252 replies to this topic

[mylo]

"Three hours before the accident, she called me and said she was feeling bad, like she was going to pass out."

soooo.... let's go for a drive?

[supermom]

I don't know what "bleeding inside the brain" means in this child's case but if it helps...

When my brother was 4 year old, he injured his head in an accident and had bleeding in his brain. It's bleeding of teh brain in the skull with no way to drain, so it builds up pressure in the brain. That can cause death if you don't catch it. You may recall this is what Natasha Whatshername, Liam Nielson's wife, died from a few months ago. But that doesn't seem to be the case here as teh child is in the hospital. If caught in time, this is 100% treatable and no long-lasting damage is done to the person.

It does require skull surgery to drill a hole and drain out the blood. No doubt, this is serious business, but, if caught in time, it is not a death sentance or even brain damage causing. Some time (1-2 days) in ICU is needed, then a few more in the hopital, but once the skull heals up, only a scar remains to remind the person of the injury.

My brother has no effects from his accident.

So keep this in mind - the child may come out of this okay. Which is good news.

There is always, long lasting damage. Most people must be taught how to overcome it.
Best scenario--is that they are able to learn how to overcome it, without looking on a daily basis like they have "damaged" brains.

If you really actually knew what a TBI is all about--you would know that.

Did you paste them from somewhere else? The longer a person has bleeding, the more likely they will get "other complications" to include massive strokes, blood clots (ironically), pneumonia, organ failure.....

The list goes on. This is a very, very serious condition.

[Chad Vander Veen]

Wow, just got a chance to read through this thread. Amazing story, Dave. Glad you're alright and were on hand to lend a hand.

[folsom500]

Dave,

I made a comment the other day on your FB - but would like to say here that we are all very glad that it was not you in that accident and how terrible it must be for you then and now that you had to witness it - and be so close - You got by with your defensive driving and heads up awareness - part of which I would associate with your being a motorcyclist... but it could have been different with just a second or two as you know and that has got to scare the hell out of you... you were blessed and I am sure that you feel that but it goes further and I hope that you will have the sense to take the time and decide if you need to get some help to alleviate potential longer term post stress trauma from this incident.
My own recommendation - do not bury this and make sure you let it out fully- have to get rid of the emotions associated with it so it becomes just a memory and not something that will affect you in the future...
I know you are a strong man mentally , but just in case- talk it out with everyone you can.. if you sense any sort of personal injury (not physical) or lingering thoughts make some contacts.



Cheers
F500

[folsom4us]

From what I hear. Neither parties were from Folsom. And the Mercedes family are Russian.

[Dave Burrell]

Dave,

I made a comment the other day on your FB - but would like to say here that we are all very glad that it was not you in that accident and how terrible it must be for you then and now that you had to witness it - and be so close - You got by with your defensive driving and heads up awareness - part of which I would associate with your being a motorcyclist... but it could have been different with just a second or two as you know and that has got to scare the hell out of you... you were blessed and I am sure that you feel that but it goes further and I hope that you will have the sense to take the time and decide if you need to get some help to alleviate potential longer term post stress trauma from this incident.
My own recommendation - do not bury this and make sure you let it out fully- have to get rid of the emotions associated with it so it becomes just a memory and not something that will affect you in the future...
I know you are a strong man mentally , but just in case- talk it out with everyone you can.. if you sense any sort of personal injury (not physical) or lingering thoughts make some contacts.



Cheers
F500

Thanks Ken, I really appreciate your kind words and thanks to everyone who has commented on this - I sincerely appreciate all the feedback, this discussion has been helping me a lot.

I also had thought about my motorcycle experience helping me too - I know it's because I'm a rider that I'm much more aware of my surroundings when driving - there's one thing I remember learning at my very first motorcycle class and it's stuck with me for 20 years... everyone should learn this and practice it every time they are driving or riding

SIPDE

S—Sweep, Search, and Scan (keep your eyes moving at all times to effectively see imminent danger)
I—Identify hazards, Identify what's happening (road-way features) (take notice of things that could cause trouble)
P—Predict which hazards could potentially come into conflict with you; predict 2 things 1-worst case scenario and 2-actions
D—Decide on a safe action (decide on something to do should the dog run across the road)
E—Execute that safe action; use communication

This process saves drivers from getting into accidents and prevents damage. Another safe driving system is the Smith System:
1. Aim high in steering; use 15 sec rule (look in to the future) (look far down the road, not just right in front of the car)
2. Keep your eyes moving: scan (don't be focused so much on the dog walking beside the road that you fail to see the dog in the middle of it)
3. Get the big picture; 360 degree circle of awareness (watch all around the car, not just the front)
4. Make sure others see you; communicate (use proper communication to let other drivers know your intentions)
5. Always leave yourself an out; don't get boxed in (don't put yourself in a situation that there is no room to steer out of danger if needed)
Communication:
turn signals
horn
eye contact
flash lights
hand gestures
brake lights
hazard lights
reverse lights
car/wheel position

[bookwom]

There is always, long lasting damage. Most people must be taught how to overcome it.
Best scenario--is that they are able to learn how to overcome it, without looking on a daily basis like they have "damaged" brains.

If you really actually knew what a TBI is all about--you would know that.

Did you paste them from somewhere else? The longer a person has bleeding, the more likely they will get "other complications" to include massive strokes, blood clots (ironically), pneumonia, organ failure.....

The list goes on. This is a very, very serious condition.

You are right, supermom, this is a very serious condition. However, there is not "always" long lasting damage. As a former physical therapist who used to work in neurological rehab, I could tell a lot of stories of people, especially children, who came out of tramatic head injuries a lot better off then expected. The human brain is an amazing, complex organ, more resilient than you'd think. This is true especially in children. The end result of this could lie anywhere along the spectrum. Let's pray and hope for the best.

[Terry]

KCRA News last night said the driver of the Mercedes was a "minister" from El Dorado Hills. I heard her spouse speak and he did sound Eastern European.

[Bill Z]

any word on where she was coming from and where she was headed?

[ducky]

There have been a couple of comments that this lady may have been Russian or Eastern European. I wonder if there could have been a language barrier problem in understanding the effects of Vicodin on driving and/or the caution not to mix with alcohol.

I'm not trying to make excuses, but it is a possibility. Or course, if this wasn't the very first Vicodin pill she had ever taken I wouldn't buy that she didn't know not to drive, nor the allergic reaction angle. Usually, if you are allergic to Vicodin you get a rash or itchy.

I hope those children have a speedy recovery.

[Thinkingoutloud]

There is always, long lasting damage. Most people must be taught how to overcome it.
Best scenario--is that they are able to learn how to overcome it, without looking on a daily basis like they have "damaged" brains.

If you really actually knew what a TBI is all about--you would know that.

Did you paste them from somewhere else? The longer a person has bleeding, the more likely they will get "other complications" to include massive strokes, blood clots (ironically), pneumonia, organ failure.....

The list goes on. This is a very, very serious condition.

Well - I don't know what a TBI is, nor is it confirmed that this child has one. All I'm saying is that bleeding in the brain isn't always a fatal/brain damaing thing. There isn't "always long lasting damage". My brother is fine. And it's been 16 years. No clotting, stokes etc.

Not sure what the "did you paste" comment you are referencing to - I was just recounting my own personal experience that my family went thorugh and was hoping that it would bring some hope to people who are are concerned for the child involved.

[knittychick]

I didn’t know what TBI was, so I looked it up in Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia....ic_brain_injury) and as stated earlier, some patients experience a complete recovery – Here is a portion of the description (I added the italics):

Traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI, also called intracranial injury) occurs when an outside force traumatically injures the brain. TBI can be classified based on severity, mechanism (closed or penetrating head injury), or other features (e.g. occurring in a specific location or over a widespread area). Head injury usually refers to TBI, but is a broader category because it can involve damage to structures other than the brain, such as the scalp and skull.

TBI can cause a host of physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral effects, and outcome can range from complete recovery to permanent disability or death. The 20th century has seen critical developments in diagnosis and treatment which have decreased death rates and improved outcome. These include imaging techniques such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Depending on the injury, treatment required may be minimal or may include interventions such as medications and emergency surgery. Physical therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy may be employed for rehabilitation.

[mylo]

There have been a couple of comments that this lady may have been Russian or Eastern European. I wonder if there could have been a language barrier problem in understanding the effects of Vicodin on driving and/or the caution not to mix with alcohol.

Because in Russia, vicodin drives on you? It's freakin' vicodin! It's pretty clearly labelled and Vikodin sounds pretty close to me.

[ducky]

Because in Russia, vicodin drives on you? It's freakin' vicodin! It's pretty clearly labelled and Vikodin sounds pretty close to me.

We've all heard of Vicodin, but some immigrants may not be as well versed in what Vicodin is, let alone if the bottle said hydrocodone with acetaminophen. Some sites I found don't even say driving should be completely prohibited. For example:

"This medication can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert."

http://www.revolutio...hen-hydrocodone

I'll wait to find out if the authorities say it was the drinking that caused her dangerous behavior or the Vicodin or the combination.