Professional Cycling For the Fans - Juan Mauricio Soler showing ‘serious cognitive deficit’

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/swiss-doctors-say-colombian-cyclist-soler-showing-serious-cognitive-deficits-and-cant-speak/2011/07/07/gIQACEVZ2H_story.html


GENEVA — Doctors treating Colombian cyclist Juan Mauricio Soler say he’s showing signs of “serious cognitive deficits” after waking from an induced coma three weeks after crashing in the Tour of Switzerland.

A spokesman for St. Gallen Hospital in eastern Switzerland says the 28-year-old rider can follow simple commands and move all four limbs, but isn’t able to speak.
Distressing news. I was pulling for him as he was making a serious comeback this season.

Wishing him a speedy recovery.

Dang, sure hope he comes around.

Eeek. :( It really hits home, and makes me feel for these guys when they lose a little bit of themselves to the sport, especially when it's that little bit you can't get back.

What is the typical status after a three week coma? I'd imagine it's worse than having just woken up from a power nap...

Eeek. :( It really hits home, and makes me feel for these guys when they lose a little bit of themselves to the sport, especially when it's that little bit you can't get back.

What is the typical status after a three week coma? I'd imagine it's worse than having just woken up from a power nap...

Even without the cognitive issues, he still faces a lengthy rehab for atrophied muscles and nutritional deficits (which will be complicated by his newly-discovered swallowing problems). The kind of injuries he suffered can take years to heal, and he may never actually be back to himself. There's also no way to tell how well he will do physically, once he's out of bed. The report says he's "moving all of his extremities", but that doesn't mean he has full control of them, or full sensation in them. The fact that he now can't speak, and has these swallowing problems, are just the presently noticeable signs of a potentially severe brain injury. Perhaps not, and I certainly hope he does great. I've always liked the guy.

And, for those unfamiliar with what happened to Soler, I started a thread about it way back when:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/744197-Soler-hurt-in-Tour-de-Suisse

Some encouraging news for Soler. At least he's finally out of the hospital. Riding may not be in his future, but he survived, and can have a good long time with his family.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/soler-out-of-hospital-after-four-months