Schumacher's accident

[jackjack]

No thread for Schumi?
Let me fix this

Good luck to you and your family

[skeet]

People can make remarkable recoveries from terrible head injuries and I hope so much that with such quick treatment and the best knowledge from the best people in that field of medicine that he will be one of the lucky ones. Wishing him a speedy recovery.

[Welsh]

Indeed some sad news, hopefully he can have a good recovery. Thoughts with him and his family.

[hilariousandco]

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/dec/30/michael-schumacher-doctors-update-condition-accident

People can make remarkable recoveries from terrible head injuries and I hope so much that with such quick treatment and the best knowledge from the best people in that field of medicine that he will be one of the lucky ones. Wishing him a speedy recovery.

And sometimes they don't. My mate's GF has been in a coma for nearly two years after a cycling accident. Such a sad situation. It's like grieving for somebody who isn't dead yet.

[Frost000]

It's definitely a terrible injury and my thoughts are with him and his family. I'm really hoping for the best!

Thank God he was wearing a helmet, too.

[yatsey87]

It's definitely a terrible injury and my thoughts are with him and his family. I'm really hoping for the best!

Thank God he was wearing a helmet, too.

If he's going to be braindamaged or a veg for the rest of his life it hasn't done much good, but hopefully he can make a recovery.

[hilariousandco]

It's definitely a terrible injury and my thoughts are with him and his family. I'm really hoping for the best!

Thank God he was wearing a helmet, too.

If he's going to be braindamaged or a veg for the rest of his life it hasn't done much good, but hopefully he can make a recovery.

My mate's GF was wearing a helmet. If I was going to be bed-ridden and/or severely brain-damaged for the rest of my life, I'd rather be dead personally. Hopefully he can make a decent recovery as some do. I recommend the film The Crash Reel about the pro skateboarder Kevin Pearce about his brain injury and recovery: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crash_Reel

[Frost000]

It's definitely a terrible injury and my thoughts are with him and his family. I'm really hoping for the best!

Thank God he was wearing a helmet, too.

If he's going to be braindamaged or a veg for the rest of his life it hasn't done much good, but hopefully he can make a recovery.

I'd personally prefer at least having a shot at recovery but you're right... It's better to die than to be a vegetable taking up space for the rest of your life.

[hilariousandco]

It's definitely a terrible injury and my thoughts are with him and his family. I'm really hoping for the best!

Thank God he was wearing a helmet, too.

If he's going to be braindamaged or a veg for the rest of his life it hasn't done much good, but hopefully he can make a recovery.

I'd personally prefer at least having a shot at recovery but you're right... It's better to die than to be a vegetable taking up space for the rest of your life.

Obviously a full or even partial recovery is probably always preferred, but it depends on the severity of your injuries. I could handle being in a wheelchair or being unsteady on my feet and never being 100% again, but I wouldn't want looking after 24/7 and be hooked up to machines. That's no way to live.

[xkeyscore89]

It seems he's undergone an operation to relieve blood pressure on the brain, including the removal of a "large hematoma", resulting in a "surprising improvement".  He's still in a medically-induced coma for a reason.  Brain function is definitely present on the scans and the functions of higher-consciousness are being suppressed to allow maximum recovery.

I'd look for the guy to make a 100% recovery if I had to make a wild speculation.  The number of neural connections in his brain must be 100 times that of a normal person for him to drive the way he did for so long.  The ability to interpret information coming at you at 200mph + makes me think his brain is capable of neoplasticity to an extent that is greater than that of a normal person.  With pressure being relieved, true regeneration is able to take place in a mind unburdened by being conscious.

[hilariousandco]

I'd look for the guy to make a minimum 100% recovery, if I had to make a wild speculation.  The number of neural connections in his brain must be 100 times that of a normal person for him to drive the way he did for so long. 

You wot mate? Minimum 100% recovery? And I'm guessing you're not a neuroscientist?

[xkeyscore89]

I'd look for the guy to make a minimum 100% recovery, if I had to make a wild speculation.  The number of neural connections in his brain must be 100 times that of a normal person for him to drive the way he did for so long.

You wot mate? Minimum 100% recovery? And I'm guessing you're not a neuroscientist?

lol, whoops. I originally had a figure somewhere in the 85-95% range before I just said fuck it and put 100% with the caveat of "wild speculation" after reading the latest news on him.  I'm an amateur neuroscientist.    Here's another thing, I'm thinking that he'll wake up in the next 5 days if he doesn't stroke out or something.  If the situation looked less than optimal you can bet the latest surgical outcomes wouldn't be reported to the media while the man is still unconscious.

Helmet on, no skull fracture reported, hematoma itself removed as is its associated pressure on the brain, medically-induced coma, once in a generation genius brain, the best medical expertise $ can buy...I think the odds are in his favor.

[hilariousandco]

I'd look for the guy to make a minimum 100% recovery, if I had to make a wild speculation.  The number of neural connections in his brain must be 100 times that of a normal person for him to drive the way he did for so long.

You wot mate? Minimum 100% recovery? And I'm guessing you're not a neuroscientist?

lol, whoops. I originally had a figure somewhere in the 85-95% range before I just said fuck it and put 100% with the caveat of "wild speculation" after reading the latest news on him.  I'm an amateur neuroscientist.    Here's another thing, I'm thinking that he'll wake up in the next 5 days if he doesn't stroke out or something.  If the situation looked less than optimal you can bet the latest surgical outcomes wouldn't be reported to the media while the man is still unconscious.

Helmet on, no skull fracture reported, hematoma itself removed as is its associated pressure on the brain, medically-induced coma, once in a generation genius brain, the best medical expertise $ can buy...I think the odds are in his favor.

You seem to be making a lot of wild assumptions here based on nothing but media coverage. Not exactly sure about "once in a generation genius brain" either  .

[xkeyscore89]

I'd look for the guy to make a minimum 100% recovery, if I had to make a wild speculation.  The number of neural connections in his brain must be 100 times that of a normal person for him to drive the way he did for so long.

You wot mate? Minimum 100% recovery? And I'm guessing you're not a neuroscientist?

lol, whoops. I originally had a figure somewhere in the 85-95% range before I just said fuck it and put 100% with the caveat of "wild speculation" after reading the latest news on him.  I'm an amateur neuroscientist.    Here's another thing, I'm thinking that he'll wake up in the next 5 days if he doesn't stroke out or something.  If the situation looked less than optimal you can bet the latest surgical outcomes wouldn't be reported to the media while the man is still unconscious.

Helmet on, no skull fracture reported, hematoma itself removed as is its associated pressure on the brain, medically-induced coma, once in a generation genius brain, the best medical expertise $ can buy...I think the odds are in his favor.

You seem to be making a lot of wild assumptions here based on nothing but media coverage. Not exactly sure about "once in a generation genius brain" either  .

I think I can safely say that based on his Formula 1 racing history.  My grandfather is a bit of F1 nut.  Schumacher retired in 2011 and, according to the official Formula One website, is the "statistically the greatest driver the sport has ever seen."  I take this domain to include drivers that have participated in NASCAR.  Some of his records include: most career wins (91), most wins in a season, most career pole positions, most points during a season (148 in 2004), most consecutive world championships (5), most consecutive race wins (2004), most podium finishes (154), most laps leading, most fastest laps (76)...this is just the beginning.  He dominates the all-time records lists for the sport and retired barely aged 40 years.  In an environment where death is all but certain given one wrong move at 200+ mph, he should be recognized as a genius for leaving his mark on the sport.  His reaction time combined with the speed in which he was able to process new information should leave him ranked as a genius-class athlete.  While this type of genius can't be measured by IQ, it definitely exists.  In fact, the specialization of the skill is measured on a competitive driving scale which is constantly in flux, so in terms of defining "The Best," it's more accurate than performance on a run of the mill IQ test.

[hilariousandco]

I wouldn't really compare Forumla 1 to NASCAR, aside from their drivers are both really good at driving really fast  .

[lightfoot]

My mate's GF was wearing a helmet. If I was going to be bed-ridden and/or severely brain-damaged for the rest of my life, I'd rather be dead personally. Hopefully he can make a decent recovery as some do. I recommend the film The Crash Reel about the pro skateboarder Kevin Pearce about his brain injury and recovery: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crash_Reel

Been there, done that, got better. However I will say that death is not a bad option in that case.

C (wasn't wearing a helmet but hell, it was the 1970's....)

[xkeyscore89]

I wouldn't really compare Forumla 1 to NASCAR, aside from their drivers are both really good at driving really fast  .

Neither would I, save to include its population of drivers and any skills they think they have.  They're good at turning left at speeds below 200 mph.  They have more safety features in their box-like vehicles, F1 sacrifices safety for speed while utilizing a vehicle design that will break apart and favor drivers in the event of a crash.  It does not eliminate fatalities. NASCAR is so watered-down and repetitive that any strategies employed are of the most basic caliber.  It doesn't take a special person to drive a NASCAR.  It takes a special individual to survive and dominate in a dangerous sport featuring courses through winding, narrow city streets that invite disaster.  All of this maintained for roughly 30 years, what other athlete compares in his/her respective sports?

[hilariousandco]

 It takes a special individual to survive and dominate in a dangerous sport featuring courses through winding, narrow city streets that invite disaster.  All of this maintained for roughly 30 years, what other athlete compares in his/her respective sports?

I'd say there's lots. Take skiing in this case. Racing drivers are still pretty protected by the cars. Even massive crashes they drivers often get out with minor injuries. Take them out of their cars and they're just as vulnerable as the rest of us.

[xkeyscore89]

So, after discussing this subject with my dad who happens to be a real MD, I've found that he is not optimistic that Schumacher will live much longer, let alone make a recovery.  He said he heard Michael was skiing out-of-bounds, hence the helmet.  After I told him he had another surgery this morning to remove a large hematoma, he took it as a sign of impending trouble, namely, a bleed.

Nevertheless, I think if he can survive another 5-7 days without suffering a stroke his odds are decent.  I still think he'll recover based on what I perceive to be his unique resilience factor.  I guess we'll see.  I'm no longer as confident as I was this morning.

[Welsh]

He is showing signs of improvement according to recent news updates. Good news at least.