August 25, 2008 | 1:03 am

Hyler’s injuries revealed

Posted by Danielle Berrin

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Initially keeping a closed lid on the severity of Joan Hyler’s injuries, her progress has enabled those closest to her to reveal just how grave those injuries were. In the latest update posted on UCLA’s carepages, it is explained that Hyler has been on a ventilator, suffered collapsed lungs, sustained multiple broken bones throughout her body, experienced internal bleeding in her head and stomach and is wearing a collar to support her neck and head.

The writer admits that the trauma discussed in the following post has not previously been referenced.  For now, it seems the good news is that Hyler’s condition is improving, but the comfort with her progress has led someone to disclose how close she came to losing her life.

The latest update:

When Joan arrived at UCLA she had a bleed/bruise/subdural hematoma next to the brain. Yesterday’s C-T scan reveals no further bleeding and indicates
that the existing fluid is appropriately on path to being reabsorbed and thus dissapated. As a result the doctors feel confident enough to remove the monitoring device from Joan’s head.

The MRI revealed that Joan’s spine is in good shape and, pending the results of some small additional tests, the doctors plan on removing the support collar from Joan’s neck and chest.

Joan’s lungs have made great progess. After the accident there had been a great deal of fluid pooling in the lowest areas of the
lungs. That fluid has been successfully drained and as a result the doctors have removed one of Joan’s chest tubes, and will imminently be removing
the other.

In the same manner, the doctors are no longer concerned about the pooling of fluid in Joan’s abdomen. All of the internal bleeding has apparently
been caught and the abdomen has been drained.

Joan responded to one of the Neuro residents by opening her eyes, appearing to see him, recognizing his commands, and answering appropriately. She won’t do this for me.

The humerus surgery is still planned for Friday. The surgeries to her legs where they inserted a rod/pin/nail and where they repaired her ankle were
complicated and involved additional procedures which the doctors will re-examine on Tuesday. The break to the pelvis and to the clavicle require no surgical intervention.

Joan remains on a ventilator, but she has made sufficiently good progress that the staff is adjusting the device so that Joan will be breathing along with the ventilator, preparing her lungs for the shortly anticipated removal of the breathing apparatus.

I know this is a lot of detail to absorb, and that this update refers to a number of injuries that had not been previously referenced. The point, however, is that in each of these areas Joan has made good, strong progress.