Please pray, think good thoughts, whatever you do, please do it..

[ShortStack]

Update: He is out of surgery and they have a tube inserted to help with the swelling. It has gone down some, but he is now in a coma because of the injuries.

[Monster Dodge]

Medical induced comas are common with brain swelling injuries. The body is an amazing machine that can heal itself over time and rest. Prayers are with you and your youth group.

[llovelace]

Prayer chain started

[ShortStack]

Medical induced comas are common with brain swelling injuries. The body is an amazing machine that can heal itself over time and rest. Prayers are with you and your youth group.

It's not a medical induced coma, he has gone into a coma. I thought they just put him into a drug induced coma, but I just heard from the youth pastor who is at the hospital and he said no, the doctors did not put him into the coma. Thank you for the prayers everyone.

[ballpythonluvr]

This young man and his family will be in my daily prayers.

[shelliebear]

They will probably keep him in the coma, whether it is medically induced or not, for a while.
Keeping the brain's activity levels low helps optimize and speed up healing.
It also makes it easier for them to take care of him and monitor him without risk of him hurting himself.
The catheter will help relieve the swelling, and they will be able to monitor the pressure in his brain (ICP or intracranial pressure). He probably rated low on the Glasgow scale, which means he had a pretty severe injury, especially if he was unable to regain consciousness.
I imagine they've done a decompressive craniectomy, which means they removed a piece of his skull to allow the brain to swell without becoming trapped against the skull itself.
If you get any word from the doctors on how he is doing, post it.
Right now it sounds like he will recover, but be warned, he will probably not be the same.
Depending on the side of his brain the injury was on, he could have lost some memory abilities, learning abilities, communication skills, etc. He may be a different person--brain injuries can change someone's personality.
Please keep us updated. I am not religious, but I'm hoping he's ok--the doctors know what they are doing.
I hope this helped. I want to be a nurse someday, so excuse any "doctor speak" i left in. :/

[ShortStack]

Thank you everyone for the prayers and good wishes.. I haven't heard any more news since late last night, so I'm hoping and praying that no news is good news, and if he's not any better, he is hopefully at least the same instead of worse.. I am getting ready to head to the hospital in just a few.

I hope that he only went into a coma for his body to "heal" itself, and he is out shortly. They said the next 24 hours is very critical on if he will make it, which was to be expected with an injury like this. I don't have any word on how the other player is doing, but I hope he is not severely injured as well. They were on opposing teams and apparently collided on the field, so this was just a "freak" accident.

[ShortStack]

Update: I just got back from the hospital, and was not able to see him. Because they don't want too much stimulation in the room, they are only allowing his parents in and they have occasionally allowed the youth pastor in as well. They are saying that medically they have done all that they can for him, and that while the swelling is decreasing rather rapidly, he still only has a slim chance. They are giving it 72 hours or so before they suspect they will be able to say the extent of his injuries. This kid is in need of a miracle right now. Medically, there is nothing else that can be done. That is his only chance at the moment. I am not going to class tonight because we are having a prayer service for him at church, and since I work so closely with the youth, I'm going to go be with the kids.

As for the other player, he was taken to the emergency room, but was released quickly, so praise God it's not both of them that are so critically injured.

Shellie, I'm not sure what the name of the surgery they did is, but all they did was put a tube in to drain the fluid and help reduce the swelling and pressure in his brain. He is in some of the best human hands he can be in, as definitley in the best spiritual ones as well.

[JLC]

I've prayed right now for strength and peace for his family...wisdom and sharpness for the doctors...and a miraculous healing for the young man. God IS in control.

[ShortStack]

I've prayed right now for strength and peace for his family...wisdom and sharpness for the doctors...and a miraculous healing for the young man. God IS in control.

Thank you!