Christmas Tree 4669 Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Man Trapped In 23-Year 'Coma' Was Conscious An engineering student thought to be in a coma for 23 years was actually conscious the whole time, it has emerged. Rom Houben was misdiagnosed as being in a vegetative state after a car crash left him totally paralysed. For the whole time, he was trapped in his own body with no way of letting friends and family know he could hear every word they were saying. The 46-year-old, who can now tap out computerised messages and read books on a device above his hospital bed, has revealed: "I screamed, but there was nothing to hear. "All that time I literally dreamed of a better life. Frustration is too small a word to describe what I felt. "I shall never forget the day when they discovered what was truly wrong with me - it was my second birth. "I want to read, talk with my friends via the computer and enjoy life now people know I am not dead." His misdiagnosis was discovered by neurological expert Dr Steven Laureys, who fears there may be similar cases all over the world. He looked at Mr Houben's case again at the University of Liege, Belgium, using state-of-the-art imaging that showed the patient was aware of what was happening around him even though he had lost control of his body. Dr Laureys, who leads the Coma Science Group, was unavailable for comment when contacted by Sky News Online. He told the Daily Telegraph: "In Germany alone each year some 100,000 people suffer from severe traumatic brain injury. "About 20,000 are followed by a coma of three weeks or longer. Some of them die, others regain health. "But an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 people a year, remain trapped in an intermediate stage: they go on living without ever come back again." Rom, a martial arts enthusiast who remains in constant care at a facility near Brussels, was repeatedly wrongly assessed in Zolder, Belgium, by doctors using technology available at the time. They used the internationally accepted Glasgow Coma Scale to assess his eye, verbal and motor responses. But each time he was graded incorrectly. The disclosure is likely to renew the right-to-die debate over whether people in comas are truly unconscious. There have been several cases where people in deep comas have recovered. Carrie Coons, 86, from New York, regained consciousness 20 years ago. Days before her recovery, a judge had granted a request for the removal of her feeding tube which had been keeping her alive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renton 21048 Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 We should kill all people who are in comas just in case they are in this state then. I'd much rather be dead personally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew 4713 Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 my god, that poor bastard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJS 4355 Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 There was an episode of House where "normal" doctors were about to start harvesting organs from someone in this state before House stepped in - it was a particularly good/bad example of "I hope that never happens to me". . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renton 21048 Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Does anyone have those lucid dreams where you're effectively conscious but totally paralysed? They used to scare the shit out of me but I can cope with them now. They only last a few minutes though, two decades doesn't bear thinking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AgentAxeman 169 Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 thats proper scary. dont know if i would go as far as Renton suggested tho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christmas Tree 4669 Posted November 23, 2009 Author Share Posted November 23, 2009 Hard to kill others but I would want to check out Deffo! Imagine all the crap he's overheard from Nurses, cleaners etc Horrible Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renton 21048 Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Hard to kill others but I would want to check out Deffo! Imagine all the crap he's overheard from Nurses, cleaners etc Horrible Reminds me of the start of Kill Bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Poor fucker. Must've been bored out of his mind more than anything. It probably seemed even longer than the 23 years although it's difficult to know how you'd have any grasp on the concept of time after a certain period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JawD 99 Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Does anyone have those lucid dreams where you're effectively conscious but totally paralysed? They used to scare the shit out of me but I can cope with them now. They only last a few minutes though, two decades doesn't bear thinking about. Used to. Usually a few days after a weekend session in my drug addled youth. I used to wake up but not be able to move and I'd feel a strong presence of there being someone behind me. I would really try and force myself to turn around but never could. After a while, I started enjoying it, and began to hear bizzare stuff. Once heard my Dad and step mother downstairs even though I lived in my flat in Newbiggin Hall and them in West Denton. Aye, gear doesnt fuck you up eh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 I occasionally get sleep paralysis like. Usually only lasts a few seconds though luckily. The sensation is horrible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toonraider 0 Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 We should kill all people who are in comas just in case they are in this state then. I'd much rather be dead personally. Me too, this scares me so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Face 29 Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 There was an episode of House where "normal" doctors were about to start harvesting organs from someone in this state before House stepped in - it was a particularly good/bad example of "I hope that never happens to me". . Happened on Greys anatomy too.....probably on ER and Casualty and Scrubs and Holby and Nurses to boot. Why are there so many hospital based dramas? I suppose there's plenty of police ones too. The fire service are getting a raw deal in the positive media portrayal stakes like. Londons Burning was shite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renton 21048 Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 We should kill all people who are in comas just in case they are in this state then. I'd much rather be dead personally. Me too, this scares me so much. I'd imagine the prospect would be terrifying if Snakehips was in the vicinity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AgentAxeman 169 Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 We should kill all people who are in comas just in case they are in this state then. I'd much rather be dead personally. Me too, this scares me so much. I'd imagine the prospect would be terrifying if Snakehips was in the vicinity. for you or TR?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toonraider 0 Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 (edited) We should kill all people who are in comas just in case they are in this state then. I'd much rather be dead personally. Me too, this scares me so much. I'd imagine the prospect would be terrifying if Snakehips was in the vicinity. Seriously what a shocking story. I dont even like being put out for the fear of still being conscious enough to feel the pain of the op but not be able to move to alert someone. Edited November 23, 2009 by Toonraider Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jill 0 Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Does anyone have those lucid dreams where you're effectively conscious but totally paralysed? They used to scare the shit out of me but I can cope with them now. They only last a few minutes though, two decades doesn't bear thinking about. Had that a few times, scary as hell the first time but it's not so bad once you understand what it is and just wait for it to pass. 23 years man, can't even imagine what that must have been like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew 4713 Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 its just occured to me that that is actually longer than the entire time I have been alive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Face 29 Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Would you prefer this or being kept in a cellar and frequently raped over a similar period? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom 14011 Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Does anyone have those lucid dreams where you're effectively conscious but totally paralysed? They used to scare the shit out of me but I can cope with them now. They only last a few minutes though, two decades doesn't bear thinking about. I used to get it. I absolutely hated it. its just occured to me that that is actually longer than the entire time I have been alive Same. Hell on earth! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renton 21048 Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Would you prefer this or being kept in a cellar and frequently raped over a similar period? Probably depends on who is doing the raping but almost certainly the latter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Face 29 Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Would you prefer this or being kept in a cellar and frequently raped over a similar period? Probably depends on who is doing the raping but almost certainly the latter. That Fritzl lass should count her blessings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney 0 Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Hard to kill others but I would want to check out Deffo! Imagine all the crap he's overheard from Nurses, cleaners etc Horrible Reminds me of the start of Kill Bill. The bit where the lads pay to have sex with her? Pervert. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trophyshy 7066 Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Would you prefer this or being kept in a cellar and frequently raped over a similar period? Probably depends on who is doing the raping but almost certainly the latter. That Fritzl lass should count her blessings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Castell 0 Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 This came into my head when I read about this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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