The closest thing to an actual action man is CHUCK NORRIS. In addition to being an actor, the celebrity holds many black belts in martial arts, which have been very helpful in his quest to become a legendary actor. He appears to be in good health, but a few years ago, his wife Gena’s declining health almost “scared him to death.”
Chuck Norris: My whole life is keeping my wife healthy
Hollywood actor Chuck and his wife Gena filed a public lawsuit against 11 healthcare organizations in 2017 after claiming that a substance that was repeatedly administered into Gena during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) poisoned her. Gena claimed that after the injection, she felt as like her entire body was on fire within a “few hours,” and she quickly began to experience serious side effects that left her with “horrible brain damage.”
By capturing images inside the body, MRI scans typically assist medical professionals in diagnosing illnesses. Sometimes, a drug—in this example, gadolinium—is injected into people to enhance the sharpness of the pictures.
However, the pair asserted that following the injection, Gena experienced the onset of “gadolinium deposition disease.”
“I couldn’t think any more, any type of cognition, being able to articulate, my memory, I had muscle wasting,” Gena said when talking to CBS at the time.
The pair claimed that further symptoms like burning agony, severe shaking, disorientation, and renal damage were brought on by the gadolinium deposition condition, CBS went on to explain.
Chuck’s experience with his wife’s reaction to gadolinium contrast agents was a harrowing one. “It almost scared me to death,” Chuck admitted. “Nothing’s going on here, she’s dying, she’s dying right in front of me here at this hospital.”
Following the incident, the couple sought compensation exceeding $10 million from the manufacturers of the drug, alleging that they failed to provide adequate warnings about the potential risks.
In an interview with Good Health, Chuck revealed that he had put his career on hold to care for his wife. “I’ve given up my film career to concentrate on Gena, my whole life right now is about keeping her alive. I believe this issue is so important.”
Gadolinium contrast agents are reportedly used in approximately one-third of MRI scans worldwide, according to the Daily Mail.
Radiopaedia notes that allergic reactions to the substance are relatively rare, occurring in less than 1% of cases. When they do occur, they can manifest as either acute or chronic reactions.
CBS News medical contributor Dr. David Agus added: “What we know is that gadolinium, this dye that’s used, can actually deposit in tissue, that’s known now. What we don’t know is that it is actually associated with symptoms in patients.
“These are critical tests. I don’t want to worry initially, without real substantive data, to actually stress people out.”
Despite their battle, Norris’ legal team terminated the claim against gadolinium manufacturer Bracco Imaging in 2020, according to Radiology Business, with no settlement reached.
In a statement, the business stated that it “takes patient safety very seriously and stands behind the safety of all of its products,” referring especially to two of its gadolinium-based contrast agents.
ProHance and MultiHance are two of these that are utilized in central nervous system MRIs to enhance the visualization of brain, spin, and other tissue abnormalities.
According to the NHS, MRI scans may be performed on nearly any part of the body, and the findings can be used to determine the efficacy of prior therapies as well as to plan new ones.
You lie on a flat bed that has been moved into the scanner to undergo an MRI scan. You will either be placed head first or feet first in the scanner, depending on which portion of your body is being scanned.
The scanner will tap loudly at specific points during the scan. This is the process of turning on and off the electric current in the scanner coils. Depending on the size of the area being scanned and the number of photos captured, the scan can take anywhere from 15 to 90 minutes.
It’s interesting to note that the NHS cautions that contrast dye may have adverse consequences like:
- Feeling or being sick
- A skin rash
- A headache
- Dizziness.
It continues by explaining that although they usually don’t persist long, people who have kidney illness are susceptible to tissue and organ damage from the dye. A blood test should be performed in advance as a precaution to assess kidney function and evaluate if the scan can proceed safely.