Gene Hackman's Wife Deteriorated Fast With Rare Hantavirus, Expert Says
Here is the deal ... Santa Fe authorities on Friday shared the shocking revelation that Betsy Arakawa likely died a week before Gene -- and it was the rare virus spread by rats and mice that killed her.
Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, an infectious disease expert and professor at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, tells TMZ ... Hantavirus impacts the body fast – and since symptoms present themselves as a chest cold -- and the virus is so rare -- it is often misdiagnosed.
Hantavirus spreads to humans from rat/mouse poop and urine, which usually is contracted when someone cleans the attic or basement ... and it kills one in three people, Dr. Klausner tells us.
Like any other severe virus, the percentage of survival is much greater if it's diagnosed immediately and the person is hospitalized ... with Klausner telling TMZ Hantavirus is akin to severe pneumonia.
As for her final days ... Betsy was likely having a harder and harder time breathing, until she finally lost consciousness in the bathroom and died.
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As we previously reported ... Authorities believe Gene -- who we now know had Alzheimer's -- died a week later of heart disease and complications caused by the disease.
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Newsweek
21 hours ago
- Newsweek
Woman in Psych Unit Diagnosed With Dementia at 56, It Was Menopause
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. This time last year, Hayley, 57, was sectioned and admitted to a psychiatric unit. She was suffering from intense psychosis, paranoia and depression. Her behavior had changed so drastically that she no longer recognized her own family. Her speech was incoherent, her thoughts disordered and she was experiencing vivid hallucinations. Doctors told her family that it's likely to be frontotemporal dementia (FTD)—a rare and devastating neurological condition that typically affects people between 45 and 64. Unlike Alzheimer's, FTD often causes dramatic personality changes, emotional withdrawal and problems with speech, movement and decision-making. But the diagnosis was wrong. Hayley wasn't losing her mind to dementia. She was going through menopause. Screenshots from TikTok showing Jay's face over an image of his mom when she was sectioned. A more recent photo of Hayley. Screenshots from TikTok showing Jay's face over an image of his mom when she was sectioned. A more recent photo of Hayley. TikTok/@drlouisenewson Menopause is a natural stage in a woman's life when her periods stop, marking the end of fertility. But it can also be a time of extreme vulnerability. Hormonal changes can trigger or worsen mental health conditions, including serious ones like psychosis. In Hayley's case, the symptoms were so severe and sudden that even specialists believed she had a degenerative brain disease. Newsweek spoke with Hayley and her 25-year-old son, Jay, about the misdiagnosis that upended their lives. "We were all completely devastated," Jay said. "At the time, it was totally believable. Mom's ability to communicate was deteriorating, her psychosis meant she couldn't recognize us, and her hallucinations were getting worse. 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"It has been known for many decades that the hormones oestradiol, progesterone and testosterone all have important and beneficial effects on the function of the brain—improving the way the cells and nerves work as well as working as neurotransmitters. "These hormones reduce inflammation in the brain and also improve blood supply to the brain." Battle for Treatment In a detailed TikTok video shared to @drlouisenewson, Jay highlights how medics refused to believe Hayley's condition was linked to her hormones. "Jay struggled to convince the psychiatrists to prescribe body-identical hormones, and it wasn't until they discussed with Dr. Newson that they eventually agreed to prescribe them some months later," Hayley told Newsweek. From left: Jay, 25, mom Hayley, 57, and Dr. Louise Newson. From left: Jay, 25, mom Hayley, 57, and Dr. Louise Newson. The Dr Louise Newson Podcast She began taking HRT and testosterone in September 2024 and it took from four to eight weeks for depression and psychosis to subside. "I recall one day feeling like something had lifted, and then I spent moments in the subsequent weeks crying as I realized what had been happening. "Coming back into reality after years of suffering was extremely overwhelming and daunting at first. By the 12th week of HRT, I had returned to reality and was fortunate enough to spend Christmas with my son," she said. History of Mental Health Struggles After suffering with postpartum psychosis with all three of her children, Hayley has spent most of her adult life in and out of mental health units. In 2010, she was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder—a mental health condition that is marked by a mix of schizophrenia symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions, and mood disorder symptoms. 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Screenshots from TikTok showing Hayley and her son enjoying a Robbie Williams concert this summer. TikTok/@drlouisenewson Life After Recovery "Since my recovery with HRT, I love having my grandchildren stay with me at the weekends and we have the loveliest of times," Hayley said. "I also spend time with my children enjoying concerts, meals out and doing the things we missed out on as they grew up. "I have a newfound lust for life and motivation which I haven't experienced in decades. Few things worry me and my confidence has generally returned. Despite having suffered for most of my adulthood and the elements of lasting damage, I feel so fortunate to be able to finally create many special memories in such a short space of time." Now Hayley is making up for lost time with her family, something her son admires greatly. "Never in a million years did I think we would have ever achieved what we have done in the past year," he said. 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Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
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