CanadianKid
New member
Thank you my sister for standing up for the good fight....
CK
CK
Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones RIP
- Thread starter CanadianKid
- Start date
Thorn
Member
The CNN report said that she "suffered an aneurism", which means that an aneurism, or weak spot in the wall of an artery, burst. In effect, she has suffered a stroke.
The saddest part is that it has occurred in an inaccessible part of her brain and that she is reported to be in critical condition with "limited brain function". The implications of this are that there is only a very limited course of treatment available. What happens in a situation like this is that the part of the brain immediately surrounding the aneurism becomes oxygen-starved and begins to die. It doesn't stop there, though, and the surrounding cells then weaken and die and it just keeps going. The very processes that usually protect the cells from trauma in fact become toxic and lethal to those same cells.
If she has only limited brain function now (it happened, I believe, when she was driving to work! today) the prognosis is very poor, I'm afraid.
This will be a loss.
The saddest part is that it has occurred in an inaccessible part of her brain and that she is reported to be in critical condition with "limited brain function". The implications of this are that there is only a very limited course of treatment available. What happens in a situation like this is that the part of the brain immediately surrounding the aneurism becomes oxygen-starved and begins to die. It doesn't stop there, though, and the surrounding cells then weaken and die and it just keeps going. The very processes that usually protect the cells from trauma in fact become toxic and lethal to those same cells.
If she has only limited brain function now (it happened, I believe, when she was driving to work! today) the prognosis is very poor, I'm afraid.
This will be a loss.
Thorn
Member
Yes I know
. Unfortunately, there were no further details, but the news that the aneurism is in an inaccessible part of the brain (for that read deep and probably involves some basic life-sustaining functions) is not encouraging news. My first guess on reading that description is that she may have some remaining function mediating breathing and heart rate, for instance, but not much else. They didn't say if she is on a respirator, etc. People do recover from strokes, but an aneurism is a flaw in an artery and if it can't be reached (surgically) then it can't be repaired.
cawacko
Well-known member
Yes I know
My grandfather had a brain aneurism and died within two weeks. I guess its all about the severity.
That baseball commentator on ESPN Peter Gammons had one this year and he's back announcing games so...
LOL
Thorn
Member
Yah, it was touch and go for him for a while. I'm glad to see him back and in good form!
The severity is part of it, but in this particular case the location of the trauma matters a LOT. The wall of the blood vessel has been breached (torn). Arteries carry the blood away from the heart so the pressure is far higher than in veins; that led to the breach in the first place and makes the clotting process a lot more difficult as well. Because the vessel can't be reached, probably without killing the patient, her treatment options are extremely limited. I feel for her family.
My father died of one, but it took eight (really bad) months.
cawacko
Well-known member
Ouch! Did he ever come to or was he in a vegtable state the whole time?
Socrtease
Verified User
The sad part is she COULD be brain dead for 5 years and the republicans would want to pass laws to keep her on life support machines regardless of brain function, cause without it brain function she might vote republican.
He came to a lot, and didn't really go into a vegetative state until, post-one of his surgeries, water built up on his brain, which crushed it. It was in 1998, that's 10 years ago now, which I can't even believe! and do you know, I still can't talk about it without crying? It taught me that grief is not a fleeting thing. But, that's ok because you know, maybe that's how it's supposed to be.
C
Cancel3
Guest
As long as her family can be united in the request to remove her from life support, its not particularly difficult. That is, IF she is on life support. We had the papers signed for my Mom to come off life support in '97, and we took my Dad off the ventilator in '04.
I don't envy her family.
An inaccessible aneurism is almost impossible to treat or even slow the damage it causes. If they can relieve the pressure that will help. But the pressure will have already done harm, and the blood supply to some portion of the brain will have been compromised.
Socrtease
Verified User
Tell that to Terry Schiavo's husband who was fought tooth and nail by everyone including the Republican Congress that wanted to pass a law to protect someone whose brain had shrunk 15% by the time she dies and whose optic nerves had deteriorated in her skull. Her own doctors said she was dead yet we still had the Florida legislature and Jeb Bush interfere. She had been brain dead for years but that didn't stop republicans from interfering in an otherwise individual decisions of her immediate family.
C
Cancel3
Guest
I believe what I said was "As long as her family can be united in the request to remove her from life support, its not particularly difficult.".
Having the parents say one thing and the husband say something else does invite conflict.
Also, anyone who doesn't have a Living Will or has not made their wishes known to a LOT of people (especially after watching the Schiavo debacle) is a fool.
Mott the Hoople
Sweet Jane
She passed away last night.
C
Cancel3
Guest
Damn shame. R.I.P.