Even better news on Hamlin, and some personal reflections
One of Damar Hamlin’s first thoughts after he woke up in the intensive care unit at University of Cincinnati Medical Center on Wednesday night was to ask, in writing, who won Monday’s Bills-Bengals game during which he was injured.
Hamlin was able to wake up, follow commands, and even communicate in writing, as he remains in critical condition with a breathing tube after going into cardiac arrest during the game.
“Yes, you won,” UC doctors told Hamlin. “You won the game of life.”
Hamlin’s first comments were to a nurse at his bedside, while his parents, other friends and family members, members of the Bills organization have remained by his side since he was transported to the medical facility.
This matches the protocol I discussed in my two previous posts on Hamlin. First the induced coma and breathing tube, then the tests of reflexes, then the simple commands (like “squeeze my finger” or “wiggle your toes”), then the withdrawal of the coma-inducing drugs for longer periods. Then comes writing, and from my experience of watching someone undergo this process I’d say that if Hamlin is writing coherently at this point it’s very early and a great sign. Then finally the drugs and breathing tube are withdrawn.
The reflex testing isn’t just to see if the normal neurological responses are intact, but also to see if they are bilateral. The following of the simple verbal commands tests hearing and the ability to understand language, as well as movement and coordination. The person I observed who underwent the experience did some of those simple-sounding things on day three, and the doctors and nurses were extraordinarily elated. I was a bit puzzled at the time – why are they so very happy that he has reflexes, or can squeeze their finger? After all, that’s hardly full functioning and there’s such a long long way to go. But they explained to me that such early responses indicate that a full recovery might be in the works, and that’s not very common. So I decided to follow their lead and be optimistic, and that optimism ended up being fully justified.
It’s a hard thing to go through, to watch a previously seemingly healthy person – in my case an older person but in the case of Hamlin a young person with great promise and his whole adult life ahead of him – be unresponsive and hooked up to machines, with a very iffy future. The joy of seeing these sorts of basic responses by the person, and of hearing from the staff how meaningful these movements are, cannot be overemphasized. It isn’t really coming back from the dead, but it’s just about as close as it gets.
This is all wonderful. Being able write, and to ask how the game turned out, only three days after being dead on the field is extremely encouraging.
So wonderful, prayers answered. What a great reminder that life is beautiful.
I watched this process play out with my older brother. It was very difficult to see him intubated and in a coma. I saw the fine line between life and death. It makes you very aware of your mortality. I know how his family must have been feeling these last few days.
My brother recovered but he was 72 at the time and not in good health. He died three years later, but they were good years with his wife and children all supporting and caring for him.
Hamlin is young and probably in very good health. He faces a recovery process that
may take some time. Maybe he can even continue to play football. But right now, at least we know he’s improving and that’s a blessing.
Great news, and great post.
I’m praying for a functional recovery.
I’m well aware of what a heart-stopping injury can do.
If God grants abundantly more I won’t be surprised, just delighted.
Good news. I am more concerned about my nephew who had a car accident Christmas Eve and who is quadriplegic. He now has slight improvement and can move his shoulders a bit. He is 50 and has teenaged kids. My sister is 82 and does not need this after nursing her husband for 25 years after a stroke. He died last summer.
Mike K:
So sorry to hear that. Hope he improves and regains a lot of function.
My youngest son had a choking incident when he was 16 months old. One doctor had even come out to the hall to tell us that she was so sorry but they had tried everything and gave me a big hug.
Meanwhile, a visiting surgeon from South Africa was pulling rank on her in the ER and telling the nurses that he’d seen babies come back from worse because the brain is so plastic.
Next thing we knew they were sending our baby to a regional hospital for treatment.
The next day they told us, and his visiting grandfather who was in the intensive care with us that they were going to try to lower his meds and see what happens. “Don’t expect him to see you or hear you or react in any way the neurosurgeon said, this is just a trial of his reflexes.”
Our son opened his eyes, looked at Dad, looked at me, then saw Grandpa and literally tried to lunge off the bed. He obviously knew grandpa was there. The nurses started crying.
They put him under immediately so he didn’t rip the breathing tube out but they were all very excited.
He had to learn to use his hands, walk, talk and pretty much everything thing else all over again. But he’s now 30 years old and you would never guess this had happened.
So, in my opinion, after hearing how this young man was writing coherent thoughts so soon, I would guess he has an excellent prognosis.
I am so very happy for him and his family and praying for them too.
That is excellent news and probably a tribute to the swift responses on the field from the EMTs and team personnel, and their state-of-the-art equipment spreads for trauma. I hope he makes a full recovery.
Very happy to hear of Hamlin’s progress. He was hugely lucky to have CPR-trained people swarm him almost the moment he fell. Sometimes things work.
Mike K: prayers up for your nephew.
“Yes, you won,” UC doctors told Hamlin. “You won the game of life.”
If your patient miraculously awakes from a near death event and has a question, just answer the guy’s question. Don’t use it as an opportunity to generate a snappy self-serving quote for the media.
AMartel, Neo describes in her post the elation the medical people felt at this stage in the recovery she witnessed. It’s okay for them to celebrate this survival. So many times, instead, they have to give sad news to families.
I expect they told him the game was suspended with their next sentences.
When Hamlin asked who won the game, the doc should have said, “Never mind that, practice is at 4 today.”
I agree AMartel, and that that quote is very off-putting and cheesy, but I would guess the doctor was sincere when talking with Hamlin when he woke up and had a George Costanza “jerk store” epiphany after the fact and relayed this line to the media thinking it was oh-so-profound and the wittiest thing he ever came up with. One thing is for certain—he’ll be able to milk this at cocktail parties the rest of his life even though the first responders did the heavy lifting for Hamlin and all he did was monitor a fragile but young (and resilient) person on monitors and have nurses administer a few supportive IV medications.
Gentlepeople,
It’s not about the doctors. It’s about the patient.
Just answer the guy’s question.
Then, later, you can generate self-congratulatory /CSI/House-like media quotes that place you at the center of the spotlight.
Is there any possibility the doctor said that simply because he himself was so overjoyed that Hamlin was responding? Did he know ahead of time that Hamlin was going to ask who won the game so he could come up with his “snappy” response?