Woman in Five Year Coma Has Been AWAKE the Whole Time | Chicago Med

Doctor Manning:
Hey, parents. Here.

Maggie:
No making calls outside looking for a new care facility.

Doctor Manning:
Did you hear they want to keep the pregnancy?

Maggie:
Mm-hmm. When you can't talk, you don't get to say that.

Doctor Manning:
Yeah, well, I don't think it's the right thing. Maggie?

Did you see that?

Maggie:
Mm-hmm.

Doctor Manning:
I know PVS patients do that, and it's just a reflex, but didn't it seem like there was more going on?

Maggie:
Wishful thinking.

Doctor Manning:
Teresa, can you hear me? If you can hear me, please open your eyes.

Teresa, if you can hear me, squeeze my hand.

Maggie:
My time at the Vent Farm, I've seen this a lot. Blinking, spasms, sudden jerks of movement. Never ends up meaning what you want it to.

Doctor Manning:
Let's get a CT brain.

Maggie:
On a five-year coma patient?

Doctor Manning:
Just in case.

Maggie:
Hey, you discharging her?

Doctor Manning:
Just finished the paperwork.

Doctor Abrams:
Now, Dr. Manning, yes? Your coma patient — given the abysmal treatment she received at that facility, I couldn't help but wonder what other ways they might have failed her, so I reviewed her history.

Doctor Manning:
Did you find anything?

Doctor Abrams:
I'm afraid not. But I do have one question. What time of day did you perform that neuro exam?

Doctor Manning:
Morning. Why?

Doctor Abrams:
Well, sometimes traumatic brain injuries result in a patient developing regular sleep-wake circadian cycles. So it's possible Teresa has become nocturnal. I suggest we try the test again.

Doctor Manning:
Great.

Mr. and Mrs. ___, this is Dr. Abrams, Chief of Neurosurgery. Do you mind if we perform one more test on your daughter?

Father:
Well, the EMTs from our new facility are on their way.

Doctor Abrams:
It should just take a moment.

Doctor Manning:
Teresa, if you can hear me, please open your eyes.

Mother:
I've asked her that a million times.

Doctor Manning:
I know. Just bear with me a moment. Teresa, if you can hear me, please move your eyes side to side.

I'm sorry. I finished Teresa's discharge. As soon as her transportation arrives, we will get you there.

Doctor Abrams:
Hold on. There's a condition called locked-in syndrome. If your daughter has it, she'd be conscious, but she wouldn't be able to move her eyes side to side. She could, however, move them vertically. Let's see. Teresa, I need you to move your eyes up and down for me, please. Up and down.

Doctor Manning:
Did you see that?

Father:
What was that?

Doctor Manning:
Teresa, if you can hear me, please move your eyes up and down again.

Mother:
My God.

- - - - - - - -

Mother:
I don't understand. How did you wake her from the coma?

Doctor Abrams:
I didn't. But I don't believe she ever was in a coma. We need more tests to be certain, but it's my opinion that her accident caused a stroke to the brain stem, which included the basilar artery.

Father:
What does that mean?

Doctor Manning:
The stroke left her completely paralyzed, but still conscious. Locked-in syndrome. She's awake, but locked in her body?

Mother:
All these years? She's always been awake?

Doctor Manning:
Yes.

Mother:
She heard everything we said? I said?

Father:
And she was conscious while some monster assaulted her?

Mother:
Oh, my poor baby.

Doctor Manning:
Oh, I know. It's so terrible.

I'm so sorry. But at least you haven't lost her.

Doctor Abrams:
It's possible that some of her paralysis is the result of spasticity, and it's therefore treatable with muscle relaxants and physical therapy.

Mother:
Will she get better?

Doctor Abrams:
She'll never be fully functional, but she should regain some movement.

Doctor Manning:
We can also order an infrared eye-tracking device that'll allow Teresa to communicate through a computer.

Father:
Communicate?

Doctor Abrams:
She'll be able to put together words and sentences.

Doctor Manning:
You'll be able to have a conversation with your daughter again.

Mother:
A conversation with my little girl?

Doctor Manning:
We'll give you time alone with your daughter now.