Diffuse axonal injury outlook - please help

[Francescaluco]

My best friend was in a motorbike accident last Monday, he hit his head at speed and suffered a severe diffuse axonal injury. His original scan showed severe trauma but his most recent scan shows improvement. He was unconscious at the scene and was kept in an induced coma from Monday evening to Friday afternoon when they started to take sedation and paralysis drugs away. They said his ICP had been as high as 31 and as low as 12 and very up and down and they put a drain in to help take off some fluid. By Sunday they were apparently out of his system. It is now Thursday so four days in and he has been moving his eyes (not opening them however), leaning, lifting his elbow up and shimmying his shoulders and trying to twist his top half. However he pushes down into the bed when presented with pain rather than pushing up and the consultants feel this is a sign of he won't wake up or severe brain damage. His GCS score is 4 on account of these movements.

Could anyone give me any insight? Any survivors out there that were in this situation? I guess I'm looking for hope and options. I feel the hospital are giving up on him and I'm worried they took him out of an induced coma too soon.

[Ribrabs]

Hi there. Firstly, I’ve got to tell you that this isn’t similar to my situation - I had a brain haemorrhage - but it might be worth knowing some key features of my situation. My husband was told fairly quickly that I was going to die but in the night I started showing some vague responses to touch from a nurse that wouldn’t give up. Thank goodness for her. I think it’s really important to not give up. After that, and for around 2 months, my behaviour was quite erratic. I couldn’t speak properly, or write, and I was hallucinating quite a bit. It was very freaky for my husband but he says I regularly turned corners and made improvements and that kept him going. I’m still living with some lingering effects that get me down, but as far as he’s concerned he’s got his wife back, and he really didn’t think he would in those early days and weeks.

There’s every chance your friend will improve and every time you’re with him it’s really important to his progression whether you know it or not. Don’t give up on him, and good luck. I hope he makes a full recovery.

[Francescaluco in reply to Ribrabs]

Thank you for sharing that I really appreciate it

[CanisLupus]

Don't give up, my daughter is diagnosed with Diffuse axonal injury as well, from a car crash on 12 July 2018, she stayed in her coma for nearly 3 weeks, and she has been out of Rehab since October, its hard and she's very angry/fustrated at what happened shes only 20 and has no memory of anything from a couple of weeks before the crash till approx 2nd week in September. Its gonna be a roller coaster so buckle up tight for the 'ride' but I'm sure things will get better.

[Leonard68]

Hello Francescaluco,

I had a motorbike accident,where the top of my spine scraped my brain,and fractured my skull and spine. I had meningitis and was in a coma for just under 4 weeks ,I came out of it after having a Lumbar Puncture. I cannot help you regarding the GCS score as I cannot remember anything of my accident or being in a coma.All I can say,is after I came out of the coma,my parents told me I was saying silly things,like I`d been fishing, or riding a horse or anything like that.But now I`m in my late 50`s held a full time job for twenty years,been abroad.My parents did tell me,when I was in the ICU I did kick about a lot and shake the bed,the hospital just told my parents,not to worry,he does not know he is doing that.I also had a shunt inserted to relieve the pressure of my brain,its never bothered me since,and my accident was in 1979.

Dave