotty memory, he still golfed every day and drove to and from the course - until he went in for prostate surgery. Within months afterward he had pronounced symptoms, and four years later he was gone, after spending 2 1/2 of that four in an alzheimers wing of a nursing home.

The hell of it is, without the surgery he would have still lived at least 10 years before the cancer took him.

[supernova]

12. Dental work can cause infection in heart patients

People with misshapen heart valves or otherwise not functioning properly can get very ill from dental work if they don't take proper precautions before visiting the dentist. Infections can spread to the brain.

(Yes, it's true that dental equipment is not always properly and 100% sterilized between patients. :P :puke: )

PF may have heart disease and not have known it.

Poor man. Such a wonderful actor. Horribly sad.

[LostinVA]

13. That I know -- my mom always has to take certain meds before dental work

[supernova]

14. Me too

:D

[dflprincess]

18. One of the best things you can do for your heart is to floss daily.

No kidding.

This is what makes is hard to understand why dental work (at least cleanings) are not part of medical covervage.

[WI_DEM]

5. I agree. I loved him on Columbo and many other movies, too. A very talented actor.

[bdamomma]

16. I had always liked him in Colombo.

poor guy, I wish they would find a cure for that horrible disease.

[Mist]

9. I didn't know he was so ill. I've always been a big fan. Very sad. nt

[onehandle]

10. I loved him in "The Great Race."

"Push the button, Max!"



One of my all time favorite films.

[Echo In Light]

17. I can't think of him w/o recalling the powerful films of John Cassavetes

That's really where the late 60s/early 70s indie film movement began.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

19. Mercury poisoning immediately comes to mind

So many folks of his age (and mine, for that matter), had mercury placed in fillings--when they are removed, that mercury can poison you--we treat a lot of patients for this who have had dental work done. We have the tests to show their mercury levels are off the chart.

[11cents]

21. I read an interview with him from some years ago ...

...in which he said that his father had had Alzheimer's, so that he worried about that "a little" as he grew older.

Alzheimer's tends to run in families. I think what most likely happened was that he was in the early stages and several bouts with anaesthesia accelerated the process.

I'm very sad about this too. He had a remarkably broad career, ranging from avant-garde and independent films to big Hollywood movies and, of course, TV. Really a legend, whose acting attainments went way beyond "Columbo" (but I loved that show).