Schumacher in hospital

[Jimbuna]

A ray of hope...his condition may be showing signs of improvement

German motor-racing champion Michael Schumacher's condition has improved slightly after an operation to relieve pressure on his brain, his doctors have said.

A new scan taken overnight showed signs that his condition was "better than yesterday", but he is still "not out of danger", doctors said.

The seven-time Formula 1 champion suffered head injuries on Sunday in a skiing accident in the French Alps.

He was put in a medically-induced coma.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25558709

[Skybird]

Multiple brain traumata and dual-hemispheric injuries like his very often are followed by permanent personality changes and cognitive or intellectual handicaps. It is to be hoped but is in question that even if he survives and wakes up he will ever be the same old guy again.

An interesting German article on his role for improving security in F1, and his serious concern for "safety first" in general . Some people accuse him of always trying to push it beyond the envelope, which could not be further from the truth. To the limit, yes - but always staying within the limit, in order to survive - his own words. No F1 pilot has so consequently lobbied for better security in formula one, than he did.

http://www.faz.net/aktuell/sport/for...-12732211.html

Doctors say his helmet which broke into three parts indicates a speed of 40-60 km/h when the crash occured. That sounds like madness. But one should know, says the article, that speed scanners on ski tracks record even children via laser barriers with speeds up to 80 km/h, thanks to the new technology and materials in ski equipment. I cannot imagine that Schumacher raced like a maniac when the accident occured, even less so when having his 14 year old son with him. He just had a tragic accident like it is happening several thousand times per season to any ordinary skiing person in the alpes. Bad luck.

„Es kann jederzeit ein Missgeschick passieren“, hatte Schumacher in einem F.A.Z.-Interview im Jahr 2000 gesagt und sich festgelegt: „Ich liebe Sportarten, die einen gewissen Reiz bieten, wo das Risiko einschätzbar ist. Wenn es dann trotzdem passiert, dann passiert es. Davor kann man sich nicht schützen. Das ist mein Standpunkt. Mein Lebensweg ist vorgeschrieben. Wenn der enden soll, dann endet er, wo auch immer.“

"At any time something bad can happen", said Schumacher in an interview with the FAZ in 2000, and further: "I love sports that have a certain excitement but where risk still can be calculated. But if it nevertheless happens then, then it happens. You cannot protect yourself from that. That's my view of it. My life is predetermined. If it ends, then it ends, where ever that happens."

[Schroeder]

I hope he recovers though the chances are slim that he'll ever be the same again.
Strange how much this affects me... I've not even been much of a Schumi fan for the last couple of years but I was in the 90ies in my early to mid teenage years.
Maybe it's because I can relate to what the family is going through as my father was also comatose after a stroke and all we could do was to wait for what seemed to be an eternity (6 or 7 days) until we finally had certainty that he wouldn't wake up again. We didn't have a happy end back then so let's hope that this case turns out better.

[Jimbuna]

One more small step in the right direction:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25566612

[Skybird]

Maybe he is charging his physiological KERS.

[Skybird]

He STILL lies in artifical coma. That they do this I fear is a bad sign for his chances to ever regain full brain functionality. Today they also said, that they hope that tomorrow the pressure on his brain will "stop to rise". Which means it was rising all the time during the past three days, if taking the formulation literally.

I am no doctor, and as psychology students 25 years ago our teaching on neurological implications of brain and nervous system injuries and intoxications was not as complete as that of medical students, but rather basic only. But if I put together the few remaining memories of those courses, then I conclude that the chances that he will ever regain full neurological health, are extremely low by now.

No "physiological KERS charging" then. Sad to say so. I mean the chances are not nill. But they are very bad.

[Jimbuna]

Fingers crossed for the best recovery possible