Oregon plague victim loses fingers and toes
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon man who nearly died from the plague in June has now lost his withered fingers and toes to the disease known as the Black Death.
Doctors amputated the blackened extremities of Paul "Steve" Gaylord in an operation that lasted 2 1/2 hours Monday at the St. Charles Medical Center in Bend.
The 60-year-old Prineville man told The Oregonian the surgery was a success but painful.
Surgeons removed his fingers to his palms, leaving half of his left thumb and less of his right one. They also cut off his toes and the top part of his right foot.
"I'm very happy to be alive," Gaylord said. "I can't change it. I want to get out of pain and be able to walk again and do things for myself."
Gaylord was infected in June when he tried to remove a mouse from the throat of a choking cat. The plague-stricken cat bit him and a family friend. The friend was treated with antibiotics and never developed severe symptoms.
Gaylord spent nearly a month on life support as his family braced for his death. The former welder faces months of physical therapy to learn how to use his feet. He'll also need prosthetics for his hands.
"I don't think he'll be splitting his own wood," said his niece, Andrea Gibb. "He'll have limitations, but at the same time he'll be able to function."
Besides the physical pain of recovery, he has to surmount the fear of people who mistakenly think he's contagious.
"A lot of people are really leery," Gibb said. "They're not well-educated. It freaks a lot of people out."
His family is trying to raise money and collect supplies to build him a new house because the trailer in which he had been living was dilapidated and unsafe. The family has collected $16,000 so far.
Doctors amputated the blackened extremities of Paul "Steve" Gaylord in an operation that lasted 2 1/2 hours Monday at the St. Charles Medical Center in Bend.
The 60-year-old Prineville man told The Oregonian the surgery was a success but painful.
Surgeons removed his fingers to his palms, leaving half of his left thumb and less of his right one. They also cut off his toes and the top part of his right foot.
"I'm very happy to be alive," Gaylord said. "I can't change it. I want to get out of pain and be able to walk again and do things for myself."
Gaylord was infected in June when he tried to remove a mouse from the throat of a choking cat. The plague-stricken cat bit him and a family friend. The friend was treated with antibiotics and never developed severe symptoms.
Gaylord spent nearly a month on life support as his family braced for his death. The former welder faces months of physical therapy to learn how to use his feet. He'll also need prosthetics for his hands.
"I don't think he'll be splitting his own wood," said his niece, Andrea Gibb. "He'll have limitations, but at the same time he'll be able to function."
Besides the physical pain of recovery, he has to surmount the fear of people who mistakenly think he's contagious.
"A lot of people are really leery," Gibb said. "They're not well-educated. It freaks a lot of people out."
His family is trying to raise money and collect supplies to build him a new house because the trailer in which he had been living was dilapidated and unsafe. The family has collected $16,000 so far.
how horrible... I didn't know you could get the plague still from a cat.Â
"Won't be splitting his own wood". Strange comment by his niece. Has a sense of humor. I guess.
I am sorry to all you animal lovers, and to Mr Gaylord, but that cat would have choked if that would have been me!! Mice are so nasty and disease ridden, would never attempt to remove one from a cats throat. My prayers go out to Mr Gaylord, and wish you a speedy recovery.
@cajunurse it had nothing to do with the mouse, the "plague-stricken cat bit him". It was the cat, not the rat. Believe it or not, cat's mouths are extraordinarily "dirty", filled with bacteria that they can handle just fine, but are dangerous to humans.  If you are ever bitten, even by your beloved Mittens, you should get antibiotics to be on the safe side, and REALLY flush out the wound.
 @ bellevuejen thanks for clearing that up for me. Guess i overlooked that part of the article. lol Figured since rats were the cause of the plague way back in the dark ages that it was the cause here. Thanks you again for the great information. Was truly not aware of how dirty their mouths were, knew that you could get cat scratch fever from them but that is it. LOL Thank goodness noooo cats here.Â
That HAD to hurt. I hope the advances in prosthetics allow him to live a quality life.
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Yikes, three months suffering so far. Â He sure has a good attitude, hope everything looks up from here.
How horrible. I wish you a speeding recovery. It would be nice if someone could eliminate the mouse problem in his trailer before he gets home from the hospital.
That really sucks that he lost his ability to make a living and his pet and has such a long recovery ahead of him. And I can see now why they call it the black death. Ouch. Here's hoping things get better for him.
Damn