Recent comments in /f/sports

RasputinsAssassins t1_j2tu2bf wrote

Reply to comment by waltwhitman83 in Family Statement for Damar Hamlin by ShepherdsDoof

They can dial back how much assistance the ventilator is providing, I believe. That's what they did with me (or at least how it was explained to me).

When they brought me out to check brain function, the tube was still down my throat. It hurts, it triggers the gag reflex...it is not pleasant, and it almost feels like you are choking. That's one reason (among the others) people are typically sedated when on a ventilator. It can easily cause you to freak out and start thrashing, which runs counter to the whole idea of getting rest and healing.

So, they may take it from 100% assistance to 90%, to 80%, etc. It will reach a point where they think the body can do it on its own, and that's when they will consider bring him out.

Think of it like those machines (like the assisted pull up machine) in the gym that have a weight assist on them. You can dial back how much of the work is being done by the machine assist. It allows you to continue with the exercise so that you can do it properly and reap the benefits, and as you get stronger, you can turn down how much assist the machine is giving, until you are at a point you can do it all on your own.

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waltwhitman83 t1_j2tsdhk wrote

Reply to comment by RasputinsAssassins in Family Statement for Damar Hamlin by ShepherdsDoof

> He will remain induced until he can breathe on his own

I don't get this. He's in a coma, therefore he needs a ventilator.

They're going to try to bring him out of the coma, turn the ventilator off, he tries to breathe with it still in his throat, if it fails they turn it back on and put him back out?

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RasputinsAssassins t1_j2trmof wrote

Reply to comment by waltwhitman83 in Family Statement for Damar Hamlin by ShepherdsDoof

Just speaking from having been an induced coma patient (not a medical person), this is pretty much just 'hurry up and wait.' Nothing can be gleaned from what WE know, though some things might be gleaned from what HIS DOCTORS may know.

He will remain induced until he can breathe on his own. That may be two hours, two days, two weeks, two months, two years, or just never.

The longer he remains on a ventilator is perhaps an indicator of some bad outcome, but even then, it's all about letting the body heal. That happens faster in some than others.

IMO, it's not fair to expect anything at this point. He seems to have received top shelf medical care almost immediately, and that will have more impact on the outcome than how long he is on a ventilator, IMO.

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RasputinsAssassins t1_j2tqqxk wrote

Reply to comment by waltwhitman83 in Family Statement for Damar Hamlin by ShepherdsDoof

I can give you my experience. I do not have a medical background, though.

I was medically induced for a massive infection (perforated colon from undiagnosed diverticulitis led to sepsis and septic shock). I was in a coma for 5 days, and was for this reason (let the machines do the work to allow the body to heal itself). They brought me out once on about day 3 to see if I had cognitive function. The drugs used to induce the coma are extremely powerful, and they can cause damage, as can the massive infection I had.

It is certainly a different situation, as my lungs, kidneys, and liver were shutting down. I also am not an in-shape professional athlete.

That said, as it was explained to me, putting someone in a coma and on a ventilator is sort of a risk in itself. The ventilator tube can easily breed bacteria that leads to lung infections, and the drugs used can do damage as well. It's better than the alternative, but it's also not necessarily a sign of improvement. It's more a sign of 'stable at the moment, we'll assess the damage later.'

While I was under, they did some tests and scans and diagnostics, but I don't know to what extent they did any CT or MRI or advanced scans (if any). I would think being on the ventilator limits where and how they can move the patient.

I believe they will assess the lungs' ability to work on their own by dialing back the machine a little at a time. They will also do some cognitive and brain testing if they have not done so. But they will do more after he is brought out.

It sounds like he received immediate lifesaving care, which is great. But there is just too much unknown at the moment, and some things that are known for now may change later. My take is that we should offer up whatever support we can and let the process happen. He's a young, strong, fit, athletic guy and that gives him a big head start on a recovery.

But however you spread good juju in the world, whether it be prayers or thoughts or incense or incantations or whatever, the Hamlin family can use all the support they can get right now.

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OSU725 t1_j2thy75 wrote

Reply to comment by waltwhitman83 in Family Statement for Damar Hamlin by ShepherdsDoof

As someone else mentioned there is to many unknowns to speculate right now. What is most important and gives him a leg up is that there were trained medical personnel on hand that gave him life saving measures immediately. That is absolutely huge for the prognosis no matter what exactly caused it.

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