Tough love works. And another evidence doctors aren't God.

From the the Daily Telegraph, February 23:

A mother who fell into a coma after losing her baby son during a difficult labour came back from the brink of death after her husband gave her "a bloody good rollicking".

Yvonne Sullivan, 28, lost consciousness suffering from severe blood poisoning moments after being told that baby Clinton had died....

Despite grieving for their lost son, her husband Dominic, 37, kept a round-the-clock vigil at her bedside for two weeks as she lay in intensive care.

But when doctors told him they could have to switch off her life support machine, Mr Sullivan took drastic action - by giving his wife a firm telling-off.

He held his wife's hand and demanded: "You start fighting. Don't you dare give up on me now. I've had enough, stop mucking around and start breathing. Come back to me."

Two hours later she started to breathe steadily again.

Within five days doctors were able to switch off her ventilator, and she regained consciousness to see her husband standing beside her.

She even remembers hearing her husband yelling at her as she lay in a coma and says it gave her the strength to pull through.

She said: "I can't remember exactly what he said but I never liked getting told off by Dom. Something inside me just clicked and I began to fight again. When I came round I thought he'd been gone a few minutes, then he told me I'd been out for two weeks. It's a miracle. I owe him so much."

[HT: Dr. Frank]

I generally discourage yelling at the infirm. Are you saying if we yell loud enough at Lauren she'll wake up? If she doesn't does that mean she doesn't have any brain activity?

Bridgette was given a 1% chance of survival when she came to the ER. Now she can move her arms purposefully and can speak clearly. Still undergoing rehabilitation.

Doctors are frequently wrong about that kind of stuff, because there is really no telling.

1% chance is still a chance.

Jess, I know that...

PIP 4:26, good post.

Jill, thank you for this story.

We can use our brain to figure out anything. From basic thoughts to complex mathematical problems to figuring out the planets and other solar systems.

The one thing the brain cannot figure out is itself.

Everytime medical science says for sure that if this part of the brain is impaired "X" condition will happen. Given time it will be disproven by the amount of people that have the particular brain impairment but do not have any of the "condition".

It amazes me how quickly we believe the latest "studies" when, given time, all studies seem to be disproven.

Off topic -

PIP -

Thanks for that link to the somatic cell information. I'm still a bit confused, but it is making more sense.......

;-)

I'm glad val ;)

I really wonder how people can differentiate between a condition like this and a stroke victim. Every person I've known who has had a stroke, or known someone who has had a stroke, and recovered, says that they are fully aware of what's going on around them and they want to communicate but can't. Why don't we just error on the side of caution and assume that about all these cases?

Not another British rag story! Ugh!

The docs told the man that they COULD have to turn off life support? Funny how there is no mention of under what circumstances they COULD have to do so.
No where in the shabby little article does it even remotely hint at any brain damage let alone death.

Are you saying if we yell loud enough at Lauren she'll wake up? If she doesn't does that mean she doesn't have any brain activity?

Jess, if you think Jill HONESTLY is trying to say that, you really need to go a little deeper sometimes. I think the more important idea she was bringing about is doctors don't know everything. Which they don't.

Sally -

You really need to stop your drive by reading and actually understand what is being said.

She was on life support. Doesn't that say something is wrong with her brain and central nervous system?

And here's more from the daily mail:

www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=517535&in_page_id=1770

"I had been on 100 per cent life support and I was deteriorating, but within two hours of him ordering me to get better I'd regained 5 per cent of my breathing. "

""When the doctors told me to think about turning off the life support I got angry," he added. "I grabbed her hand and began shouting at her. I gave her a bloody good rollicking. "

Do you really think doctors just walk up to a husband and tell him to start thinking about pulling the plug just for the fun of it? Do you think they enjoy watching people go through that if they believe the person is going to live?

also, Did you know that Europe is full of human beings and they have stories to tell just like Americans?

The story was also on FoxNews and can be found on a CNN's search.

Sally -

You really need to stop your drive by reading and actually understand what is being said.

She was on life support. Doesn't that say something is wrong with her brain and central nervous system?

And here's more from the daily mail:

www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=517535&in_page_id=1770

"I had been on 100 per cent life support and I was deteriorating, but within two hours of him ordering me to get better I'd regained 5 per cent of my breathing. "

""When the doctors told me to think about turning off the life support I got angry," he added. "I grabbed her hand and began shouting at her. I gave her a bloody good rollicking. "

Do you really think doctors just walk up to a husband and tell him to start thinking about pulling the plug just for the fun of it? Do you think they enjoy watching people go through that if they believe the person is going to live?

also, Did you know that Europe is full of human beings and they have stories to tell just like Americans?

The story was also on FoxNews and can be found on a CNN's search.

Posted by: valerie at February 25, 2008 10:28 PM
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Really Valerie? When was the last time you lived in Europe? I'm sorry that you are unaware of tabloids. The British do them best for the British. Stupid Colonialists take tabloid tripe seriously. Well, only those with strange issues.

A mother who fell into a coma after losing her baby son during a difficult labour came back from the brink of death after her husband gave her "a bloody good rollicking".

Oh MAN I have to laugh - I got the British deal right off, but first thought that "rollicking" was going to mean something else.

SO DID I !!!

Me too Doug and Mike....lol...dirty minds.

:: laughing ::

I'm glad to see I wasn't the only one....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_Healing

This shows how strong the will to live is. Doctors do seem to give up too quickly on their patients at both ends of the life spectrum.
They give no hope when their is hope. Sometimes I think they are so focused on life and death, they fail to see everything in between.

Sally -

"I'm sorry that you are unaware of tabloids."

I am aware of them. I am also aware that foxnews and CNN are not tabloids. And I know the Daily Mail has more accurate reporting than the New York Times now a days.

"When was the last time you lived in Europe? "

My father-in-law was born and raised in Kilkee Ireland and went to work in England when he was 16. He had 12 brothers and sisters and most of them live in England now with a few in Canada; he is the only one here. Since I am a news junkie, I talk to them all the times about the news. I have 2 cousins that are studying in England right now and they always sending me information on their news and politics. One is studying medicine (learning research aspects) and the other is studying philosophy and religion, they have lots of info.

I may not have ever lived in England, but I sure know a lot of people there.

oh - I forgot - I also watch the BBC and BBC internation all the time.

Im just very glad 'rollicking' didnt mean what I initially thought it meant. That would have even shocked me. It is not synonymous with 'rollicking good time'.

"Rollick you like a hurricane..."