Watch HBO's COMA, July 3 at 9PM
Friday, June 29, 2007
JC Jones MA RN
The Terry Schiavo case polarized the US in 2005. Despite the media circus surrounding the story, it was a very tragic family affair hanging on a poorly understood phenomena - persistent vegetative state following Traumatic Brain Injury. With a new documentary, Coma, Academy-award nominated director and Emmy award winning producer Liz Garbus
follows four brain-injured patients and their families. This gentle film is a testament to love, family, the human spirit - the will to survive even when thought and personality itself are altered.
Every 15 seconds someone in the US is brain injured. Garbus was granted access to families and clinicians at Center for Head Injuries in Edison, New Jersey and chronicles their journey through rehabilitation over one year. Garbus shows us the subtle differences between minimally conscious state and persistent vegetative state. She makes it easy to understand how difficult it is for families to let go, especially when you see Sean, the young man diagnosed with persistent vegetative state, cry when his friend is talking to him.
The HBO website provides an 18 minute video clip for a sneak preview of the two-hour special, which will be aired throughout the month, exclusively on HBO. Coma made me cry - and I've dealt with a lot of TBI patients and families!
Healthline will also focus on all things TBI this month. See related posts:
COMA: Interview with Liz Garbus for HBO Special
CDC Concussion Management Tool
Upcoming Events: HBO's Coma, IHI's Shared Quality Agenda and Medicine 2.0
We will update our popular Symptom Search to include more symptoms and conditions associated with traumatic brain injury. And even though I said in a previous post I didn't believe in telling tales out of school, there are some stories of my TBI patients that just need to be told- especially the one featuring the narcissitic mom. She was right up there with
Livia Soprano and Snow White's stepmother. Names will be changed of course.
Finally, we can't help but say - be careful out there! Most head injuries are related to transportation accidents. Have fun in the sun this summer but don't drink and drive, drink and dive and stay out of fights! Protect your brain - it's the sexiest part of you!
4 Comments:
At Mon Jul 02, 09:31:00 AM 2007,
Phat Mac said…
Hey JC,
I love your posts--keep up the good work.
The Tery Schiavo case stirred a lot of emotions and made a lot of us think what we would like for friends and family to do should we find ourselves in PVS. Most of my friends and family want to be "released" should this happen to them--I know I would. If I can't function or think and am a burden on the health care system, it's time for me to go. I can't imagine the cost it takes to keep these patients "alive." I understand it's hard for families to let go, but their loved one left them awhile ago. All that's left is a shell with a heart beat.
I wonder if Sean was crying, because his existance is limited to being a prisoner in a body that doesn't function. We need to start being realistic. We wouldn't keep our pets in this kind of agony. Why do we do it to humans?
At Mon Jul 02, 03:32:00 PM 2007,
JC Jones MA RN said…
Hey phat mac:
thanks for the support! I am in the same camp as you, especially as a neurotrauma RN. I have a spot picked out - have you ever been to Rocamadour France?http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocamadour
Anyway - watch the show when you get a chance & let me know what you think. I had the same thought you did. Is he [Sean]crying because he is feeling all that he has lost? And when I have been with my pets that I have had euthanized with sodium pentothal, it has made be think about all of the suffering patients I have known who have spent their last days, weeks, months in agony and despair. I am not saying I know what the answer to these questions are...
What Liz Garbus/HBO do in COMA is make you feel the parents' agony - and what makes the mother - as the Schiavo's did - keep fighting. I will be interested in hearing your feedback after you see the film, PM.
At Thu Jul 05, 02:22:00 PM 2007,
Phat Mac said…
Hi again JC!
Unfortunately, I don't have access to HBO. Do you know if this documentary will be released on DVD or maybe some of us can find it on the internet?
Anyway, thanks for keeping us informed!
At Tue Jul 10, 09:05:00 AM 2007,
JC Jones MA RN said…
Hi PM:
Word up from HBO> Coma will not be available on DVD or online anytime soon, so try to go see it at a friend's house sometime this month. See their website for air times. Also en Espanol! jc
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