Several examples for you.
http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2001/07/26/loc_mom_in_coma_for.html Ever since the accident, Mrs. Cooper has been in a slowly improving “persistent vegetative state.” In recent weeks, she has been able to open her eyes and follow people around the room. But she has not been able to move or talk, said her neurosurgeon, Dr. Chad Morgan.
http://www.finalexit.org/glossframe.html Persistent Vegetative State: Severely brain-damaged person in a permanent coma from which they will not recover. Almost always on life-support systems.
http://www.colgate.edu/scene/jan1997/meiklejohn.html November 13, 1995.
The doctor said Susan was now in a condition called p.v.s. - persistent vegetative state. He felt that she had a chance to emerge from the p.v.s., but he was not too hopeful. He urged us to move her out of Queen's, an acute care hospital, and into a long-term care facility as soon as possible.
April to December, 1996.
A "new" Susan has emerged from the coma into which our old Susan disappeared last October 8. Some parts of her personality are intact, especially her sense of humor, her high expectations of herself and her interest in other people. Most brain injured people also have new aspects to their personality, and it will probably take a long time to fully appreciate her new balance of strengths and weaknesses. I find this - what is old Susan and what is new? - the most intense and confusing question among many intensities and confusions.
Each rehab goal presents Susan with multiple challenges. In medical terms these all sound the same: amnesia, aphasia, dysarthria, ataxia, apraxia, anomia. Her balance and coordination are poor and she hasn't yet been able to walk. Involuntary responses affect her major muscle groups; a slight tremor makes fine motor tasks difficult.
She was right-handed, but so far only her left hand works well enough to help her eat, dress, etc. Her memory is weak, so she doesn't retain much of what she learns in therapy from one day to the next. She battles apraxia, the loss of her ability to carry out movements that used to be automatic or habitual. Sequencing the steps to brush her teeth, for example, is a major challenge. She perseverates - over-relying on one answer and repeating it in response to many situations. Her emotional stamina is not what it used to be. Her speech is improved but she is frustrated by her problems in expressing the complete sentences and coherent thoughts she has in her head. She knows what she wants to say - it just won't come out right. All of these difficulties might present themselves in a 60-minute session on, say, learning how to transfer from her wheelchair to her bed.
Susan now lives in a sub-acute brain injury center in Maine. She gets around in a wheelchair and goes through five or six hours of therapy each day in remarkably good spirits. Susan is clearly relearning some old skills. She is also learning to compensate in some areas, either by finding or being taught a new way to solve an everyday problem. Therapeutic horseback riding is a new activity for her, and she plans to participate in Maine Handicapped Skiing this winter. Further improvements may make it possible for Susan to live at home without her current level of supervision and assistance. She is often frustrated but she keeps working. When she was asked recently about her strengths, she said, "Sense of humor . . . caring . . . unflappable."
http://tbihome.org/members/TBIMOM.html What most people don't realize is that Mom had a terrible decision to make as the days crawled by. The South Carolina "Right to Die With Dignity" law states that if a person lies in a "persistent vegetative state" and is being artificially fed by a feeding tube, that person has the right to have the feeding tube removed after 90 days and be allowed to pass away with dignity. Since Anna is only 18, she never did a "Living Will" stating her choice in the matter, but she had verbalized to her friends and family that she would not like to live under those conditions. But no mother should have to make the decision to not feed her child. But this was the decision Kathie was faced with.
On "Day 73" she had made the decision to have the feeding tube removed after 90 days if there was no change, but she continued to ask God not to make her follow through on this decision. The clock kept ticking with no change. Then, when things looked blackest, God stepped in to make Anna a "Miracle Child of God".
On day 74, Anna clutched her sheet and flung it off of her with her left hand. Thinking this was involuntary, her Mom covered her back up. Anna once again removed the sheet.
On day 75, Anna picked up a stuffed animal and dropped it off the bed.
On day 76, Anna slept.
On day 77, feisty Miss Anna decided to remove her feeding tube. Since she felt no pain, pulling on it was no big deal to Anna (although it was sewn into her stomach). She was stopped from grabbing it and her sleep shirt was pulled down to cover it up. Anna grabbed it through her shirt. So Mom put a pillow on it. Anna ran her hand under the pillow to reach it. Mom put her arm on top of the pillow. Anna pushed Mom's arm out of the way, pushed the pillow off of her, and went for the tube! Mom suddenly realized some thinking had to be going on for Anna to figure out and remember how to get to that tube. The hospital staff had to restrain Anna's hand that one night to keep her from hurting herself.
Later that night, one of the nurses on the floor, Heidi, came in to see Anna. Heidi is 19 and has said all along that Anna was going to get out of that hospital, and go to the movies. While Heidi was sitting on the bed talking to Anna, Anna ran her arm up Heidi's arm and gave her a hug! Everyone in the room was laughing and crying at the same time. Then she tried to pull off Heidi's "Bugs Bunny" smock! These two "soul-mates" both love "Pooh", "Bugs Bunny" and most all the cartoon characters.
Still day 77, Mom hit her knees at bedtime next to Anna's bed, and said, "Lord, I don't know what you have in store for Anna or the reason behind all this. But if You intend for my baby to live, she will need to be able to eat."
Day 78, the doctor came in and was absolutely amazed at the change in Anna. He said Anna was indeed a miracle and she was in God's hands. He ordered a pureed diet for lunch that day and Anna was able to eat!
At the time of this writing, the feeding tube is still in, but Anna has not needed it. She is eating baby food and pureed food and drinking liquids through a straw. She is feeding herself. She is turning her head to both sides (it was slanted to the right), she will hand things to Mom if you ask her to and she will hug you. She is getting occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, and recreational therapy. The feisty, sassy, lovable Anna is still in that body and trying to communicate. She has become so active with slinging her leg out of the bed, the hospital has put her in a "romper room" bed to keep her from hurting herself. She is one busy young lady trying to come back alive!
It is now Day 100, and she has been at Roger C. Peace Rehabilitation Hospital for almost 2 weeks. Talk about a miracle!!
I believe in the power of prayer and this is what has brought Kathie and Anna this far along. My favorite phrase is "We don't know what tomorrow holds, but we do know Who holds tomorrow". This is also one of the sayings on Mom's "Prayer Wall". Prayer DOES work.
September 30, 1997
The last article written about Anna Welborn was around the first of September and at that time, Anna was at Roger C. Peace and was able to eat pureed food. She was unable to talk and would become agitated when she wanted something and no one could understand what it was. The first order of business was to set up some kind of communication system with Anna because no one knew what she understood and what she did not understand.
The first two weeks at Roger C. Peace were frustrating for everyone involved. Anna was very inconsistent with her responses to the therapists which made everyone wonder if she were severely retarded, which was a possibility considering the severity of her accident, and the fact that she had been in a coma for so long. They tried blinking eyes, 1 blink for 'yes', 2 for 'no'. Didn't work.
They tried thumbs up or down, for yes or no. Didn't work.
They tried shaking or nodding the head for yes or no. Didn't work.
The therapists and Kathie, Anna's mom, worked with 'yes' and 'no' cards. Didn't work. Could she see the cards? Was she able to read? With no communication, how could you tell?
The therapists and Mom persevered. Besides taking care of her basic needs such as food and cleanliness, Mom told Anna if she wanted anything extra such as ice cream, juice or milk, she would have to answer with a 'yes' or 'no' in some way. Mom started with the 'yes' and 'no' cards. This was a hard line for Mom to draw since Anna had come so far. But it was the only way to find out what Anna did and did not understand.
At first, Anna ignored the cards. Mon ignored the treats. Battle lines were drawn. Mom would ask every hour or so, "Do you want juice? You'll have to tell me. Yes or No", holding up the cards. Finally, Anna grabbed the "YES" card and through it on the floor. Mom tried the same thing again, but changed the position of the cards. Again, Anna threw the "YES" card on the floor. Mom ran down the hall to get a nurse and, of course, some juice. From that moment on, Anna consistently used the "Yes, No" cards. She did quit throwing them, though, and started to just touch them.
The incident with the cards had happened over the weekend.
Monday morning the therapists were ecstatic. This was not the same non-communicative teen they had left on Friday! That Monday, Anna played UNO with one of the therapist and won! It was discovered by another therapist that she could actually read. As one therapist said that Monday, "God Is So Big"!
But God was not through with Miss Anna, yet. The very next weekend, Anna had a lot of company. Everyone was talking to her throughout the day, but obviously they were not asking her the right questions. So she reached up and pulled one of her friends down close to her and whispered, "juice". That was Anna's first word in almost 5 months! What a joyous day!
March 20, 1999
The physical challenges Anna has overcome are remarkable in themselves, but what is even more remarkable is Anna, herself. She has "woke up" with a sweetness and purity about her that only God could have put there. Since she almost died 3 times, it is as though she knows and understands things the rest of us can only guess about.
She has an innocent, trusting, childlike demeanor about her that is always joyous. One look at that happy, glowing face, will let anybody know that "God Is", indeed, "still in the Miracle business".
Anna was finally discharged from the hospital in late October, 1997. She was in outpatient therapy until November of 1998. Anna is going to an adult day care center and is getting help through the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs. She is not, nor ever will be, the same child her Mother gave birth to, but she is a miracle. And her mother is more than willing to get to know this new Anna, and love even more than before.
Once anyone has a Severe Traumatic Brain Injury, they are never the same as before. We may not understand, but we do know that God can make something beautiful and wonderful, out of any situation.