Difficult to second-guess 25 doctors

Dear Dr. Gott: In 2001, my husband, age 69, died, and we have yet to learn the cause. In July of that year, he had a hip replacement and within two months was back playing golf. Starting in October, he suffered from drenching sweats, without fever. He was seen in five hospitals by more than 25 doctors. Extensive testing was negative. In November, he died of presumed heart failure. Multiple tests at autopsy were normal. I have all the hospital records but need to know why he died. I need closure. My family needs to know if there was a genetic component. Can you help us? Dear Reader: Based on the limited information you provided, I’m afraid that I cannot second-guess the doctors who cared for your husband at the end of his life. However, there are two possibilities that I believe you should investigate. Pulmonary embolism: Some patients, after surgery, develop blood clots in their leg veins. On occasion, such clots can break off and be carried to the lungs, where they can cause a painless death. If this were your husband’s problem, these clots should have been evident at the time of autopsy. Check on this. Sepsis: One of the risks of any surgery — especially procedures that involve the introduction of artificial material — is infection. Your husband’s sweats suggest that such a complication may have been present. If so, it could certainly have caused his death. Moreover, the source would not have been discovered unless your husband had blood cultures performed. Again, check the autopsy report. If you are confused or if there are autopsy findings that you cannot understand, please review them with your family doctor who should, in my opinion, be more than willing to shed light on this unexpected tragedy. Dear Dr. Gott: I am trying hard to follow your “no flour, no sugar” diet, and have had great success with it. However, I really need to have a sweetener, such as honey or sugar, in my four cups of coffee a day. I know I should avoid sugar, but is the honey acceptable? Dear Reader: The sugar restriction in my diet includes obvious concentrated sweets, including honey, molasses, cane sugar, maple syrup and corn syrup (commercial sweetener). In order to reduce your consumption of calorie-rich sugar products, I suggest that you avoid honey in your coffee and substitute Splenda, a new calorie-free sweetening agent derived from sugar that should make your coffee more palatable without adding unnecessary calories. To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Losing Weight” which includes my “no flour, no sugar” diet. Other readers who would like a copy should send a long, self-addressed, stamped envelope and $2 to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.