The Michael Schumacher Career/Injury/Recovery Thread

It would be so great if they somehow managed to keep everything "top-secret" and he's actually up and about walking and rehabbing to get better.

We can always hope that's the case I guess....

 

Health is #1.

Neither MS nor any current F1 drivers are in super physical condition, lean yes, but nothing special at all. If his caregivers know what they are doing, his weight should not be a major problem, though what muscle he had will certainly atrophy.

 

You can keep a dead man on a ventilator but his body will not thrive if the brain is not there. Look at Alzheimer's; when it progresses quickly, the body, no matter in how good a condition soon follows. I hope Michaels most responsible physician make the right decision.

 

It's not over till the fat lady sings

 

Even if a body is in not so good a condition it can actually do quite well with the right care on auto pilot, so to speak. Nobody knows for sure what people in brain/challenged/damaged states are aware of. Each case is different, I am not speaking of ventilator cases, but in general I would not be in a hurry to knock someone off.

 

But i thought he responded to pinch, and also followed his wife movement with his eye...

 

Not good --- all of what Furio has indicated (and I am accepting it to be accurate and true).

Only one eye responsive is foreboding of other hemispheric loss --- not good.

103lbs = (massive weight loss for someone of his size). Obviously he has not been able to eat food on his own, and that is normal for someone in a coma of course. But, he is still getting calories, through a feeding tube....... and the fact that he is not able to maintain weight means that his digestive system is sub-functional and largely unable to process nutrients, and that is a very, very bad prognosticator --- if it persists........

 

Sigh...

 

All the Senna tributes, the depression that fateful day in 1994 with AS and RR, and now I have to read this. ****.

 

My opinion is that this is an irresponsible post. You are free to have hope, and you are free to be a Pollyanna. But, if this post allows anyone a sense of false hope, you have done them a disservice.

I have been around F-1 drivers in mid-season form. They are superior athletes. They can run marathons, or bike for 100 miles through hilly countryside. They can lift weights at an aerobic pace for 2 hours. Don't kid yourself about their abilities. And don't let John Daly or Cayle Yarborough be your guide.

The question of muscle atrophy is really a two fold question. First, the muscle fibers get smaller, which is the generalized atrophy that we all recognize. Second, there are some muscle fibers for which the vascular system shuts down so completely as to shut off that muscle fiber from the circulatory system. Eventually, this muscle fiber 'dies' and its components are resorbed. In some cases, when atrophy happens quickly, the muscle does not just atrophy in this manner, the muscle dies and muscular necrosis sets in. In this case, there is actual dead tissue with no surrounding vascular support and this can cause all sorts of problems. It can cause scaring, granulomas, and infection. In some cases the muscle can actually tear completely and "disappear," leaving nothing between the origin and insertion points. This muscle will never grow back.


Michael's condition is grave. Let's not cheapen the seriousness with platitudes.

 

Ok Buzz Killington, no one is cheapening anything by providing hope. Let people get through and deal with this however they need, I certainly don't mind.

However, I do certainly mind when someone pipes in to suggest that by providing hope or whatever gets them through this that it's somehow 'cheap' or doesn't grant Michael's condition the levity it deserves. Doing so insults the family directly as their prayers, good thoughts, and hope are what keep them waking up every day to deal with this living nightmare.

 

Let's try not to admonish one another for how we deal with the situation. Some prefer to err on the side of pessimism to prepare themselves for hearing the worst, while others like to keep their optimism up until it is confirmed that a recovery is not possible. I think most are somewhere in the middle. There's no right or wrong way, so let's just be understanding of one another.

Many thanks,
Andrew.

 

Completely agree. Whatever gets a person or the family through this. Thank you

 

Like I said before, my mother was on her deathbed for five months from pancreatic cancer, I truly believe the hope and support we gave her was a big part of why she pulled through and is still living today.

At the time we were told no one lives through pancreatic cancer.

Sometimes hope is what you need.

Give him a chance. Truth is we have no idea what is going on and I think the family is smart for keeping it that way.

I'm part of the group that thinks it is none of anyone's business but theirs.

 

It is one thing to hope. In my post I recognize it. However, to suggest that the family has been keeping a secret and Michael is up and walking around . . . that is just too much.

As for muscle atrophy . . . some people think that shrunken muscles can be rehabbed back into shape. I was merely providing information that they can't always be rejuvenated.

 

I dont think anyone here doubts Michaels ability to rehabilitate his body even barring all the complications like muscle atropy or myositis ossificans which result from prolonged unconsciousness. Unfortunatly its likley there is no mind to rehabilitate the body, and that wont come back at this time.

 

your post was very sobering. sadly I think you are correct.

 

Me too

 

This thread went full retard again.

 

I came to this thread to learn the latest on Schumacher. Can anyone give me an update of the latest or do I have to wade through pages of you guys arguing minutae?

 

+1

 

+2

 

I am not surprised that the latter is the case.

 

+1

When there's no news, seems that's what happens....

With all due respect, this is not, nor has it ever claimed to be a 'news site'. You want news? A quick search of news.google.com or news.bbc.co.uk is probably a better route.....

Having said that, when my G/F erroneously reported that he'd died, this was the page I checked first as it was already open on my 'puter.... Quickly followed by a Google to be sure of course.

In the absence of any news, this thread certainly devolves into a 'discussion of minutiae', it's been happening for months now - it's a chat site after all. Don't like it? Google is your friend.

Cheers,
Ian

 

Meant to say; Sure, there is no news.