Wednesday, July 3, 2019

I Should Be Non-Vegetative

'Non-vegetative' is not an accepted diagnosis, like 'semi-vegetative', my current diagnosis. Use it Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. You are on a roll. -Angela 


A brain injury must get rid of your star.


From social media: "It's going on 17 years since my stroke. I'm still waiting to be rescued. What you see now I have done on my own. This is typed with one finger."


I'm vegetative. I thought that typing out my answers would change my diagnosis. I thought wrong. The reason for my diagnosis only changed. First, I was vegetative because I did not talk or make any physical response to people I did not know. 

When I started vocalizing, the doctor "did not understand me." I decided to rehab my hand so I could type it out. I knew how to rehab a hand enough to use it. I was an infant specialist years ago. I could at least rehab to a baby. 
 


When I started vocalizing, my diagnosis was changed to "semi-vegetative." The word 'vegetative' was kept. Whether it was for legality or discrimination, this was wrong. The error made in misdiagnosis was being seen. Instead of fixing the error, it is carried forward and the word "semi" was added. At this time, it should have been changed to "MCS, or Minimally Conscious State."
I'm able to now write full papers and make videos. A new diagnosis is in order.

No, now I'm vegetative because I can't swallow. I did not swallow barium during a swallow study. This usually is a 3-party test, in my experience. There are the x-ray technician, someone to administer food + barium (usually a speech therapist), and the test subject. The administer was lacking from the government when they ordered testing for diagnosis. A doctor wouldn't have missed this. They know what is involved with the x-ray. The hospital therapist stepped in during my x-ray. I did not swallow barium in applesauce.

Since the word 'vegetative' is being kept, I propose that my diagnosis is now made 'non-vegetative.' this should mean that I am conscious. I was conscious before, yet the word 'vegetative' meant I wasn't.
  
As far as disability, use the term 'brain injury.' "Quadriplegia" is not sticking. I'm using my left hand to type. There is no such thing as tri-plegia. 

I'm not using magic and a special changing machine. It is called time and growth, and the little knowledge I had of rehab.  (Well, maybe a lot of knowledge.)

Brain Injury Rehab 
in this case



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