One Way To Survive a Brain Injury

[jesse_the_k]

The recent RadioLab program on "Lost and Found" taught me interesting things about how my brain does and doesn't work. The last item introduced me to Emilie Gossiaux, a young artist who was crushed under a semi-truck. Because she was in a coma and not responding in ways the doctors saw as "real," they were getting ready to harvest her organs. From middle school, she had a hearing impairment. Her boyfriend printed out "I LOVE YOU" on her palm and she was finally willing to accept the discomfort of her hearing aids (there were many broken bones in her skull and much swelling). Once she could hear enough to perceive that she was alive, she came "all the way back." Heartbreaking and funny and puzzling and wonderful and infuriating and well y'all know I'm a RadioLab cheerleader, yeah?

You can stream or download the 20 minute piece at this link: Finding Emilie

Comments

[meloukhia]

All of those adjectives and also terrifying. I am reminded of the big story last year on incorrect diagnosis of persistent vegetative state. We have got to come up with better methods of communicating with people.

[jesse_the_k]

Indeed, terrifying. Based on the experiences of folks I know in RL, and folks from the net.world, it seems the only way to guarantee good health care is having the privilege of a well advocate who loves you and can stick to your side like cat hair.

[meloukhia]

Yup. It makes my heart ache for people who don't have access to that.

[trouble]

That is pretty much exactly what Don said when I read him this post.

Oh Jesse, he's planning on going into the hospital and saying I'm away and all I can think of is "they'll do something terrible to him and I won't be there to prevent it."

[jesse_the_k]

Oh sweetie, that's v scary. I was hoping it would be better in Canada -- are their patient advocates? Is his mother (with all the negatives that involves) available? Sibs? I'll hold you in my heart.

[challyzatb]

Shit, Anna :S. Also, everything Jesse said.

[challyzatb]

It scares me to think how common this must be.

[anna_bird]

That was a fantastic podcast. :) I can't remember which terrified me more - the idea that they were ready to dismiss her as dead, or the idea that they were ready to pass her off as vegetative and take her to a nursing home instead of physical therapy.