Michael Schumacher skiing accident

[bertlambshank]

If Schumacher pulls through it looks like it'll be the helmet that saved him. They really should be made compulsory for both off and on-piste skiing.

I was amazed at how many parents take their kids skiing without helmets.

I make the kids wear helmets, but I've never worn one.   I don't ski off-piste.

Under 14's have to wear helmets in Italy.

I'm not under 14 or in Italy.

I know ya tit.

[ACVilla]

I've always found the guy a bit of an arse to be honest. Cheat of the highest order.

But I still wish him all the best as he seems to have a young family and I wouldn't wish a parent loss on anyone.

[UK Redsox]

Angela Merkel's come a cropper as well

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25622660


Has anyone ever seen Merkel and Boris Johnson in a room at the same time ?

[Somniloquism]

Angela Merkel's come a cropper as well

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25622660


Has anyone ever seen Merkel and Boris Johnson in a room at the same time ?

That reminds, anyone know when For Your Eyes Only is back on TV.

[Dlp]

Just read that he has now been moved into a rehab unit but is still in a coma. It makes you wonder what, if any, quality of life he is going to have in the future. I was never a fan of Schumacher but I do have sympathy for him and his family.

[cdbearsfan]

It sounds like he's not in immediate danger of death anymore, however his chances of making anything like a full recovery have sunk to virtually nil and he may be in a Permanent Vegetive State.

[Bad English]

I have just read that he is out of the coma and has left the hospital. (L'Equipe.fr)

[cdbearsfan]

Good, and surprising, news.

[Jon Crofts]

Reports over the weekend are nowhere near as positive, yes he may well be in 'rehab' but that's a nice way of saying he isn't going to die any minute now but he'll be in a permanant vegatative state for the rest of his days.

[Bad English]

Apparently he is able to communicate with his family a bit.

The Torygraph has a brief article on this

[Jon Crofts]

That does look more promising than the weekend reports.

Meanwhile, Damon Hill suddenly regrets his get well card.

[Chris Jameson]

I still can't read the title of this topic without picturing Mark E. Smith.

[PeterWithesShin]

A French doctor who treated Michael Schumacher after a skiing accident that nearly killed him has said the Formula One star may recover within three years.

In his first public comments since the accident, Dr Jean-Francois Payen confirmed that Schumacher is out of a coma and has made "some progress", but said the driver faces a long road to recovery.

"I have seen some progress but I would say give him time. It's like other patients, we are in a timescale that ranges from one year to three years, so it takes patience," Dr Payen said.

Dr Payen, the head of Anesthesiology at Grenoble University Hospital where Schumacher was rushed after his accident last December, spoke about his celebrity patient in two interviews, with Le Parisien newspaper and RTL radio.

"Life after a brain injury is littered with stages," he said. "It must progress, we hope, but we must give him time."

Although Schumacher was moved from Grenoble to Lausanne in June, and has since returned to his family home in Switzerland to recuperate, Dr Payen remains in close touch with the family and has visited Schumacher at his home.

"I kept seeing him, first at the University Hospital of Lausanne, and now at home. It's to see how he progresses and tell his wife and children what changes I observed," Dr Payen said.

"He's in very favourable conditions. This plays a big role. The family environment is anyway best for the patient. His wife is surrounded by excellent advice and has implemented all it takes for it to move forward."

Schumacher was in a "critical condition" when he was first brought to hospital, Dr Payen said. He is still alive today "because there were decisions that were taken in a timely manner".

The anaesthesiologist spoke out in praise of Schumacher's wife, Corinna. She has "in every respect an extraordinary willpower," he said.

"Immediately she understood the seriousness of the situation and the long journey that lay before them. She sees things very clearly and will do anything and give everything to improve the condition of her husband."

Dr Payen also spoke for the first time about the media storm in which he was engulfed when he took on his celebrity patient.

"Nobody is willing to undergo such a flood of media [attention]," he told Le Parisien. "We quickly got organised by creating a sort of 'medical bubble' to protect us from the outside world, from the media pressure, in order to work properly."

At one point a journalist reportedly disguised himself as a priest to gain access to Schumacher's bedside, and some of his medical records were later stolen. Dr Payen told how he and his colleagues had to give up their mobile phones, and could only go to and from work via an enclosed car park.