You know, this entry might not have a whole lot to do with how my brother is doing now, but it sure has a lot to do with the strange (and predictable) advice that some medical people give regarding the quaint term "pulling the plug".  I want you to listen, listen very carefully and then please pass this on to other people.  If you EVER have someone that you know, love, or even vaguely like even a little and they are unfortunate enough to have a severe head injury THEY WILL BE ON SOME SORT OF LIFE SUPPORT FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.  When he get banged really hard, it messes up the part of your brain that controls breathing.  So, while your brain repairs itself (hopefully), you do need some mechanical support to keep the whole oxygen thing going on.  And I have heard SO many stories about families getting advice from those above mentioned medical professions regarding ending it all for their poor, suffering loved one.  "Machines are the only thing that is keeping them alive now...you'll need to make some hard decisions...they are not even breathing on their own...blah, blah, blah."    Well, no kidding, genius.  And these are statements that people are told within the first 48 hours after the injury.  Well, I hope they are hooked up to some helpful machine at this point, because otherwise they would be DEAD.  Why do doctors and nurses automatically give this speech and advise family members to PULL THE PLUG immediately?  Is it cost?  Do they just not like the clicking sound that those machines make?  I know they KNOW that they are necessary, regardless of the prognosis or the outcome.  So why the obsession with unplugging people like they are a microwave or a lamp.  I know that many people in the medical profession are there because they want to help others and have that driving force of compassion--but when it comes to this one little point, unhooking people from life support, telling family members that it's all over because a machine is helping them breath at that very moment, well, what the heck is up with that?  I, as you know, can speak from experience.  If we would have listened to the sage advice received, Sam's plug would have been ripped from the wall almost immediately.  I'm serious, we actually were told that "machines were the only thing keeping them alive".  Yes.  Obviously. 

I'm going to start some sort of non-profit organization.  I will call it DON'T PULL THE PLUG, GIVE THE DUDE A CHANCE.  Luckily we had the wonderful knowledge that my mom brought to every medical situation (she was an Burn ICU nurse forever) so we knew better.  But what about families that are not so lucky. 

You better watch out, you hospitals, doctors, nurses, lab techs and all others that want to yank out that lifeline. 

I'm onto you.

You might just see me scuttling around YOUR ICU waiting room.

Warning families...

telling them to wait,

just wait,

and see what happens.

-Bec (in case you don't know, I'm pregnant and a little bit emotional.  So if this rant offends you, I guess the best thing to do right now would be just ignore it).