The Michael Schumacher Career/Injury/Recovery Thread

It's not over....I'm still pulling strongly for Michael's recovery.

 

I was out there skiing yesterday , and the conditions were not great. There was a great powder on Saturday, BUT the snow was thin - it's the first snow we had in a few weeks, and I hit several rocks and saw from the lift that it was not right for good skiing. But, when skiing accidents happen and falls are predictable when you hit a patch of poor snow or a patch of rock. Later in the season, a large percentage of the rocks would be covered. Ski helmets are some of the lowest in safety, merely decorative compared to my riding helmet. I am sure if he had no helmet, instant death. Rock on Skull, not the best match. We're no match for rocks while guiding on ice on ski's on an area off piste which is never prepared and depths are not enough for real save sking. All IMO.

 

Exactly. I have a better feeling today than yesterday. Michael will come back.

 

Sorry... but I feel worse. Having been a surgical resident in a NeuroSurgery ICU,... this is incomprehensibly bad.

I am not implying that I don't believe he will survive. I am concerned about what he will endure during rehabilitation... which may never end.

 

I'm positive, the guy's a winner.

 

Well said.

 

I am as well. We are all praying for MS and his family....

 

My thoughts exactly.

 

Giving thrombolytics in this situation will kill him!

 

Michael is a winner!!!

I believe!!!

FORZA SCHUMI!!!

 

+1

I thought the site looked pretty fresh for a recovery, looks like the ski patrol did a good job of quickly accessing the injury and getting him off the mountain.

IMO ski resorts should push the safety aspects as often as possible, there are so many idiots out there skiing way above their levels. I don't know if it was rude, just the resort keeping the herd safe.

 

I was actually thinking about that just today. In the photos of Michael wearing the helmet, it can be seen to fit very closely to the skull compared to a motorcycle or racing helmet. This can only mean that there is comparatively little energy-absorbing material, which is what reduces the shock transferred to the brain. As you have said, without it he would likely have been killed instantly as it at least prevented the skull from crushing or penetration.

In a racing or good motorcycle helmet, the soft padding is for comfort and it is the deformable, hard, foam-like material that absorbs the force of the impact. Looking at my race-approved Bell helmet, there are close to 2 inches (5 cm.) of impact-absorbing plastic liner, plus additional space between it and the outer shell, which of course is why these helmets look so big in comparison.
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I am exactly with you. He'll pull through. I'm sure of it.

 

Agree!
Schumi is closing the gap, coming from behind and clicking off pole-position qualifying-fast laps one after the other...going to be on the podium.
Never ever count him out...ever.

 

+1

Well said!

Forza Michael!

 

I don't know anything about ski helmets, but do "good ones" get tested and approved by an organization like Snell? Schumacher's looks rather skimpy compared to helmets worn by race car drivers.

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdF5QCYPK_8]Schumacher at Home - July 2013 Eurosport - YouTube[/ame]

 

Correct Ski helmets are to a lower standard,non motorized ASTM F2040 Europe uses CE EN1077 but most of the impact is snow or other skiers.

A bike or snowmobile helmet weighs what 3-4 lbs ? a ski helmet weighs around one pound.

Snell is no longer used by ski helmets I think only half of skiers use helmets

 

Schumacher update: "The helmet was split, there was a lot of blood" - F1Today.net Formula 1 news

 

Forza Schumi !!!!

 

I was going to ask this question next. What is incomprehensibly bad? The fact that he is in induced coma for this long or the multiples lesion? Do the multiples lesions automatically mean he will have sequelae? Or is there a chance he can recover 100%?

 

The "coma" means nothing...it is basically anesthesia; they are controlling the physiology to minimize swelling and thus intracranial pressure (CO2 levels, acid/base, temperature, fluid levels).
The only thing that matters is intracranial pressure, and we aren't privy to that information.
All his other organ systems are those of an elite world-class athlete, and will perform beautifully.
They likely will start doing planned attempts at lightening the sedation at some point, and how he responds to reduced sedation will be the next major hurdle.

I will put my money on Schumi.

 

Another +1.

I believe someone involved also noted they'd reduced his temperature; Dr Hartstein said (something like) "that allows the brain more "good stuff" while keeping "bad stuff" away from it while healing."

[I think Florian posted the link a few pages back if anyone wants to dig up the quote.]

Cheers,
Ian

 

As a neurosurgeon I would suspect he had an emergent craniotomy to evacuate an acute subdural or epidural hematoma, if there are reports of multiple "lesions" these likely represent intra cerebral contusions related to shear injury from the blunt force trauma. If he is in a medically induced coma and being treated with hypothermic therapy he must have medically refractory increased intracranial pressure. In my experience it is very difficult to determine long term impairment this early on, but based on the measures being done he is very ill.

 

The sequela run the full spectrum...

1st, he could still not survive.

100% recovery is almost impossible. But recovery to live a normal life after a period of rehab is possible.

Unfortunately, the possibility of permanent vegetative state is also possible.

More likely would be somewhere in between... with neuro defecits depending on what regions of the brain where most severely injured,... and how extensive the brain injury is in those regions.

One thing for certain... he will get the best treatment and rehab the world has to offer. Amazing progress can be made. But it will not come easily.

But I think we all know that Michael will fight this battle harder than anyone.