Closed Head Injury…DAI

When Alex was injured, one of the injuries he sustained was a closed head injury.

A closed head injury can be either focal or diffuse. A focal injury means the damage is located in one specific area of the brain. A diffuse injury means the damage is more widespread.

One type of diffuse injury is called a diffuse axonal injury, or DAI.

Diffuse axonal injury happens when the brain is injured by shearing forces, often caused by rapid acceleration, deceleration, or rotation. This type of injury can affect many areas of the brain, including the corpus callosum and brainstem. It is often seen in serious motor vehicle crashes, especially when a vehicle suddenly stops.

Doctors use exams, testing, imaging, and scales such as the Glasgow Coma Scale to help assess the severity of a brain injury. Alex’s Glasgow Coma Scale score was a 3 at the scene of the accident and remained very low for days afterward.

I want to share more information about Alex’s injuries, not only to educate those who want to understand, but also to offer hope to families facing devastating diagnoses.

Diffuse axonal injury is a very serious and often life-threatening injury. Many people with severe DAI do not survive, and those who do may face significant physical and cognitive challenges.

I do not know why God chose to intervene in such a huge way with Alex, but I believe He did. I want to use what we have lived through to help others.

The road after this kind of injury is not easy. It can be lonely, confusing, painful, and overwhelming. Families may face people who do not understand what they are going through. Some may say hurtful things out of ignorance. Some may not want to understand at all.

But there are also people who do care.

There are people who want to help, want to learn, and want to walk beside you.

So if you are facing this diagnosis with someone you love, please hang on.

The road may feel rocky and frightening at first. It may be tricky to navigate. But there can also be moments of hope, progress, and deep appreciation for things many people take for granted.

God’s grace — His generous benefit given to us — is sufficient.

P.S. Medical professionals repeatedly used the term “persistent vegetative state” when referring to Alex. I still hate that term.

And here is a little video about diffuse axonal injury/D.A.I. also called brain shearing. 

In the video, brain bleeding and brain hemorrhaging are mentioned. Alex had some big bleeds and hemorrhaging in multiple areas of his brain. Thankfully, his brain pressures only elevated slightly and the swelling was minimal.