Well the news up to date after visiting dad in the hospital and talking to the doctor.

Ok hard as this is to type here it goes. Well Dad is totally unplugged from all the machines the only thing left is an IV of sugar water. The doctors are basically waiting for him to dye. He’s breathing on his own and has reflex reactions. For example today when Diane and I started talking to him about his bike he mumbled something unintelligently, but it was a reaction none the less.

My poor sister called up dad’s best friend Serge for the info and Serge told her that dad was brain dead. Well after reading the definition of brain dead I guess he is here is my findings.


Coma and Persistent Vegetative State
A coma is a profound or deep state of unconsciousness. The affected individual is alive but is not able to react or respond to life around him/her. Coma may occur as an expected progression or complication of an underlying illness, or as a result of an event such as head trauma.
A persistent vegetative state, which sometimes follows a coma, refers to a condition in which individuals have lost cognitive neurological function and awareness of the environment but retain no cognitive function and a perserved sleep-wake cycle.
It is sometimes described as when a person is technically alive, but his/her brain is dead. However, that description is not completely accurate. In persistent vegetative state the individual loses the higher cerebral powers of the brain, but the functions of the brainstem, such as respiration (breathing) and circulation, remain relatively intact. Spontaneous movements may occur and the eyes may open in response to external stimuli, but the patient does not speak or obey commands. Patients in a vegetative state may appear somewhat normal. They may occasionally grimace, cry, or laugh.
Is there any treatment?Once the patient is out of immediate danger, although still in coma or vegetative state, the medical care team will concentrate on preventing infections and maintaining the patient's physical state as much as possible.
Such maintenance includes preventing pneumonia and bed sores and providing balanced nutrition. Physical therapy may also be used to prevent contractures (permanent muscular contractions) and orthopedic deformities that would limit recovery for the patients who emerge from coma.
What is the prognosis?The outcome for coma and vegetative state depends on the cause and on the location, severity, and extent of neurological damage: outcomes range from recovery to death. People may emerge from a coma with a combination of physical, intellectual, and psychological difficulties that need special attention.
Recovery usually occurs gradually, with patients acquiring more and more ability to respond. Some patients never progress beyond very basic responses, but many recover full awareness. Patients recovering from coma require close medical supervision. A coma rarely lasts more than 2 to 4 weeks. Some patients may regain a degree of awareness after vegetative state. Others may remain in a vegetative state for years or even decades. The most common cause of death for a person in a vegetative state is infection such as pneumonia.
Information provided by theNational Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke,National Institutes of Health
Article Created: 1999-03-14Article Reviewed: 1999-03-14


And since he is no longer receiving medical care he will more then likely succumb to pneumonia and die. How ever our God is a mighty god and He is the creator and only the Creator can heal dad now. We won’t give up hope till he breaths his last breath, we are however making the preparations for continuing our lives like power of attorney packing getting ready to move, preparing to sell off the cars things like that but we are continuing to hope at the same time.

Hence please don’t stop praying for us all dad included.

Thanks,
Eric