(no subject)

[tree_and_leaf]

Yesterday I went up to the Radcliffe Infirmary (familiar to Sayers fans as the hospital where Jerry is laid up after his accident) to visit a friend, who had landed up there after an ear infection turned nasty. I hadn't actually realised how ill he had been; turns out that, had things gone a bit differently, he might have died. He had gone up to the hospital because he felt very much worse, and they admitted him for observation, which, as it turned out, was a very good thing.



So on Saturday afternoon he decided to read for a bit. And while he was reading, he suddenly discovered that he couldn't read anymore. Not that the letters were too blurred to read; they were still clear. But they didn't mean anything.

Shortly after that, he discovered that he couldn't speak - he couldn't form any words, and when the nurse came he couldn't understand anything anyone said to him. It was just noise.

I cannot, immediately, think of anything more frightening. It is interesting, of course: he could still think rationally up to a point - for instance, he knew he could summon help by pressing the bell. This makes me wonder if there isn't a difference between language as labels for thoughts and thoughts-as-objects, which we can still process to an extent without language. I'm possibly not making that clear - I know very little about cognitive science - though i believe the neurologist thought this was a fascinating case; but certainly he wasn't in the same case as someone with severe dementia - he was conscious of what was wrong, and he could communicate non-verbally.

Anyway: he was rushed to theatre and they opened up below his ear, and discovered that the infection had been working inwards. The swelling and pus was creating pressure on the part of the brain which controls language, somehow; furthermore, the infection was spreading into the surfaces of the brain (meninges?)

He seems to be doing well, though he was very tired and pale. But his language use was mostly back to normal - though he got stuck for the odd word; reassuringly, though, he was in good spirits and like his normal self to talk to. And thanks to the wonders of antibiotics - and the fact that he was in hospital when the crisis happened - he should be healthy again before too long.

But it was, as Aubrey might say, a damned nice thing - nip and tuck - and it does rather make me go cold when I think about it. He has a wife and three small children.

Comments

[dolorous-ett.livejournal.com]

That's terrifying. As another linguist, I agree - worse than this, it doesn't get. Without words, I might as well not exist. Or be kept in a hutch as a pet, to entertain passing small children.

Poor man. I hope he gets better soon.

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

That is very frightening, and makes me very glad that I seem to have grown out of ear infections. The neurological/language implications are, as you say, fascinating, but probably not his top priority.

[tree_and_leaf]

Well no, poor bloke, especially as the neurologist told him he'd be in hospital for at least another nine days (from today).

Still, I suppose the fact that he is fidgeting about wanting to get out of hospital and back to work is a good thing, in a way, as a sign he is on the mend. On the other hand, I think half his problems were caused by trying to go back to work while he was still ill, so it's good that the doctors can talk sense into him