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Questions posted in the
Neurology and Neurosurgery Forum have been answered by doctors from The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
Question Title: vegitative state patient talks after 2years 8 monthsForum: Neurology Forum
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My wife Elizabeth was labeled permanate vegitative state, in december 1993.the original insult ,respiratory failure cardiac arrest,anoxia.she cosumed 8802 pills in a little over a year, 4782 were tylenol with codeine,the others were tegratol and flexiral prior to the insult.one doctor prescribed these pills for back pain.she left the hospital january 5 , 1994 the doctors at the hospital said there was no more they could do for her.she was taken to a long term care facility.the doctor at the long term care facility repeatedly said she is brain dead .after many bouts with neumonia repiratory infections,in august 1996 she developed another infection and neumonia fever 104 degrees ,she was taken to the hospital and treated. at the hospital a pulmonoligist approched me saying, i understand you you have a theory your wife is in hypothermia. i said not full hypothermia, local hypothermia , heart , lungs and brain. i explained my theory,he did not think much of my theory. he said what we are going to do is remove her solid canula from the trachea and replace it ,with a fenistrated canula. and block it, if she tollerates it, she will not need the oxygen .i said to him , i asked for that procedure over a year ago at the nurseing home, he made no commrnt.three days later,alltempertures normalized that were taken by me over the forehead, carotid artery,and corina.i have done research on hypothermia. the infection,fever,were brought down. she went back to the nurseing a few days later.four weeks later i wentin to my wife room with the thought, that she has to be out of hypothermia, i said liz , do you feel like talking,i said ,do you want to stay here for the rest of your life , say no, say no. one time i said , can you say no, she answered back , YEAH, WHY.the first two words she spoke in 2 years 8 months.she said more words answering my questions. she talked in 1996, 1997,1998,the last time she talked ,i said to her do you feel like talking , she said ,NO . I said to her why don't you feel like talking, she said I DON'T WANT TO. i said why don't you want to. she said , I DON'T NO. lately , all of her answers to questions are NO,NO, or I DON'T WANT TO . she obviously can hear and can talk. i have tapes of these conversations .she seems to be in and out. i have done much research on this subject.there are three other coma patients at this facility, none of the others talk.they are still on oxygen. i am stalled , why don't she continually talk the brain is working , not full time. any suggestions . any and all coments will be appreciated. Dear George: Sorry to hear about your wife. I am not sure how to answer you. The definitionof vegetative state is that a patient has day/night cycles of sleep and seemingly wakefulness. She would by definition be able to respond to your questions. Thus, from what you are telling me she is not in a vegetative state. Please tell me how she can talk with a trach in place and being on mechanical ventilation (?) ? If you wife is answering you questions then she is not in a vegetative state. I hope she continues to improve. Sincerely, CCF Neuro[P] MD
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