fifteen minutes
Mike suffered a severe traumatic injury to his brain. We say “injury” like it was a single injury but there were several injuries grouped under the “severe” umbrella, one of which was a severe diffuse axonal injury. Mike is trying to understand what happened to his head; what were the injuries and of those injuries how do they link to memory, and processing speed and well, you get the picture. So, he and I were doing some research this afternoon after his “new” speech therapy appointment and he thought it would be good to share something we read:
Diffuse Axonal Injury
Diffuse axonal injury occurs in about half of all severe head traumas, making it one of the most common traumatic brain injuries. It can also occur in moderate and mild brain injury. A diffuse axonal injury falls under the category of a diffuse brain injury. This means that instead of occurring in a specific area, like a focal brain injury, it occurs over a more widespread area. In addition to being one of the most common types of brain injuries, it’s also one of the most devastating. As a matter of fact, severe diffuse axonal injury is one of the leading causes of death in people with traumatic brain injury.
Causes of Diffuse Axonal Injury
Diffuse axonal injury isn’t the result of a blow to the head. Instead, it results from the brain moving back and forth in the skull as a result of acceleration or deceleration. Automobile accidents, sports-related accidents, violence, falls, and child abuse such as Shaken Baby Syndrome are common causes of diffuse axonal injury.
When acceleration or deceleration causes the brain to move within the skull, axons, the parts of the nerve cells that allow neurons to send messages between them, are disrupted. As tissue slides over tissue, a shearing injury occurs. This causes the lesions that are responsible for unconsciousness, as well as the vegetative state that occurs after a severe head injury.
A diffuse axonal injury also causes brain cells to die, which cause swelling in the brain. This increased pressure in the brain can cause decreased blood flow to the brain, as well as additional injury. The shearing can also release chemicals which can contribute to additional brain injury.
Prognosis of Diffuse Axonal Injury
It is thought that diffuse axonal injury can occur in just about every level of severity, with concussion thought to be one of the milder forms. In mild to moderate forms of diffuse axonal injury, recovery is possible, with the mildest forms of diffuse axonal injury often resulting in few if any long-term issues. About 90 percent of survivors with severe diffuse axonal injury remain unconscious. The 10 percent that regain consciousness are often severely impaired.
The more we research, the more Michael realizes that the severity of the injuries do not add up to the amount of recovery he has been able to achieve. “why me?” he asks not because he is feeling sorry for himself; “why me?” he asks as one would ask when they were afraid of the answer. The blog continues to be monitored by Mike’s watchful eye and he is still ”energized by your words”. Watching the video he is an observer to months of his life he cannot remember, those months we will never forget. He is unable to comprehend “was I sleeping when I was in a coma?” there is a quiet spiritual inspiration by what cannot be explained.
We lost the ability to link to the original video/slideshow that I put together last year and because it was tattooed in my memory, I was able to recreate it rather quickly over the last few weeks. On Tuesday, Jim kindly came over to help get the new ( hopefully improved) version linked back to the website. Thank you Jim! And to those that privately shared how the video and Mike’s journey is and has impacted your life, I say all glory be to God.
Therapy is free when you find it in a project that is close to your heart. I worked late nights for months putting pieces of the puzzle together to be able to share the tears, fears, the love of community and primarily the faith and hope of this journey with Mike. The slideshow chronicles life before and after October 21, 2007 when life as we knew it ended forever. Finding the music, searching through photos and while reading through each comment posted on the blog; an appreciation for the present evolved. The present, this day. The old saying “it is called the present for a reason” became very clear.
No matter what the day brings, it is a gift. I try to keep that little nuggett in the fore front of my thoughts but when I falter, all it takes is a 15 minute reminder of the blessings we have received. Fifteen minutes to remind us that in a blink of an eye everything can change. A reminder that we are not infinite. Fifteen minutes to remind us to thank God for this day, this gift of life; the present.
xxoo