The Michael Schumacher Career/Injury/Recovery Thread

I have not posted in this thread, but I feel a review of the facts (albeit few) that have been released would be helpful at this time. Unfortunately, there seem to be many individuals posting herein that interpret any posts containing anything other than unabated optimism as pessimistic and negative.

1) MS was skiing in an area between two trails that is not groomed. The previous night there had been relatively heavy snowfall. His helmet camera showed that his ski tips hit an object and/or dug into the snow, catapulting him over the tips of his skis. It was reported that he struck the right temporal area of his head on a rock approximately 32-34 feet away. The impact was severe enough to break his ski helmet in half.

2) The ski patrol brought him, by sled, to the base area medical facility where he was briefly evaluated and flown by life flight helicopter to his current hospital. It is highly doubtful that he was treated at the hospital within the "golden hour", which is all the more important in severe head trauma.

3) He was reported to have intercranial bleeding and two separate surgeries were performed. There were, however, several area of bleeding which were too deep within the brain to be surgically treated. No information was released as to MS having depressed skull fracture(s) or whether he had subdural or epidural hematomas. Pressure on brain tissue -whether from bleeding or cerebral spinal fluid - causes damage. The brain is an extremely labile organ and does not tolerate any type of injury well.

4) Hypothermia was utilized, which decreases the amount of oxygen and glucose needed by the brain (i.e., decreases its normal metabolic rate) while functioning synergistically with drugs like Mannitol to decrease intercranial pressure. Hypothermia (according to the latest review article on the subject) has been shown to slightly decrease the long-term effects from brain trauma, but does not increase overall patient survival in a statistically-significant manner.

5) By use of drugs, MS was placed in an "induced coma" and on a ventilator. IIRC, he did have at least one instance of a pulmonary infection, which is very common in individuals placed on vents, and was treated with antibiotics.

6) After approximately 2 months, it was reported that his physicians were lessening the sedation to allow him to "wake". There were no reliable reports of him being able to be weaned off of the vent and breathing on his own.

While I am not a neurosurgeon, in sum, I do not think the prognosis looks good. Yes, there have been individuals who have woken after being in comas for protracted periods of time, but in almost all cases, the aforementioned individuals had strokes, poisoning, encephalitis, etc. NOT severe head trauma. Moreover, the probability of him being MS or regaining his former vigor is low. I doubt of man of MS's abilities and lust for life would tolerate a life as an invalid.

I sincerely hope he recovers fullly. He is an amazingly talented man. It's strange that he could compete in a sport as dangerous as F1 with no major injuriy and then suffer this severe an injury on a ski slope. One never knows what is in store for us.

 

Thanks Scott.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

**** storm to follow.


(One note . . . at least one doctor said that the breathing tube was removed and Schuey is breathing on his own. But he is not swallowing.)

 

isn't that a tad naive?

 

I wonder what Jim and Michael talked about.....Jim?

 

Interesting. I had not seen that information. Was it one of MS's attending physicians?

If he has been weaned off the vent, then that is some good news.

 

Great Avatar!

 

well said

 

+1

 

Uh oh. Get read for the profanity filter to be activated. And I'm sure voodoo dolls with your likeness are being crafted right now.

 

A Danish girl had severe head trauma after a traffic accident. She was declared brain dead, the family was told to think about organ donation, and I think the day before they would cut her open, she woke up. That was after they removed everything from her keeping her alive, as well as all medication was stopped. Just to let her pass away peacefully. Instead she started fighting back and eventually woke up.
Created quite an outrage here.

 

His physicians have so far not been permitted to make any statements with Kehm relaying all official news that is released.

That report of Michael breathing gave no direct attribution to its source - you can read an overview of it here. While it would be one of the first positive signs of hope, at this point it remains only a rumor, and one that was essentially refuted by a quick comment from Kehm that there had been "no change".

Michael Schumacher breathing by himself: Todt speaking to him in EnglishJames Allen on F1 ? The official James Allen website on F1 // F1 News // James Allen on F1 ? The official James Allen website on F1

>8^)
ER

 

LINK!

This to me seems rather impossible.

 

Is your Google broken?

http://www.whatsonsanya.com/news-23973.html

>8^)
ER

 

Comments like that only worsen the tone that you object to.

Some if us hold differing views and at times our passions get ahead of our discretion but everyone here wishes Michael the best. Its best to focus on our common ground rather than look for animus.

Godspeed Michael.

 

The link posted by another member after you suggests there was a miscommunication between the Drs and the parents. I would be surprised if the Drs said she was brain-dead if she hadn't even been withdrawn from the drugs before making such assumptions as you cannot diagnose brain death if such drugs are still being pumped into the patient! A lot of relatives misinterpret under emotionally very stressful situations so one wonders if that was the case.

Here is a link to an American Hospital's website for diagnosing brain death:

http://surgery.med.miami.edu/laora/clinical-operations/brain-death-diagnosis

 

There was no miscommunication.

The irony if you want, is that a TV crew was working on the emergency unit where she was delivered in.

So they followed the case and a documentary was made.

I just quickly went through the docu. They said she was not brain dead when they talked with the parents, but that she WILL be brain dead within short time. The doc also said they had removed her from the life saving drugs to see how the brain would react.

The link you posted give the same info the doctor said in the docu. So the issue is that the doctor said she will end up brain dead.

I am not sure if these documentaries are available online. But Denmarks Radio (DR) is behind the documentary. And it is IMO a MUST SEE. And it will give a much better picture of what went on. It gets worse before it gets better. And I can't remember all of what was said, I guess I was stunned that stuff like this can go on.

The doc has since been seriously reprimanded and I think, she resigned as well.

 

Sounds as if the Doc was a little too eager to suggest the patient will be brain dead... So what drug was withdrawn?

 

This says she lived. Not that they took out her organs and let her die.

I'm still waiting for the link showing what was claimed.

 

Think you might want to review what was claimed then because you have misinterpreted it:

BOLD for emphasis

>8^)
ER

 

Ok I see how these words can be misinterpreted.

"That was after they removed everything from her keeping her alive, as well as all medication was stopped. Just to let her pass away peacefully. Instead she started fighting back and eventually woke up. Created quite an outrage here."

 

Sounds like they disconnected her from the machines and by some miracle she woke up unexpectedly afterwards. How is that different than what the article mentions?

There is a reason they call it "practicing medicince" you know.

>8^)
ER

 

Yes I changed my post. I thought he meant they took "everything"
from her (meaning organs) and she lived to wake up.

 

Yeah - that's what I thought you were imagining. For the record, I'd want to read that article too.

>8^)
ER

 

Just went over your quote again. I wonder what life-saving drug this was??? I suspect it was something to sedate her and the doc withdrew the medication to see how her brain responded. So she wakes up, good news! Still think it was a misinterpretation of a poorly presented information.