# Joan Rivers



## billymach4 (Aug 27, 2014)

Joan Rivers! Attended a private speaking engagement this evening with Joan Rivers. Not a groupie fan, but I do appreciate her humor. Her face is another story. Needless to say she made us all laugh! Got a signed copy of her book. Did not get a selfie, but I did get some video on my phone.


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## DaveNV (Aug 27, 2014)

I agree her looks are pretty extreme, but I can also cut her some slack.  The brain is the same, the wit is quicker than ever, and she is really trying to make it all work.  She could as easily have gone the way of Robin Williams.

She spent her younger years feeling unattractive, including dealing with the suicide of her husband, and the unexpected failure of her relationship with Johnny Carson. I think she took a lot of it very personally, and held herself liable.  

Once she had achieved a certain amount of success, she started "having work done," as a way to get past who she used to be, and the things she felt responsible for. But like a lot of homeowners, she also didn't know when to quit remodeling. 

I hope you liked her show. I'd love to see her live on stage.

Dave


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## billymach4 (Aug 27, 2014)

I sat there in awe looking at an 81 yo woman that was spot on, and quick to reply during the interview and Q&A. All the while thinking that Joan Rivers is 2 years older than my mother (also first name Joan). 

My mother unfortunately does not remember what day of the week it is, or what she had for her last meal. So in that respect I give Ms Rivers much credit as well. 

She also spoke about the Carson / Leno situation and is laughing all of it off. Carson is dead, and Leno is out of work. Also Jimmy Fallon had her back on the tonight show where she was banned for 20 years. She also has 2 shows of her own now!


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## DaveNV (Aug 27, 2014)

billymach4 said:


> I sat there in awe looking at an 81 yo woman that was spot on, and quick to reply during the interview and Q&A. All the while thinking that Joan Rivers is 2 years older than my mother (also first name Joan).
> 
> My mother unfortunately does not remember what day of the week it is, or what she had for her last meal. So in that respect I give Ms Rivers much credit as well.
> 
> She also spoke about the Carson / Leno situation and is laughing all of it off. Carson is dead, and Leno is out of work. Also Jimmy Fallon had her back on the tonight show where she was banned for 20 years. She also has 2 shows of her own now!




Now I want to see her more than ever! 

Dave


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## Timeshare Von (Aug 27, 2014)

Am I the only person who doesn't like Joan Rivers?  I find her humor catty and her laugh unbearable.


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## MuranoJo (Aug 28, 2014)

I like her.  Like Betty White and Carol Burnett, she's a tough gal who has somehow endured the entertainment industry all these years and still makes (some of) us laugh--in a world where we could use a few more laughs.


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## billymach4 (Aug 28, 2014)

Timeshare Von said:


> Am I the only person who doesn'knowsike Joan Rivers?  I find her humor catty and her laugh unbearable.



You are not alone. She has a huge base of non fans, and she knows all about her offensive persona. Its all part of the attraction.


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## pedro47 (Aug 28, 2014)

Timeshare Von said:


> Am I the only person who doesn't like Joan Rivers?  I find her humor catty and her laugh unbearable.



You are not alone her jokes are now are over the top.


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## SueDonJ (Aug 28, 2014)

Timeshare Von said:


> Am I the only person who doesn't like Joan Rivers?  I find her humor catty and her laugh unbearable.



You're not alone.


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## pacodemountainside (Aug 28, 2014)

*Update-Hospitalized!*

http://www.gossipcop.com/joan-rivers-hospital-not-breathing-emergency/


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## GrayFal (Aug 28, 2014)

pacodemountainside said:


> http://www.gossipcop.com/joan-rivers-hospital-not-breathing-emergency/



They are reporting this on the local NBC affiliate. 
Cardiac arrest after throat surgery....


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## billymach4 (Aug 28, 2014)

*Shocked!*

She was here yesterday. See the attached link from PEOPLE. This was the event I attended.

http://www.people.com/article/joan-rivers-stops-breathing-surgery


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## Passepartout (Aug 28, 2014)

And more here, from NBC News New York: http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/loca...hing-Throat-Procedure-Hospital-273033831.html


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## Kay H (Aug 29, 2014)

*Joan Rivers in medically induced coma*

Apparently had cardiac arrest in a Dr 's office during or after some throat procedure.  Doctors meeting with Malissa to determine what direction to go.


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## Timeshare Von (Aug 29, 2014)

While I don't care for her humor, I do wish her a speedy recovery.  Very unfortunate (and ironic) that she was just at the event BillyMach attended earlier in the week.


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## Beaglemom3 (Aug 29, 2014)

I liked her way back in the early years of her career. She was new, funny and edgy-ish as stand-up female comedians were far & few; Phyllis Diller, Toti Fields, Ann Meara are those who come to mind.

 Then, her comedy, for me, became abrasive and offensive, but not that funny.

 I, too, wish her a full recovery and restoration to optimum health.




.


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## Fern Modena (Aug 29, 2014)

I've been a fan of Joan Rivers since the beginning of her career (says how old I am). She could have gone back and hidden in a dark corner when her husband died, but she had her daughter, and continued on.

I have always found her funny. As her humor changed with the years, so did mine.  I've enjoyed her caustic comments of the last few years as much or even more than her earlier stuff.

She's been an ideal of how a woman can work as long as she wants, no matter her age.

Take care of yourself, Joan. Heal quickly, we are missing you.

Fern


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## Beaglemom3 (Aug 29, 2014)

Johnny Carson's practical joke on Joan Rivers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BainzD2lKmk





.


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## moonstone (Aug 30, 2014)

It doesn't look good for Joan.  Thoughts & prayers for her & her family.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2014/08/30/joan-rivers-medical-condition-update/14861247/

~Diane


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## pacodemountainside (Aug 31, 2014)

Beaglemom3 said:


> I liked her way back in the early years of her career. She was new, funny and edgy-ish as stand-up female comedians were far & few; Phyllis Diller, Toti Fields, Ann Meara are those who come to mind.
> 
> Then, her comedy, for me, became abrasive and offensive, but not that funny.
> 
> ...



How about Rusty Warren and her knockers up and dog named sex.


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## bass (Aug 31, 2014)

*My thoughts and prayers are with you, Joan.[/SIZE*]


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## DeniseM (Aug 31, 2014)

According to most news reports, Joan Rivers is on life support - not just in a medically induced coma.


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## Patri (Sep 1, 2014)

What kind of surgery would she have been having, if she expected to perform that night?


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## billymach4 (Sep 1, 2014)

Patri said:


> What kind of surgery would she have been having, if she expected to perform that night?



The details of her surgical procedure have not been made public. The best conclusion I can make is that it was an outpatient procedure, and coincidence that she went into cardiac arrest, and stopped breathing. Bad Luck? Was this a side effect of the procedure? We don't know. 

I have not read any reports that she was scheduled to perform last Thursday evening. However The night before I was at a private book signing, and then it was announced that she had another engagement soon after. This must have been at the theater on 43rd st. That event was a public paid event.  

I did read that her performance last Saturday evening was of course canceled. 
At the book signing interview she did not make mention of her scheduled surgical procedure. She did mention that she was indeed "Lucky" to be able to continue to perform at here age.



billymach4 said:


> I sat there in awe looking at an 81 yo woman that was spot on, and quick to reply during the interview and Q&A. All the while thinking that Joan Rivers is 2 years older than my mother (also first name Joan).
> 
> My mother unfortunately does not remember what day of the week it is, or what she had for her last meal. So in that respect I give Ms Rivers much credit as well.
> 
> She also spoke about the Carson / Leno situation and is laughing all of it off. Carson is dead, and Leno is out of work. Also Jimmy Fallon had her back on the tonight show where she was banned for 20 years. She also has 2 shows of her own now!





Personally I am struck by the coincidence or irony of the timing of these events. As I stated in my first post prior to this tragic turn in events I was amazed that she was in better health than my own 79 yo mother. Now I think the situation is reversed. My mother now may be in better health than Joan Rivers. 

It all changed in less than 24 hours. 

I sincerely hope that Joan Rivers recovers to make all of us laugh once again!


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## Pat H (Sep 1, 2014)

Joan was having an endoscopy when she stopped breathing. It's a relatively minor procedure. I have a couple of friends who had one in the last couple of months. Unfortunately for Joan she suffered a rare complication.


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## vacationhopeful (Sep 1, 2014)

I just got back home from taking my 89 year old aunt to a Chinese buffet for lunch. We discussed our weekend trip to her great nephew's 14th birthday party in 12 days - near Washington, DC.

She lives alone in a 55+ age restricted apartment complex about 3 miles from my house. Yes, she has an aide who drops by at 7AM and 4PM to verify her meds and alertness but only Monday thru Friday for an hour each visit. She has a driver twice a week for errands and medical appointments. She cooks her own meals. She walks 1/2 mile to the public library. She has already changed her hair salon since moving in 4 weeks ago. Her new bank is a block away. 

Stuff can happen. 

I wish Joan Rivers a speedy recovery. These old gals are tough as nails .... IMHO.


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## pgnewarkboy (Sep 3, 2014)

vacationhopeful said:


> I just got back home from taking my 89 year old aunt to a Chinese buffet for lunch. We discussed our weekend trip to her great nephew's 14th birthday party in 12 days - near Washington, DC.
> 
> She lives alone in a 55+ age restricted apartment complex about 3 miles from my house. Yes, she has an aide who drops by at 7AM and 4PM to verify her meds and alertness but only Monday thru Friday for an hour each visit. She has a driver twice a week for errands and medical appointments. She cooks her own meals. She walks 1/2 mile to the public library. She has already changed her hair salon since moving in 4 weeks ago. Her new bank is a block away.
> 
> ...



Kudos to your aunt.  She does sound like a "tough as nails old gal".  An Aunt of mine lived to be over 100 and managed to live on her own almost to the end with some help from others.  Our Aunts were both able to get just the kind of help they needed for medical appointments and someone to check in on them.

Being able to cook your own meals without hurting yourself or burning the building down is a big issue as people living alone deteriorate from age related disease.   In fact, cooking meals seems to be the number one reason people I know in that age bracket move to assisted living where their meals are provided (at a cost),  Another important reason is transportation for medical appointments and shopping and community events.  Old age can be isolating and if you can't drive today it can be a problem.  Joan Rivers had no problem socializing.  My Aunt socialized with her loving family and everyone loved to be with her.  Many other people have small families, no families, or they have outlived their close family and friends.  Society is starting to address these issues in many states where aging communities are being established with the idea of providing these basic necessities to people while allowing them to live in their own home.  These communities are often city wide.  In other words, you may not have  to live in assisted living if you participate in these communities.  There is a yearly fee however to belong in most of them.


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## ace2000 (Sep 4, 2014)

It's official... Joan Rivers dead at 81.

https://celebrity.yahoo.com/blogs/c...-215344477.html;_ylt=A2KK_cXutwhUvfAAjHubvZx4


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## DeniseM (Sep 4, 2014)

Joan Rivers has passed away  http://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/celebrity/joan-rivers-comedy-legend-tv-host-dies-81-n191416


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## laurac260 (Sep 4, 2014)

Sad.  And boy is she going to be pissed when she learns that she missed out on gossiping about brangelina's wedding!!


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## billymach4 (Sep 4, 2014)

*RIP*

Very unfortunate turn of events. When I started this thread this thought was far from my mind. You can even see how she was so happy and luck to be alive.

http://www.people.com/article/joan-rivers-dies


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## DaveNV (Sep 4, 2014)

RIP Joan.  You gave me a lot of laughs over the years.  Can we talk??

By my count, this makes the third one in this series of passings:  First Robin Williams, then Lauren Bacall, now Joan Rivers.  I hope that's all for awhile.

Dave


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## Pat H (Sep 4, 2014)

Oh this is so sad. I actually liked her new show and you could see how fiercely she loved her daughter and grandson. It's a shame that someone who was so vibrant and enjoyed working had her life cut short even if she was 81. I'd be willing to bet that she would following right in Betty White's footsteps. RIP Joan.


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## Luanne (Sep 4, 2014)

BMWguynw said:


> RIP Joan.  You gave me a lot of laughs over the years.  Can we talk??
> 
> By my count, this makes the third one in this series of passings:  First Robin Williams, then Lauren Bacall, now Joan Rivers.  I hope that's all for awhile.
> 
> Dave



I had counted James Garner as the first, then Robin Williams and Lauren Bacall.  I hope this isn't starting another round of three.


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## pedro47 (Sep 4, 2014)

RIP Joan. You always did it your ways.


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## Beaglemom3 (Sep 4, 2014)

Knew something wasn't good when they moved her out of ICU, possibly on a vent,  at this point. This was my unfortunate specialty when I worked at BCH - St. Elsewhere's.

So, here's to Joan & Heidi Abronowitz ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,






-


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## SueDonJ (Sep 4, 2014)

It's very sad, but thank goodness for her family that they didn't have to watch her linger for too long.  Small blessings.

There were a lot of things I didn't understand about her "persona" and her later-years brand of comedy didn't appeal to me, but I absolutely LOVED her Fashion Police show.  There are many copycats, especially in the print mags, but she delivered compliments and zingers about couture fashion like nobody else can.  And an aside, she wore couture beautifully.  Usually the reaction to a model during a runway show or a star was, "what in the **** is she wearing?!"  But Joan wore couture the way real people could envision themselves wearing it.


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## Nickfromct (Sep 4, 2014)

My wife and I met her about a year ago in LA. She was super nice and much different from her comedic personality. RIP!


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## Timeshare Von (Sep 4, 2014)

It's always a sad day when someone dies, especially after what was described as a "routine surgery."  More and more, I realize there is no such thing.

RIP Joan.


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## vacationhopeful (Sep 4, 2014)

My sister is a senior circulating operating room nurse in the same day surgery unit at a hospital. The doctors who run their own operating clinics try to screen out the HIGH RISK patients scheduling them in the hospital surgery rooms as they KNOW they can't handle complications for those risky patients. 

I was amazed that Joan Rivers was put under in an office setting at her age. *No surgery is routine - age is a BIG consideration *(along with weight, blood pressure, smoking history, diabetes, drug history, and many more)...

So sorry for her daughter's loss of her last parent .... they seemed to be each other's best friends and biggest supporters.


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## DebBrown (Sep 4, 2014)

Beaglemom3 said:


> Knew something wasn't good when they moved her out of ICU, possibly on a vent,  at this point. This was my unfortunate specialty when I worked at BCH - St. Elsewhere's.
> 
> So, here's to Joan & Heidi Abronowitz ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
> 
> ...



Yeah, me too.  "Resting comfortably", not conscious and alert. At least those few days in the hospital gives the family time to come to terms with this.

Deb


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## pgnewarkboy (Sep 4, 2014)

I just read that the N.Y State Department of Health is investigating her death.  Probably death occurring from an outpatient "minor throat surgery" is very uncommon.


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## Passepartout (Sep 4, 2014)

I thought it unusual for a person to undergo 'throat treatment' in an Endoscopy Center run by Gastroenterologists. I thought their specialty was a long way from the throat.

May she rest in peace, and may Edgar have answers to question's she's been saving up to ask him for some time.

Jim


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## pacodemountainside (Sep 4, 2014)

*The Best of Joan*

http://parade.condenast.com/333624/...ing-35-of-joan-riverss-best-quotes-and-jokes/


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## MuranoJo (Sep 5, 2014)

Good-bye, Joan.  The world has lost yet another great talent.


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## pgnewarkboy (Sep 5, 2014)

pgnewarkboy said:


> I just read that the N.Y State Department of Health is investigating her death.  Probably death occurring from an outpatient "minor throat surgery" is very uncommon.



State Department of Health says "cause of death unknown". Weird.


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## billymach4 (Sep 6, 2014)

*Videos from my phone on the night before her tragic procedure*

I know we are all getting tired of hearing about Joan Rivers. Everywhere you turn she is on the news or on some other media outlet! But I have exclusive videos on the night before she was hospitalized. As you can see from these videos she looks like the picture of health. 


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_6CxzhfKK4

http://youtu.be/ZBgGvYAhPqQ


http://youtu.be/crlzBKvzB4Q

http://youtu.be/jGAp33aAQ98

http://youtu.be/sDkQQPSlUuU


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## DaveNV (Sep 6, 2014)

billymach4 said:


> I know we are all getting tired of hearing about Joan Rivers. Everywhere you turn she is on the news or on some other media outlet! But I have exclusive videos on the night before she was hospitalized. As you can see from these videos she looks like the picture of health.
> 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_6CxzhfKK4
> ...




You have had a rare gift.  You were among the last to ever see her perform. Sad that she's gone, but that's kind of a nice memory.

I had fourth row tickets to a Jimi Hendrix concert a few weeks before he died.  I was unable to attend the concert, and I've regretted it ever since.  

Dave


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## SnowDogDad (Sep 6, 2014)

Timeshare Von said:


> Am I the only person who doesn't like Joan Rivers?  I find her humor catty and her laugh unbearable.



I followed (and laughed with her) from the mid-80s.  She was a force of nature.   She said what we all thought or wanted to say.  She never took a back seat to anyone and I respect her for that.  She surely did pick on some people (Elizabeth Taylor for one), but she was self deprecating as well.  I found her a bit catty, but always funny. 

I found it ironic that in the 80's she certainly took every opportunity to poke fun of excessive plastic surgery that she had become a plastic surgery poster child.  I'm sure the irony was not lost on her. 

On Gloria Vanderbilt... "She has had a face lift, don't you think? And pulled too tight.  Every time she crosses her legs, her mouth snaps open."     Back at ya, Joan!  :whoopie:


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## Patri (Sep 6, 2014)

billymach4 said:


> I know we are all getting tired of hearing about Joan Rivers. Everywhere you turn she is on the news or on some other media outlet! But I have exclusive videos on the night before she was hospitalized. As you can see from these videos she looks like the picture of health.
> [/url]



You are so fortunate to have those! The people who had their photos taken with her must be in shock. From your first post, I see you got an autographed copy of her book. Pretty good. Did she sign it in front of you?


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## pgnewarkboy (Sep 7, 2014)

I have watched several tributes to Joan Rivers recently.  I can see now how groundbreaking a performer she was in the early days of the Carson show.  She was blue when it was basically impossible for tv at that time and really funny.  Additionally, according to fashion experts who spoke on some of these shows, she was spot on with her   fashion  criticisms on the red carpet and had a great fashion sense.  I will definitely miss her presence and still wonder what actually happened to cause her death.  She was not ill at the time she went for the minor procedure.


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## BevL (Sep 7, 2014)

Just watched a documentary called Joan Rivers, A Piece of Work.  Probably about the last behind the scenes look.  It was filmed around the time she did her stint on Celebrity Apprentice, which she acknowledge near the end of the show turned her career back around.  

Very interesting - she was absolutely driven to succeed, tremendous willpower.


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## billymach4 (Sep 7, 2014)

Patri said:


> You are so fortunate to have those! The people who had their photos taken with her must be in shock. From your first post, I see you got an autographed copy of her book. Pretty good. Did she sign it in front of you?



It was a surprise that we were getting the books. I thought we would have the option to purchase, but there was a stack of pre signed books for us as we exited the room!


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## Pat H (Sep 8, 2014)

One of the people who was involved in filming the documentary commented that the crew could only do 3 day stints because they couldn't keep up with Joan and they were only in their 30's! In one interview Joan was asked what her greatest fear was. She took her day planner and opened to the future where there was nothing scheduled. She said an empty day planner was her greatest fear because that would mean that no one wanted her.


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## pedro47 (Sep 8, 2014)

I believe in my heart Joan Rivers was pleased with her homecoming celebration.


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## Pat H (Sep 8, 2014)

pedro47 said:


> I believe in my heart Joan Rivers was pleased with her homecoming celebration.



I'm sure she was.


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## laurac260 (Sep 8, 2014)

*A little something I picked up off Mike Rowe's FB page*

Mike Rowe (from Dirty Jobs fame), posted this on his Facebook page, about his first meeting of Joan Rivers on QVC.  I am not one to follow celebs on Facebook, but his page is definitely worth the read.  >>>>

It was late September, 1991. I had been fired from QVC a few months earlier, (justifiably,) rehired, (inexplicably,) and banished to the graveyard shift for my sins, (permanently.) There was a nasty flu going around, and most of the prime-time hosts were home puking their guts up. So I was summoned on a rainy Saturday afternoon to fill in for one of the stricken. I was halfway through a riveting hour called “Ideas to Make Your Life Easier,” and reflecting on the troubling trajectory of my career in television, when Joan Rivers walked into the studio.

Joan was spending the entire weekend at QVC, touting her line of clothing and jewelry. I’d never met her, and it was unthinkable that my boss would have ever allowed us on the same stage at the same time. QVC was committed to earnest, heartfelt, G-Rated content. I was not. Which is why I rarely saw the light of day. Joan was scheduled to appear later that evening with a more reputable host, but on her way to the greenroom, she stopped in front of the stage and watched as I explained the mysterious virtues of The Healthteam Infrared Pain Reliever. Then she pulled something out of her giant purse, walked onto the set, and began asking me questions on live TV.

“Oh my God,” she said. “Where did you get that tie?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Your tie,” she said. “It’s awful. Did you steal it from a Lutheran?”

“Actually, I made it myself,” I said. “On a loom in my attic.” 

“Well it’s truly hideous,” said Joan. “And what’s up with that suit? You look like an unmade bed.” 

“Thanks,” I said. “It helps me sleep on the job. You look positively radiant though, if I may be so bold.”

“Well look a little closer,” she said. “One more facelift and I’ll have a goatee.” 

It took me a second, but when the image sunk in, I chortled. I may have even guffawed. Had I worn dentures, I’d have likely spit them across the room. 

“You seem like a nice young man. It’s a shame you don’t have any taste. Is there a woman in your life?”

“Several,” I replied. “But none that can compete with your many years of experience.”

Joan laughed and gave me the finger. She then presented me with a “Tie-Button Tie,” a fancy piece of silk with a button-hole in the back that allowed a gentleman to affix the tie to the button on his shirt in a way that - in her words - “might keep it from swinging into the spaghetti sauce the next time I took one of my “special ladies” out for a big night at The Olive Garden.” 

She went on to tell me about the various other trinkets and fashion designs that would appear in the following hour. She showed me a simulated diamond set in 14-carat gold and suggested it would be perfect for any of the women in my life. “Remember ladies, fake jewelry doesn’t have to make you look like a slut, even if you are one.” 

She also described a stretch jersey in her fashion line as as “a pretty little thing with a nice comfortable lining that won’t get stuck in your ass-crack.” 

Joan made me laugh, partly because she was funny, but mostly because I knew my many masters were trembling in fear as they watched from home, thrilled by the fact that millions of people were tuning in to see Joan Rivers, but equally horrified by the prospect of what she might say next. In this way, she became heroic to me.

I didn’t see Joan for the next year and a half. By then, she had become a fixture at QVC, and was well on her way to selling a billion dollars of stuff. Literally - a billion. I on the other hand, was still sequestered away at 3am, hawking products that appeared to have been sourced from the midway of a condemned carnival. But then, I caught a break. QVC and CBS agreed to produce a pilot around Joan, tentatively called “Can We Shop?” Under the terms of the deal, Joan could select any of the QVC Hosts to work with her as a co-host. For reasons I still don’t understand, she picked me.

I can’t express how profoundly surprising this decision was - to me, my fellow QVC hosts, and most of all, to those who had consigned me to the graveyard shift. It was madness to reward a smart-aleck who routinely made fun of the products he was entrusted to sell, but Joan insisted, and the next thing I knew, I was sitting next to her on a soundstage in New York City, doing my very best Ed McMahon impression. Go figure. 

In television, like anything else, way leads on to way. You don’t always know the significance of a thing when it happens. But this was different. Appearing on CBS with Joan Rivers was the first thing I did that actually looked legitimate, and I knew I had turned a corner. Sitting there with Joan, cracking wise in a CBS studio in front of a live audience, I finally came to believe that somewhere, a job was waiting for me in television that didn’t involve a 2 am wake-up call. 

I left QVC soon after that, and never saw Joan Rivers again. Not in person, anyway. Like the rest of the world, I saw her on the red carpet, and I watched her shenanigans here and there. How could you not? Icons have a way of being everywhere at once. I also watched her documentary a few years ago - A Piece of Work. I wanted to call her after that, and tell her how brave it was to be that forthcoming. I wish that I had. 

I remember a holiday party at her penthouse on 5th Avenue. It was a black-tie affair, but I wore one of her Tie-Button Ties, which amused her to no end. I also brought her some cookies. My mother - upon learning that I would be visiting a bone fide celebrity in her actual home - was afraid I might arrive empty-handed, or worse, with a six-pack of Rolling Rock tucked under my arm. So she made a tin of chocolate chip cookies, and told me to give them to Mrs. Rivers with her compliments. Which I did. 

I don’t know if she actually ate them, but she accepted them with grace, and placed them next to a menorah. That still makes me laugh.

RIP, Joan. 
And thank you, very much.


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## Passepartout (Sep 8, 2014)

Thanks for posting that, Laura. I enjoyed a hearty laugh- though my dentures stayed in place. Now that we all know you are a closeted 'celebrityfile', you can rest easy. We won't tell hardly _anybody_.

Now, if I can find a link to the Howard Stern eulogy that brought the house down, changed the entire tempo of her funeral, and was unsuitable to be posted on any of the mainstream news outlets I frequent.

Jim


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## Clemson Fan (Sep 9, 2014)

I have to admit I never really thought or cared about Joan Rivers before she died.  However, reading a lot about her now she really was a pioneer and a great talent!

I wonder what zinger she would come up with to describe her own death due to "minor" throat surgery!

I actually hate the term minor surgery.  Cataract surgery is often described as minor, but an eye can be blinded with cataract surgery.  It's rare, but it does occur in about 1 out of every 500-1000 cases.  I really feel for the surgeon who did her surgery.  Nobody ever wants something like this to happen let alone on a major celebrity.


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## DaveNV (Sep 9, 2014)

Passepartout said:


> Thanks for posting that, Laura. I enjoyed a hearty laugh- though my dentures stayed in place. Now that we all know you are a closeted 'celebrityfile', you can rest easy. We won't tell hardly _anybody_.
> 
> Now, if I can find a link to the Howard Stern eulogy that brought the house down, changed the entire tempo of her funeral, and was unsuitable to be posted on any of the mainstream news outlets I frequent.
> 
> Jim




Jim, this link is the best I could find.  Read it till the end, especially Margaret Cho's comments. You'll get a strong idea what the eulogy was like.  I can't help but think there is something very wrong with laughing in church, but I'd have been on the floor.   

http://uproxx.com/webculture/2014/09/howard-sterns-eulogy-for-joan-rivers-was-so-wrong-but-so-right/

Dave


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## laurac260 (Sep 9, 2014)

BMWguynw said:


> Jim, this link is the best I could find.  Read it till the end, especially Margaret Cho's comments. You'll get a strong idea what the eulogy was like.  I can't help but think there is something very wrong with laughing in church, but I'd have been on the floor.
> 
> http://uproxx.com/webculture/2014/09/howard-sterns-eulogy-for-joan-rivers-was-so-wrong-but-so-right/
> 
> Dave



Yea...um.... In a place of worship....

There's funny and there's crass .  Joan knew the difference.  Howard stern does not.  But then, I'd never accuse him of being the former...


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## Pat H (Sep 9, 2014)

Joan would have loved every minute of it. I'm sure she's up there doing her Fashion Police critique on all the people who attended her memorial. Can you imagine what she would have said about Whoppi's outfit? I'm laughing just thinking about it.


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## MULTIZ321 (Sep 12, 2014)

Joan Rivers' Doctor No Longer Working at New York Clinic - from Reuters/ Yahoo!News/ yahoo.com

NEW YORK (Reuters) - "The doctor who performed the outpatient throat procedure on comedian Joan Rivers, who died last week in a New York hospital, is not currently working there, the clinic said on Friday."

and more info about the doctor and the clinic:
Joan Rivers' Clinic Dumps Medical Director, Report Says - Entertainment/ Fox News/ foxnews.com

"Dr. Lawrence Cohen, the doctor who was reportedly serving as medical director at a New York City clinic when Joan Rivers went into cardiac arrest, is no longer working with the clinic.

According to The Insider With Yahoo, Dr. Cohen was asked to step down..."

I find it strange that a gastroenterologist was doing the "procedure", if reports are true that Joan Rivers was have surgery on her vocal cords.  I would have thought an otolaryngologist (ENT Specialist) would have been doing the procedure.

The Fox News link says the clinic reported they do not do General Anesthesia - rather they do "Monitored Anesthesia Care".  For those 
interested in learning about the difference, see this link:
Types of Anesthesia 


Richard


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## Pat H (Sep 12, 2014)

My ENT doesn't do endoscopies. He recommended that I have it done in conjunction with a colonoscopy. The Dr who does the colonoscopy is a gastroenterologist. It's not odd that the endo was being performed by a gastro.


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## MULTIZ321 (Sep 13, 2014)

Additional information about the circumstances leading to Joan's death:

Joan Rivers Death: Yorkville Medical Medical Director Fired - by Stephanie Webber/ News/ USMagazine.com

..."As previously reported, the comedienne and E! Fashion Police host stopped breathing while undergoing an outpatient procedure on her vocal cords on Aug. 28 and was later pronounced dead at the age of 81 on Sept. 4, at New York City's Mount Sinai Hospital. Nearly a week later, the New York Daily News reported that an unplanned throat biopsy led to her untimely death.

According to the report, Rivers had "a diagnostic procedure [to] see why her voice had gotten raspy." When the doctor found "something" on her vocal cords, however, another doctor — whom she brought along with her — asked if he could perform a biopsy. CNN previously reported that the clinic denied that a biopsy ever took place at the facility. "

and for additional info see:
Joan Rivers' Death Still a Mystery as Reports Swirl About Clinic - from Fox News/ foxnews.com

"A shroud of mystery still surrounds Joan Rivers’ Sept. 4 death.

Rivers stopped breathing and went into cardiac arrest during a procedure at a New York City clinic on Aug. 28. She was then taken to Mount Sinai Hospital and placed on life support. Seven days later, she died. 

That much we know.

What we don’t know, is exactly what happened at Yorkville Endoscopy that caused the 81-year-old’s health to rapidly take a turn for the worse.

A report on Wednesday seemed to place the blame on an unplanned biopsy that supposedly was done at the clinic. The New York Daily News, citing medical sources with knowledge of the case, published a story claiming a biopsy on Rivers' vocal cords was done by a doctor who arrived at Yorkville Endoscopy with her, and she was placed under general anesthesia at the time.

But the New York City clinic denies ever having performed a biopsy of the vocal cords at their facility. Furthermore, Yorkville Endoscopy insists Rivers could not have been under general anesthesia, either..."

I'm curious about the background and training of the Physician who, according to the reports, came with Joan to the clinic and reportedly asked to perform the vocal cord biopsy.  Perhaps that physician was an ENT specialist.


Richard


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## billymach4 (Sep 13, 2014)

*Side effect of Propofol*

Spoke to a doctor today and reports among the medical community speculate that due to her age she may have been given a dose of propofol that was inappropriate for her age. She may have suffered a side effect from the dosage. Can one of the MD's here on TUG comment about the side effects of propofol in older adults and what side effects may occur.

As we all know Michael Jackson died as a result of propofol.

In fact this doctor came right out and said 'You know Joan Rivers died from propofol'. Boy was that an interesting conversation.


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## Clemson Fan (Sep 13, 2014)

billymach4 said:


> Spoke to a doctor today and reports among the medical community speculate that due to her age she may have been given a dose of propofol that was inappropriate for her age. She may have suffered a side effect from the dosage. Can one of the MD's here on TUG comment about the side effects of propofol in older adults and what side effects may occur.
> 
> As we all know Michael Jackson died as a result of propofol.
> 
> In fact this doctor came right out and said 'You know Joan Rivers died from propofol'. Boy was that an interesting conversation.



Propofol is an extremely commonly used drug for the induction of anesthesia.  It acts quickly and it wears off quickly.  It puts people to sleep for 5-10 minutes depending on the dose and then they quickly wake up. The anesthesiologist I work with uses it on pretty much every cataract I do so I can apply my numbing injection and the patient quickly wakes up with no memory of me giving the injection.  They're then awake and comfortable for the rest of the case.  That's why the way Michael Jackson was using it was nuts!  He was using it as a continuous drip to help him sleep which is just crazy.  He died because he was on a continuous drip of the stuff and he was not being monitored as Dr. Murray was distracted talking to his many girlfriends.

That being said, I doubt that propofol played a major role in her death.  I don't have any insider knowledge, but IMO she probably bled excessively from whatever they were doing on her vocal cords (biopsy, procedure, whatever) and she aspirated that blood effectively clogging her airway and causing her to go into respiratory arrest.  The propofol alone in a monitored setting should not send her into respiratory arrest.  Again, I use it routinely on patients a lot older then Joan.


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## Pat H (Sep 13, 2014)

I read that her autopsy was inconclusive and did not pinpoint a cause of death.


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## silentg (Sep 13, 2014)

RIP Joan Rivers! Funny Lady!


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## billymach4 (Sep 13, 2014)

Clemson Fan said:


> Propofol is an extremely commonly used drug for the induction of anesthesia.  It acts quickly and it wears off quickly.  It puts people to sleep for 5-10 minutes depending on the dose and then they quickly wake up. The anesthesiologist I work with uses it on pretty much every cataract I do so I can apply my numbing injection and the patient quickly wakes up with no memory of me giving the injection.  They're then awake and comfortable for the rest of the case.  That's why the way Michael Jackson was using it was nuts!  He was using it as a continuous drip to help him sleep which is just crazy.  He died because he was on a continuous drip of the stuff and he was not being monitored as Dr. Murray was distracted talking to his many girlfriends.
> 
> That being said, I doubt that propofol played a major role in her death.  I don't have any insider knowledge, but IMO she probably bled excessively from whatever they were doing on her vocal cords (biopsy, procedure, whatever) and she aspirated that blood effectively clogging her airway and causing her to go into respiratory arrest.  The propofol alone in a monitored setting should not send her into respiratory arrest.  Again, I use it routinely on patients a lot older then Joan.




Thanks for the explanation. Although the gentlemen I met was indeed a doctor, I did have a big question about his comment of propfol. I have been given propofol in the past for an endoscopy and colonoscopy.


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## MULTIZ321 (Nov 10, 2014)

Federal Inquiry Finds Numerous Violations During Joan Rivers's Treatment - By Anemona Hartocollis/ N.Y./Region/ The New York Times.com

"A Manhattan clinic treating Joan Rivers in August did not notice that her vital signs were deteriorating for at least 15 minutes before she went into cardiac arrest, leading to her death several days later, a federal investigation has found.

Released on Monday, a report said that Ms. Rivers’s blood pressure and pulse decreased precipitously while she was on the operating table on Aug. 28 between 9:12 and 9:26 a.m., yet cardiopulmonary resuscitation began at 9:28 at the earliest.

“The physicians in charge of the care of the patient failed to identify deteriorating vital signs and provide timely intervention during the procedure,” said the report, issued by investigators for the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services..."





Joan Rivers died at Mount Sinai Hospital on Sept. 4. Credit Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images


Richard


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## MULTIZ321 (Jan 4, 2015)

Anesthesiologist in Fatal Joan Rivers Procedure is Identified - Entertainment/ Celebrity News/ foxnews.com

"The anesthesiologist involved in Joan Rivers’ botched throat procedure — who, experts say, could have prevented the comedian’s death — was Renuka Reddy Bankulla, The New York Post has learned.

Bankulla, 47, was the third doctor responsible for Rivers’ treatment besides then-Yorkville Endoscopy medical director Lawrence Cohen and celebrity ear, nose and throat specialist Gwen Korovin, but she has never been identified publicly.

Besides administering anesthesia and sedatives, anesthesiologists “must vigilantly watch the patient’s heart rate, blood pressure and other vital signs,” to ensure the patient can breathe, and “intervene promptly” when the patient is in trouble, said Dr. Karen Sibert, a private anesthesiologist in Los Angeles who specializes in treating high-risk adults..."






January 25, 2010. Comedian Joan Rivers at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah. (Reuters)


Richard


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## MULTIZ321 (Jan 26, 2015)

New York Clinic That Treated Comic Joan Rivers Sued Over Her Death - by Patricia Reaney/ Reuters.com

(Reuters) -" Joan Rivers' daughter filed a malpractice lawsuit on Monday against the New York medical clinic that treated her mother days before her death, saying doctors there posed for selfies with their sedated celebrity patient even as her vital signs were plunging.

Rivers, who was 81, suffered a loss of oxygen to her brain on Aug. 28 while physicians at the Yorkville Endoscopy center in Manhattan were performing procedures to examine her throat and vocal cords, and she died a week later at a New York hospital.

The lawsuit said the doctors were not adequately trained to recognize and deal with the type of emergency airway obstruction suffered by Rivers and that they failed to detect her deteriorating vital signs while she was in their care.

Moreover, the complaint says, the outpatient clinic allowed a doctor whose presence was unauthorized to twice conduct a procedure that Rivers had not consented to, a trans-nasal laryngoscopy, in which a scope is passed through sinus passages into the larynx.

It was during a repeat of that procedure, according to the lawsuit, that Rivers' already dangerously low blood pressure and heart rate fell further as her airway became so constricted that she could no longer breathe..."





Comedian Joan Rivers arrives for the premiere of the documentary 'Joan Rivers - A Piece Of Work' during the 2010 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah January 25, 2010.
Credit: Reuters/Lucas Jackson

Richard


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## Patri (Jan 27, 2015)

Appalling that they were taking selfies. Reason enough to sue, for any patient.


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## vacationhopeful (Jan 27, 2015)

Rude, ego-manical scum of medical professionals. I would bet every former patient has nightmares of "what" may have happened to them during their "procedures". Esp the rich and famous...

We all fear the wait-staff who might "doctor" our dinner ... but we know most are too busy and too visible to co-workers to do much.


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## Clemson Fan (Jan 27, 2015)

Patri said:


> Appalling that they were taking selfies. Reason enough to sue, for any patient.



If that's true it is very appalling!  I can't think of a worse HIPAA violation!

I've never met or worked with another MD who would do something so outrageous like that!


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## Clemson Fan (Jan 27, 2015)

vacationhopeful said:


> Rude, ego-manical scum of medical professionals. I would bet every former patient has nightmares of "what" may have happened to them during their "procedures". Esp the rich and famous...



IF proved true I would 1000% agree with you!

My only word of caution is that these are just allegations in a filed lawsuit that we all knew would be coming.  What's actually proved to be true in court is usually a lot less sensational than what's claimed in the initial allegations from the plaintiff.


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## MULTIZ321 (Feb 21, 2015)

*How Joan Rivers Got That Way*

Last Girl in Larchmont - by Emily Nussbaum/ On Television/ The  New Yorker/ newyorker.com

"Joan Rivers was a survivor of a sexist era: a victim, a rebel, and, finally, an enforcer..."





 If Rivers’s act wasn’t explicitly feminist, it was radical in its own way. She was like a person trapped in a prison, shouting out escape routes from her cell.	Credit Photograph by David Montgomery / Getty 


Richard


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