Medical near-Miracle

[DevilAlumna]

The Buffalo Bills player, Kevin Everett, has a good chance of walking again. If you saw yesterday's prognosis, it was pretty grim.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7...PHMA&gt1=10437

An interesting twist of fate -- the University of Miami runs the "Miami Project," a center in the med school that focuses on spinal injuries. Everett went to the U. One of the center's major donors is the owner of the Bills.

Green [head of the Miama Project] said the key was the quick action taken by Cappuccino [doctor on the scene] to run an ice-cold saline solution through Everett's system that put the player in a hypothermic state. Doctors at the Miami Project have demonstrated in their laboratories that such action significantly decreases the damage to the spinal cord due to swelling and movement.

"We've been doing a protocol on humans and having similar experiences for many months now," Green said. "But this is the first time I'm aware of that the doctor was with the patient when he was injured and the hypothermia was started within minutes of the injury. We know the earlier it's started, the better."

[Bob Green]

I'm pulling for a complete recovery. I'm sure we are all pulling for a complete recovery.

I'm not really a religious man, but Kevin Everett could definitely use our prayers.

[TNTDevil]

The Buffalo Bills player, Kevin Everett, has a good chance of walking again. If you saw yesterday's prognosis, it was pretty grim.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7...PHMA&gt1=10437

An interesting twist of fate -- the University of Miami runs the "Miami Project," a center in the med school that focuses on spinal injuries. Everett went to the U. One of the center's major donors is the owner of the Bills.

...started by Nick Buoniconti? As I recall he has started a foundation (or some such thing) to help his son who was paralyzed in a similar football accident.

[billybreen]

This is great, great news.

I'm not a huge fan of the phrase 'medical miracle,' though. What we have here is a case of skilled administration of new procedures, all the result of rational application of the scientific method. I worry that those with an anti-scientific leaning are reassured by labeling things 'miracles' as it confirms their superstitious beliefs.

Sorry to get all pedantic and PPB on this.

[hc5duke]

This is great, great news.

I'm not a huge fan of the phrase 'medical miracle,' though. What we have here is a case of skilled administration of new procedures, all the result of rational application of the scientific method. I worry that those with an anti-scientific leaning are reassured by labeling things 'miracles' as it confirms their superstitious beliefs.

Sorry to get all pedantic and PPB on this.

Well between your post and the original post, it's only a matter of time before bluedawg and greybeard jump in

Technically though (or is it grammatical? contextual?), if it was a deity-related miracle, wouldn't "medical miracle" be a misnomer? That would imply that the procedure was the miraculous part, whereas in the religious sense, the miracle would probably be attributed to the recovery process.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

...started by Nick Buoniconti? As I recall he has started a foundation (or some such thing) to help his son who was paralyzed in a similar football accident.

Yes, #85 from the perfect season '72 Dolphins. One of his son's came to Duke and played football. The other went elsewhere and broke his neck making a tackle; Nick started the Miami Project to fund research to find a cure. Progress is always too slow to help those suffering from these injuries.

[billybreen]

Well between your post and the original post, it's only a matter of time before bluedawg and greybeard jump in

Technically though (or is it grammatical? contextual?), if it was a deity-related miracle, wouldn't "medical miracle" be a misnomer? That would imply that the procedure was the miraculous part, whereas in the religious sense, the miracle would probably be attributed to the recovery process.

Possibly, but why bring 'miracle' into play at all? Couldn't we just call this thread 'medical skillz!' Maybe an extra z or 2 on the end. l33t.

[TNTDevil]

Possibly, but why bring 'miracle' into play at all? Couldn't we just call this thread 'medical skillz!' Maybe an extra z or 2 on the end. l33t.

And then we can claim he was spared because he "Did The Dew!"

[DevilAlumna]

Technically though (or is it grammatical? contextual?), if it was a deity-related miracle, wouldn't "medical miracle" be a misnomer? That would imply that the procedure was the miraculous part, whereas in the religious sense, the miracle would probably be attributed to the recovery process.

Well, I wrote "medical near-miracle" with an actual thought behind it. Two, to be exact.

1) Like hc5 somewhat points out, "medical miracle" means something different than a plain, old, miracle. (Not that there's anything plain or old about miracles, if you believe in such things.) To me, a "medical miracle" means, "holy moly, we had no idea something like THAT ever could happen!" Like, a tumor disappearing with no treatment, or a drug for one symptom 'curing' another all together.

2) It's not actually a "medical miracle" if the treatment has succeeded in tests, etc., hence the use of "near-miracle." It's kind of a good guess it might work, but the fact that it did, and in such circumstances, is the amazing part.

[captmojo]

I'm happy for the player and his fans.

I once had a lawnmower cured by a touch from Jesus.

[hc5duke]

I'm happy for the player and his fans.

I once had a lawnmower cured by a touch from Jesus.

Did you at least tell him Gracias?

[captmojo]

Did you at least tell him Gracias?

Seriously, I had a pushmower that tried to chew a rock one day. The crankshaft bent and it wobbled almost uncontrollably. I cranked back up and it continued to run, thought still wobbling for the remainder of that summer and did not lose any more oil than normal. Next year, same thing. The year after that,last year as a matter of fact, I took it out of the garage, put in fresh gas and with the second pull of the rope, varoom, no wobble. It runs smooth as a whistle today. It's a Sears discontinued model with a 6hp Briggs engine. I have no other explanation.