The Michael Schumacher Career/Injury/Recovery Thread

I think if he were that severely brain damaged he wouldn't be able to communicate, which by many accounts he has been reported to have such ability albeit it is only said to be via his eyes and nodding. That tells me there is some higher level of brain function.

 

Two Great Legends - Nobody on the grid today comes close to filling their shoes

 

Cannot agree with you more, and when Senna died there was no one better than Michael as the Heir apparent. This is just tragic and I wish him and his family the best.

 

Yep.

As I've said many times, I cannot believe he doesn't have one of the best 'living wills' ever written. Further, that Corinna would not honor his wishes as defined therein.

That they haven't "pulled the plug", as many here seem to want still gives me hope that he's improving.

Godspeed Michael
Ian

 

Ian, surely nobody wants that.

 

Actually some on here have suggested it.

And Ian has a point: MS certainly had a living will and Corinna would be bound by it if there was zero hope.

 

Yes they do!

Many, many folk have posted 'I'd rather be dead' and the like.

Without of course any knowledge of his situation or what's written in his living will.

 

I would and was one who suggested it. I'm all about quality of life not quantity. If I was in that situation I would have been turned off by now.

Now I do not know MS's condition but I can think of nothing worst than be trapped in a non-functioning body have to endure the seconds as they slowly tick by. And if his brain is not functioning then heck what are we trying to achieve?

It is an interesting fact that many have no trouble making this decision with their beloved pet but when it comes to a wife/husband, etc. they cannot do it and yet it is the same factors.

I wish the very best for MS, whatever the best can and should be.
Pete
ps: yes it is all about the will and a persons wishes, but I wonder how many would like to change that as they lie there but can't, and of course there will be opposite situations too!

 

Pete...that's a bit contradictory, but I think I know what you mean. We don't know what his situation is, and that's the only fact we know for sure....we know almost nothing!

I'm hoping that he's recovering....whatever recovering means (as I would with anyone in that situation), and that all the trouble the family is going to isn't just a process of keeping a vegetable alive.

 

Amen to that.
Pete

 

If he has that many people attending to him hes surely not in any kind of condition thats even near to satisfactory.

 

+1

And again, I'm certain that his 'living will', or 'medical directive contract' or whatever covers such scenarios.

Given his profession, his advisers and his wealth it's ludicrous to assume that *all* such bases weren't covered years back. With his notarized signature. In triplicate. Etc.

I'm also certain Corinna would honor whatever it is he wanted. It may break her heart, but she'd do whatever he wanted.

I maintain hope we'll see that smile again.

Godspeed Michael
Ian

 

Agree and I hope that he still agrees with the decision that he made when he was fit and healthy. Of course if he has this thinking ability then his brain is functioning which would be wonderful.

You are more optimistic than I. Yes of course I hope that will be the case but given the time involved and my view that the human body is just a very complex machine and we are not yet able to fix everything my personal view is that MS the soul left us many months ago and we now are left with a body that is going through the motions due to external man made machines. Given his wealth and apparent medical directive this state could out live me.

But of course I hope I am wrong.
Pete

 

But we don't really know what the time involved has involved. Sure, we know it's many months since the accident, and we know he was in a coma, but we don't REALLY know when he came out of that coma or what recovery there has been before he went home.

We're just guessing based on speculation from the media who have also been guessing, second guessing and reading between the lines.

There must be doctors who have told the family there's hope for a recovery of sorts.....SURELY, if they were told there was no hope they wouldn't be doing this.

 

Agree. That makes sense but where there are lots of money involved sometimes strange decisions are made ...

I can pretty much guarantee if I was in MS's situation my wife would have been told within the first day there was no hope after reviewing my medical insurance, etc. ... and yes I am sure there are people that have been switched off that unfortunately had fully functioning brains but were not able to say: "Heh, I'm still here" ... very sad.
Pete

 

they're best guess artists , with the mind affected nobody has a clue, they are going on old cases and every individual is different ..... who knows, he may be moving but it is so slow the family doesn't want anyone to see him until there is significant, positive recovery ... or he is regressing and they want him to be with them as close as possible .... I know my family waits every morning for some positive news, with my boy scanning the internet all the time for news of Michael

Funny how a LOT of professional athletes off the playing arena have so much bad press yet Michael was a gem away from the track and I can't remember a scandal about him

 

Yes that is a really good point!
Pete

 

This is Australia mate, we don't care about the money side like the US wealth .... err I mean health system

My dad went to his death with a great functioning brain but his heart had given up the ghost and his kidneys failed before he could get a heart transplant but the doctors didn't look at his insurance first as nobody in Australia pays for a heart transplant, that way the rich don't jump the queue .... we're egalitarian in that respect

 

Good point, and sorry about your dad mate.

My mum's mum ("Nana" to me) had the opposite. Got parkinsons when in her 60's I think and we watched her go from not being able to walk (her favourite pass time) to eventually not knowing who we were and it simply took too long. Her father made 100 (or very close to it) but I don't think he knew what was going on by then either ...
Pete

 

a bit like all of us here wondering about Schuey .....

 

Agreed. And a large part of the reason I continue to believe he'll be back!

Yep! One of the worlds true gentlemen. Another reason it's just so damn sad.

Dunno if you guys get much US sport coverage, but the big scandal here right now involves NFL players in a bunch of 'domestic violence' cases. Complete *******s that somehow seem to believe they're above the law and can do whatever they want.

Godspeed Michael,
Ian

 

Your calculations are off as there are 52 wks in a yr, not 500. Even at 0% interest and making no lifestyle changes, he'd still have to be over a 100 to maybe be concerned. At 1% interest, its essentially a non-issue. In $ value, the estate is around 0.5 billion since its stated in pounds so it can easily support that spending level. Human survival rate is about 50/50 right now for each year past 100.

 

Knowing nothing, I'd have to guess there is a reason for them doing all this, I don't think they are just keeping a vegetable breathing.

If there was no hope I'd have to guess that prior instructions to cut him off would have probably been decided by Michael a long time ago.

I still believe that he is doing better then worst case scenario and hope he will improve to live an enjoyable life with his family.

Sure, he was a man of adventure, but not being able to do what he once did does not make his life not worth living. I'm sure for him watching his family grow is the greatest adventure of them all and worth sticking around for even if he just gets to see it from a wheelchair.

 

We have our own breed of football idiots like that and the story a freelance motor racing journo told me one time is enough to suggest Michael was indeed a gentleman

 

Thing is, no one can really put down and claim that he's is vegetable now. Or permanently brain damaged.

His condition is continuously improving, hence the smile on Corinna's face a few weeks ago says a lot, IMHO. She obviously knows more things than we do. And I think MS is on the right track. We have seen it that he doesn't give up that easily, isn't it?

Assuming he has to be on a wheelchair for life, it's a tragedy, but if his upper body can move around, then maybe it's something. At least he can watch the kids grow up.

I just hope he won't be confined to the wheelchair like Christoper Reeve. That's a disaster, IMO.