"Injured Man's Brain Rewires Itself" (Debate possible :) )

[yeartolate]

Injured Man's Brain Rewires Itself"

I saw this story on my local news station and then found it on AOL the following morning.

Essentially, about 20 years ago a man suffered a severe head injury and after a brief coma was minimally concious for years to follow. He 'recently' regained ability to speak.

Message boards are now alive with talk of "this could have been Terri if the Democrats didn't kill her" . Several responses were along the lines of "it is sad this story didn't surface sooner, it could have saved Terri" Well guess what. I remember the story from three years ago http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/South/07/07/mute.no.more/index.html


What is being missed is the REAL story. The victim did not have proper medical care.

In fact, the parents said, Terry was never seen by a neurologist after the accident.

"They told us it would cost $120,000 just to evaluate him to see if he could be helped, and we didn't have that kind of money," said Jerry, who is a farmer. His wife works in a shirt factory.

Attempts to get Medicaid to pay proved fruitless. "They said the government will not put out that kind of money on no more chance than he's got to re-enter the workforce."

As a result, their son was never evaluated, he said.

Cases of severe anoxic encephalopathy (like Shiavo) really are far different from traumatic brain injury. The "rewiring" of the brain in a traumatic brain injury is worthy of hope where as brain cells that have suffered severe damage from lack of oxygen simply lack the capaciy to make monumental improvement.


So we fight to save Terri Schiavo - who has no chance of any meaningful recovery - our politicians surround her - some even lie for her (Frist)

Yet, this man - if given ongoing access to proper medical care could have had an earlier chance of recovery and a chance at a better quality of life.


I don't get it. Really I don't.

But go ahead. Think this man is a proof of a miricle from God, but I will think he is proof that our current and past medical andpolitical systems are really screwd up.

 

[DawnCt1]

Obviously he recieved some kind of quality care or he wouldn't have survived the hazards of immobility for 19 years. Who knows how long it would have taken for his brain to reconnect the synapsis or if there really is any intervention that would have hastened tha along.

 

[yeartolate]

Obviously he recieved some kind of quality care or he wouldn't have survived the hazards of immobility for 19 years. Who knows how long it would have taken for his brain to reconnect the synapsis or if there really is any intervention that would have hastened tha along.

Yup, they helped him survive. That is the end of our medical system's obligation. Quality of life is highly over-rated anyway.

If he really was without a neurologist - do you think that (in the USA) is acceptable?

 

[NewJersey]

Obviously he recieved some kind of quality care or he wouldn't have survived the hazards of immobility for 19 years. Who knows how long it would have taken for his brain to reconnect the synapsis or if there really is any intervention that would have hastened tha along.

Dawn, this is one of those rare times!

I don't think it's possible to try to link this to Terry Schiavo, on the surface. One must look further into the care both received, etc.

However, this is great news for the patient!!

 

[DawnCt1]

Yup, they helped him survive. That is the end of our medical system's obligation. Quality of life is highly over-rated anyway.

If he really was without a neurologist - do you think that (in the USA) is acceptable?

Frankly, I am wondering if the family member who stated that is correct. All patients, at least in the hospitals in our state, get the specialists and the subspecialists that are indicated for their condition. DH consults on tons of patients that can't afford to pay and don't.

 

[yeartolate]

I don't know. There are alot of immediate treatments and potential surgery for brain injured patients that might lessen the severity of the damage to the brain. Who knows what (if any) of the damage that could have been prevented. He at least deserved a chance. This happened in 1984, not 1944.

I would liken it to being seen by a GP for a broken bone. A general practitioner can cast a broken bone. But an orthopedist might agree to cast one broken limb and for another surgically fix it to preserve future function - a GP may lack the ability to discern who gets what. For a simple hairline fracture your GP would suffice, but for a more complex fracture wouldn't you want the orthopedist to at least take a driveby?


Sorry, but severe brain injuries deserve a brain specialist. Put it this way. If it was YOUR CHILD that had a severe brain injury - wouldn't you fight tooth and nail to assure he got a neurologist?????????????


At least Terri Sciavo had access to all the up to date and even experimental treatments that were out there --- and here type of injury early on carried a dismal prognosis for quality of life. This guy had tons more potential - just not the access.

 

[yeartolate]

Frankly, I am wondering if the family member who stated that is correct. All patients, at least in the hospitals in our state, get the specialists and the subspecialists that are indicated for their condition. DH consults on tons of patients that can't afford to pay and don't.

I am not sure hy they would lie.

Anyway, I would think the cost involved would be because the necessary place/person to evaluate was not local.

 

[AllyandJack]

I know loads of people with no health insurance....some on free care programs and some on Medicaid. Not one of them has ever had a problem seeing any doctor, whether it be a general practitioner or a specialist or in the ER. And, trust me, most of them will NEVER return to the workforce - ever - despite being young and able-bodied. Perhaps it's different in other states. In which case, it's not the country's issue, it's the state's issue and should be taken up at that level.

But, as another side, I wouldn't want to be kept alive that long. If I show no signs of coming to life in a few months, cut me off and let me go.

 

[yeartolate]

My gut feeling is that the proper treatment/evaluation was not available locally. No insurance and needs a neurologist - no problem. No insurance and needs to be airlifted or ambulanced 100 miles to get to a full service medical center with the proper facilities for full workup - a problem.

 

[AllyandJack]

I don't pretend to know all the facts, but what sort of hospital has the ability to keep someone alive for 19 years and doesn't even have one neurologist on staff? If a hospital is that bare bones, you'd think he'd have to be taken somewhere else just to be kept alive the way he was. But, I don't know how all the hospitals in this country are run. It just seems odd that they have the ability to keep him alive with 19 years and, yet, there isn't a single neurologist on staff. What sort of hospital is it?

 

[dcentity2000]

The amount of stuff that we KNOW about the brain can be written on the back of a paper napkin using a thick felt pen.



Rich::

 

[escape]

I don't pretend to know all the facts, but what sort of hospital has the ability to keep someone alive for 19 years and doesn't even have one neurologist on staff? If a hospital is that bare bones, you'd think he'd have to be taken somewhere else just to be kept alive the way he was. But, I don't know how all the hospitals in this country are run. It just seems odd that they have the ability to keep him alive with 19 years and, yet, there isn't a single neurologist on staff. What sort of hospital is it?

Keep in mind that he's been at a rehabilitation center - much like a nursing home, not hospital, during this time.

 

[6_Time_Momma]

The amount of stuff that we KNOW about the brain can be written on the back of a paper napkin using a thick felt pen.



Rich::

Exactly.

 

[barkley]

Frankly, I am wondering if the family member who stated that is correct. All patients, at least in the hospitals in our state, get the specialists and the subspecialists that are indicated for their condition. DH consults on tons of patients that can't afford to pay and don't.

i have to echo that for california as well-it never ceased to amaze me the kind of treatments that my gov. subsidized clients could get that was almost unheard of with top private insurance plans (wrap your brain around this-single women with 5 or more kids all on public assistance, either had a tubal ligation at some point or for some unknown reason had'nt had another child for a few years-undergoing surgical reversals or extensive fertility treatments because (their justification not mine)-"no man wants to sleep with me if i can't 'give' him a baby").

 

[yeartolate]

I don't pretend to know all the facts, but what sort of hospital has the ability to keep someone alive for 19 years and doesn't even have one neurologist on staff? If a hospital is that bare bones, you'd think he'd have to be taken somewhere else just to be kept alive the way he was. But, I don't know how all the hospitals in this country are run. It just seems odd that they have the ability to keep him alive with 19 years and, yet, there isn't a single neurologist on staff. What sort of hospital is it?

Funny enough, keeping him alive (afer he survived the first insult) isn't the problem. It is about the quality, not the quantity. I have to wonder if a higher level of treatment earlier on would have yielded a better outcome.

Early higher level intervention for many catastrophic illnesses/injuries is really important. I am not sure what was available in 1984 small town Arkansas - hopefully things have improved.