George Best is 'desperately ill'

**dirtydog** · 21-11-2005, 09:07 PM

George Best is 'desperately ill'

George Best is still 'desperately ill'

Football legend George Best remains "desperately ill", says his doctor.
Professor Roger Williams said the 59-year-old former Manchester United and Northern Ireland star had not deteriorated in the last 24 hours.
Members of Best's family remain at his bedside at the Cromwell Hospital in west London where he is being treated for a lung infection.
Professor Williams said: "He cannot survive day after day without some improvement occurring."
Prof Williams, who oversaw Best's liver transplant three years ago, said he was conscious, his brain and pupils were reacting and there was no question of him being "kept alive".
Best, who has battled alcoholism for years, has been receiving various hospital treatments, including antibiotics, clotting factors and replacement fluids.
But he is no longer being heavily sedated.
He was admitted to the west London hospital on 1 October suffering from flu-like infections and his health deteriorated rapidly at the beginning of November when he developed a kidney infection.
Best was re-admitted to the intensive care unit on Friday.
Public support
Phil Hughes, Best's agent, said the family were taking strength from the support offered by the public.
"They are bearing up," he said. "They would like to say thank you to all the well-wishers. It's a very hard time for all of us."
At the weekend Best allowed the News of the World to print a photograph taken of him in hospital, as a warning about the dangers of alcohol.
He had asked for the picture to be taken before being transferred into intensive care, the paper said. In it, Best looks gaunt with a yellow pallor due to his malfunctioning liver, with tubes attached to his bruised body.

**dirtydog** · 21-11-2005, 09:34 PM

Swear you'll live, George

Better days ... Best as Man Utd hero
FULL NEWS INDEXBy THOMAS WHITAKER
FADING George Best’s frantic family hurled SWEARWORDS at him yesterday in a desperate bid to keep him alive.

Drink-ravaged Best, 59, was on a ventilator and was feared close to death with a lung infection.
He remains in a stable but critical condition this morning - doctors reported no change in his health overnight.

Professor Roger Williams, who gave Best a liver transplant in 2002, said: "The next 24 hours will be critical. His sisters and brothers are here.

"They have been saying all sorts of rude words to him, good words, bad words, Irish words, anything to keep him going."

The ex-Manchester United and Northern Ireland ace asked for the harrowing photo, top, to be published as a warning to others.

Son Calum, 24, visited him at West London’s private Cromwell hospital on Saturday. But that night he went out with pals to take his mind off things.

Worried ... son Calum

He is pictured leaving a club at 3am. A friend said: "Calum can’t stand the thought of sitting in on his own."
Speaking today outside the Cromwell Hospital in west London, Prof Williams said: "I’ve just seen Mr Best and the situation is that he's still hanging in there.
"He’s still responsive. He’s still on the ventilator.
"Some of the blood tests are a bit better, which gives us some
encouragement."
Professor Williams said Best had not deteriorated overnight but he added: "We are hoping to see improvement, which is needed.
"There’s not much improvement but there's no significant deterioration. His condition is stable."
Sedation had been stopped and medics were now waiting to see if Best regained consciousness - a process that could take about 12 hours.
Professor Williams said this particular setback of the lung infection was the worst Best had suffered.
He added: "We have stopped sedation to see whether he will wake up and that will take some hours before we know that.
"He's a tough person to survive all that he has done.
"I’ve been gloomy since Friday about the chances of recovery.
"One does want to see him really begin to make headway.
"He has shown certainly a response in terms of the infection but he's a
desperately ill man.
"We need to see some improvement, otherwise he can't survive day after day after day without some improvement occurring."
Professor Williams said they were not keeping Best alive, adding: "He's keeping himself alive."
The former footballer is receiving fluid, antibiotics and nutrition and is
being continuously monitored, he added.
"If these patients recover from this sort of illness, they usually recover
very well," he said.

**Captain Sensible** · 21-11-2005, 11:30 PM

Morbidly I went looking for the pic of him in hospital but couldnt find it at the NOTW site. Dennis has offered to keep looking for me coz he thinks that I drink too much as well.

**Marmite the Dog** · 22-11-2005, 01:30 AM

Originally Posted by Captain Sensible

Dennis has offered to keep looking for me coz he thinks that I drink too much as well.

He's not the only one, Cap...

**Captain Sensible** · 22-11-2005, 06:59 AM

**Marmite the Dog** · 22-11-2005, 09:19 PM

:1244:

**dirtydog** · 23-11-2005, 02:41 PM

Sister's hope for sick Best By ANTHONY FRANCE

GEORGE Best amazed doctors yesterday by battling back from the brink of death.
The desperately-ill soccer legend was taken off sedation and gently moved his eyes and head when his sister spoke to him.
The hope for Best’s family came just 24 hours after the booze-ravaged star, 59, was described by a friend as in his worst condition yet on a life support machine.
But Professor Roger Williams, Best’s doctor at the private Cromwell Hospital in West London, said: “He’s a tremendous fighter. It’s unbelievable.
“None of us has seen anybody come through so many serious complications. He must be a very strong person inside.”
Prof Williams, who oversaw the former Manchester United star’s 2002 liver transplant, added: “He is comfortable and responds to commands when we put facts or questions to him.
“His sister spoke to him and there was some recognition. He will move his eyes and head. Last Friday we didn’t expect him to do anything but get worse.”
Earlier yesterday Best — who has a severe lung infection — was visited by girlfriend Ros Hollidge, 37, and agent and friend Phil Hughes.
It also emerged that Best has been communicating by sign language.
Last night a hospital spokesman said: “He has been gesturing at people.”

**dirtydog** · 24-11-2005, 09:12 PM

Legend Best 'enters final hours'

Best's condition worsened early on Wednesday

Footballing legend George Best is unlikely to survive another 24 hours, his doctor has said.
Best, 59, could not recover from the internal bleeding that developed in the night, Professor Roger Williams said.
"I have to tell you his hours are numbered," he said at Cromwell Hospital, west London, at 1250 GMT.
The ex-Northern Ireland and Manchester United star deteriorated with a lung infection on Friday, eight weeks after entering hospital with flu symptoms.

[Internal bleeding] has now affected the lungs and other parts, and there is really no return from that situation

Professor Roger Williams

Professor Williams said on Thursday: "Mr Best is coming to the end of the long road of his ill health.
"The situation is that medically the intensive care team and everybody concerned have managed to cope with pretty well all of the complications except the one that has happened again during the night - this bleeding.
"Although [the blood] has been replaced, it has now affected the lungs and other parts, and there is really no return from that situation.
"It is just not possible to recover from that."
He added: "He is still having standard medical care and treatment but I have to tell you that his hours are numbered now and it's all very upsetting."
Family vigil
Best's closest family arrived at the west London hospital on Thursday looking very upset and asked the gathered media not to film or photograph them as they went in.
Professor Williams said: "We have just all been sitting down together and it's very upsetting for everybody, isn't it - those looking after him, the family.
"I have talked to them at great length, I think they understand everything... I think they accept what's going to happen."
Best was admitted to hospital on 1 October with flu-like symptoms, and suffered a kidney infection and internal bleeding before the latest decline.
Drugs needed after his liver transplant in 2002 had made the recovering alcoholic more susceptible to infection.
Things had looked more positive earlier in the week when Best regained consciousness.
He was taken off sedation and described as "fairly stable" by Professor Williams.
But then his condition deteriorated once more between 0100 and 0200 GMT on Wednesday.
Best helped Manchester United win the European Cup in 1968 - the first English club to do so - and he was European Footballer of the Year that same year. His style captivated football fans around the world but his playboy lifestyle degenerated into alcoholism and bankruptcy.

**Marmite the Dog** · 24-11-2005, 09:47 PM

I think he had a pretty good stab at life.

Cheers, George.

**hirondelle** · 25-11-2005, 09:16 AM

in his own words...

I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered.

good old George

**poolcleaner** · 25-11-2005, 04:26 PM

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

I think he had a pretty good stab at life.

Cheers, George.

Couldn't have said it better.

**dirtydog** · 25-11-2005, 04:32 PM

George Best very close to death

Best helped Man Utd win the European Cup in 1968

Footballing legend George Best is said to be close to death and is no longer receiving treatment to keep him alive.
His doctor, Professor Roger Williams, said he had expected to wake up to be told the ex-Manchester United and Northern Ireland star died overnight.
"It is very surprising and he's a very strong man in many ways," he said.
Best, 59, has multiple organ failure following internal bleeding. He was admitted to Cromwell Hospital, west London, on 1 October with flu symptoms.

Sadly this must come to an end over the next few hours

Professor Roger Williams

Professor Williams told Five Live Breakfast: "He's not experiencing pain. He's on a ventilator. He's sedated.
"He has a low blood pressure and sadly this must come to an end over the next few hours - I'd be very surprised if it didn't."
Another member of the medical team, Dr Akeel Alisa, said: "It is just a case of waiting now and making him comfortable. I would like him to survive another day, but it is not likely. "He has multiple organ failure and this is causing abnormalities in his blood. The family have been here throughout the night - they have been very brave."

**aging one** · 25-11-2005, 05:25 PM

Just a pity, he came to play for San Jose Cal. Pissed on a plane he left 17,000 dollars in the toilet. Gone it was.

**Marmite the Dog** · 25-11-2005, 08:54 PM

Best died at 12:55 p.m

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