Chapter 8 – The Saddest Day

It was a sunny Tuesday afternoon when the call came through. It was Isler. I wondered why in the world he would be calling me.

"I'm sorry to call Agent LaSalle but there has been an accident at your wife's building. Evidentially her car was hit by an armored vehicle coming out of the back entrance of the adjoining bank. I am at the hospital now but they will only tell me limited information in spite of me flashing my badge around. I know she is alive. She took a bad hit to the head and has a broken left arm."

"Here is the telephone number for the team at Sonja's office. They are available to assist you in getting out here tonight."

It indeed was bad. Sonja was out of surgery by the time that I had gotten to Dulles. We were so fortune that there were several Navy Reserve officers in town for a training conference. One was a bone specialist at Mayo and the second a neuro-surgeon from Miami.

She looked so tiny in that big bed with all the machines around her beeping and flashing. The Director met me at the hospital and sat with me until I was able to go into intensive care. His staff had arranged for quarters for me at Fort Mead. I didn't stay there often, but it was nice to be able to go back for a quick shower or nap.

The hours turned into days and then to a month. The doctors were stymied that she was still unconscious. We have seen this before the doctors explained. I was both relieved and dismayed when we finally were told what might have happened to Sonja. The medical team explained she was in a coma. Someone who is in a coma is unconscious and has minimal brain activity. They're alive but can't be woken up and show no signs of awareness.

The person's eyes will be closed and they'll appear to be unresponsive to their environment. They won't normally respond to sound or pain, or be able to communicate or move voluntarily, and basic reflexes, such as coughing and swallowing, will be greatly reduced. They may be able to breathe on their own, although some people require a machine to help them breathe.

Over time, the person may start to gradually regain consciousness and become more aware. Some people will wake up after a few weeks, while others may go into a vegetative or minimally conscious state.

A coma usually only lasts a few weeks, during which time the person may start to gradually wake up and gain consciousness, or progress into a different state of unconsciousness called a vegetative state or minimally conscious state.

Some people may recover from these states gradually, while others may not improve for years, if at all. People who do wake up from a coma usually come round gradually. They may be very agitated and confused to begin with.

Some people will make a full recovery and be completely unaffected by the coma. Others will have disabilities caused by the damage to their brain. They may need physiotherapy, occupational therapy and psychological assessment and support during a period of rehabilitation, and may need care for the rest of their lives.

In the short term, a person in a coma will normally be looked after in an intensive care unit (ICU). Treatment involves ensuring their condition is stable and body functions, such as breathing and blood pressure, are supported while the underlying cause is treated.

Eventually Sonja was moved down the street to long term, healthcare where she was given supportive treatment. Her treatment involved providing nutrition, trying to prevent infections, moving her regularly so she didn't develop bedsores and gently exercising their joints to stop them becoming tight.

I learned that the chances of someone recovering from a coma largely depend on the severity and cause of their brain injury, their age and how long they've been in a coma. But it's impossible to accurately predict whether the person will eventually recover,

I talked to treatment specialist until I lost my voice. Some days I thought I would lose my mind. Fortunately I had Merrie to lean on. Once Sonja was settled in the health center I returned to New Orleans. Work was challenging but I was fortunate to have the support of the team during the really bad days. Home was more challenging. Catherine was use to either talking to her mother or having me play an oral message from her. After the first week that I returned, she would bring me a photo with Sonja in it and in her limited language ask where her mommy was. Every encounter grew more difficult as the days and then the weeks passed by.

I had just got to my desk one day when I got a call from the care facility. "Mr. LaSalle?" The social worker asked.

"Yes, this is Chris LaSalle"

"This is Margaret Johnson from the care facility in DC. I just left your wife's room. The LPN was giving her a bath this morning and she just woke up. We are waiting for the house doctor to come by and write orders for us to move her back to the hospital. We will call you in a couple of hours when we have the room and telephone number.

I made travel arrangements and then delayed them when the doctor called later that day. "Well Mr. LaSalle, I would suggest that you wait a week to fly out. It appears that your wife has lost her memory. We would like to work with her for a week. The social worker will be sending you a list of items to bring to the hospital to help us with her treatment. She will also probably be contacting some of Sonja's current and former office workers to get an idea of just who Sonja LaSalle is. That information will help the psychiatrist develop a treatment plan for her. He will want to spend a couple of hours with you once you are in D.C."

"I'm very optimistic Mr. LaSalle. Just the fact that she is awake gives us hope that she will be able to recover and live a fulfilling life."