The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #45004   Message #663969
Posted By: GUEST,Mrr
06-Mar-02 - 11:08 PM
Thread Name: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
Thanks, all. No real news, but here is what I know. She went off the road and rolled her car, airbag and seatbelts worked and somebody heard the crash and called it in, so the paramedics got there about 20 mn after. Blood alcohol above legal limits, I don't know how far. She was breathing but her pupils weren't reactive, suspended in her seatbelt. In the ambulance she started having trouble breathing so they intubated, and by the time they got to the ER she was havins sluggish pupil responses. Initial exam shows trouble on the right side, extent unknown, details unknown. She has compression fractures in 4 vertebrae (c5,6 and t3, 8) but no spinal cord damage, apparently she was very straight in the seat when the roof caved in on her. She responds to pain in all extremities, but more so in the hands than the feet. The hospital put her under very heavy sedation, basically knocking her deeper into coma, to decrease swelling in the brain, and this afternoon they weaned her a little to see what came back, and they got more response to pain in extremities, some occasional spontaneous movements, and some breathing attempts - no pupillary response. She coughed once, a good sign. Her intercranial pressure was 5 this morning (0-20 is normal on the scale they are using) but it was up to 12 by this afternoon, and went over 20 when they rolled her over cleaning her up; the swelling isn't likely to peak for a couple-three days, so it will get worse before it gets better. But I'll be back at work tomorrow and will post anything new that I know - and meanwhile I'll check in anyway to see all the support I'm getting, thanks, all.

I find myself not worrying IF SHE'll wake up; I wonder WHO will wake up, whether Dorian is already gone and we'll have someone else, changed, different. I want DORIAN back.