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Is it possible that I incurred any amount of (permanent) brain damage?
Brain & Nervous System | Last Active: Aug 29, 2016 | Replies (6)Comment receiving replies
Hello...I'm probably not posting this right. But I think I'm writing in a Reply section....But I need some advise if anyone can help me! My son suffered from Carbon Monoxide poisoning and the last seven months has seen the ER three times and nothing came from it. We finally got in to see the Neurologist who through blood work noticed that his brain has been suffering from lack of oxygen and now he is being refereed to a Hematologist. I have asked for him to go to a Hyperbaric chamber for some oxygen relief but i have to say, it takes a very long time for anyone to get this going and I'm afraid that he may have some brain damage before all this gets finally done. He's had a MRI, CT, Echo, EEG and all showed no damage but his blood work shows a high level of hemoglobin. I am going to his primary physician to fight for a STAT referral to a Hematologist to get him seen. My question is...my son suffers everyday with having a "high" feeling...fog like, lack of concentration, focus, emotions are all over the place. His motor skills are okay right now but I'm worried the longer we have to wait, could some brain damage occur??
Replies to "Hello...I'm probably not posting this right. But I think I'm writing in a Reply section....But I..."
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Welcome to Mayo Connect @lindarigsby. We are anxious to respond as soon as possible when a newcomer asks for help and would benefit from helpful information from Connect members. Your concerns about your son's plight are certainly understandable, because his problem apparently extends a bit beyond a simple answer.
The simple answer relates to his high level of hemoglobin. This is not surprising, given carbon monoxide poisoning. A natural healthy response to CO poisoning is for the body to manufacture additional hemoglobin in red blood cells in order to replace lost oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. But the other factors you mention raise added questions that often are answered only through a differential diagnosis in which a medical team checks every reasonable possibility and rules them out one by one. The complexity here is suggested on the following web pages from MedicineNet.com: http://www.medicinenet.com/polycythemia_high_red_blood_cell_count/page4.htm.
Don't be put off by this comprehensive discussion of "polycythemia," which is a word describing excess hemoglobin. Within this article is information that is pertinent to your son's situation, along with information on a number of possibilities that will be rejected through differential diagnosis.
It's good that you are demanding a medical team to look into your son's current situation and his experiences over the last few months. One important question is: When was the test taken that disclosed excess hemoglobin? This could be pivotal in finding out whether this condition is "primary" (based on dysfunction in his body's manufacture of hemoglobin) or "secondary" (based on some other cause, such as CO poisoning, sleep apnea, emphysema, COPD, or a chronic heart condition). It also might answer your question as to whether to submit to a hyperbaric chamber, which is common as an early response to CO poisoning. Has any doctor raised the possibility of a kidney problem, which could be involved and would suggest bringing a nephrologist onto the team?
Check back every day for input from our members with similar questions and experiences. We'll stay in touch as your efforts on behalf of your son yield results!