Posted on 02/18/2011 6:58:30 AM PST by OldDeckHand
Los Angeles reporter Serene Branson has given her first interview since the Grammy night live report that catapulted the KCBS-TV journalist into YouTube fame. “My head was definitely pounding and I was very uncomfortable and I knew something wasn’t right,” Branson told KCBS anchor Pat Harvey Thursday night. “I was terrified and confused. Confused. What had just happened? At that point they sat me down, then my right cheek went numb. My right hand went numb and I lost some sensation in my arm.”
The live report, where Branson become visibly confused and had trouble speaking clearly, led many to fear she’d had a stroke on live television. Branson was checked out by paramedics after the incident, cleared, and sent home. Some have questioned that decision, but Branson says her doctors have determined she suffered a migraine, not a more serious medical problem. As KCBS
(Excerpt) Read more at mediaite.com ...
I haven’t heard if she has ever experienced this in the past...????...if she hasn’t she should seek medical advice before it’s too late. For some to call this a migrane without knowing her medical past so quickly...is not helping her and might even be harming others who may think they have experienced the same thing...
I’m wondering if the paramedics offered and she refused. Paramedics can’t forcibly transport someone against their wishes unless they cannot make a sound judgement (intoxication, insanity etc). Of course, they certainly could have tried to talk her into it by explaining that they really feared for her life.
Ping.
I think we’ll be reading about her massive stroke in the near future. These things don’t just fade away.
Aphasia (speech distortion) is common in stroke. As are all the other symptoms she described.
I only hope she didn’t set a bad example for everyone. She definitely should have gone to the ER. Even if it was just for formality or for show.
If she had died later that night for any reason, even from a fall, all hell would have broken loose over it.
In a case like this, especially something effecting the head or brain, the patient normally does not determine whether or not they go to get checked out.
I say this as a military medic and a repeated viewer of House reruns.
My dear friend was taking birth control pills for the first time (married, had had some kids). She was in public with her kids at a public pool when suddenly she lost the ability to speak and started feeling numb on one side. She could not watch her kids or even tell anyone around that she needed help! Than goodness she wasn’t in the water. It took a couple minutes then passed. She went to the doctor, also fearing a stroke. It was determined to be that same kind of freakish migraine. She didn’t even have head pain. It was caused by the fake hormones in the birth controlmpill, which she stopped taking immediately.
Then came the day when she started to pass out; she dialed 911 but couldn't speak. They got her to the hospital -- brain aneurysm. She didn't die (a miracle) and suffers only a little damage.
I think Serene Branson is probably being misdiagnosed and probably going to be in trouble.
IMHO this is a classic example of a Transient Ischemic Attack, a TIA. It is all too often the precursor to a full blown stroke. Having been the chief of a large pre-hospital advanced life support service I know full well not to put much stock in the reports of a medical incident in the mainstream press.
It is simply not acceptable that a patient would present with the classic symptoms of a TIA and the pre-hospital responders would not recognize it as such and INSIST that she be taken immediately to an ER. Faced with that situation it’s usually possible to explain the situation to the LEO at the scene and get an order to transport.
I really, really hate to criticize or second guess the response of the personnel at the scene of a medical emergency, but the consequences of this handling, if reported correctly, are big, much bigger than the risk of unwarranted criticism.
My guess would be the first responders handled it correctly and subsequent reporting failed to document the care.
That's a possibility. Of course, if this was LA County (and I'm sure it probably was), that would be public information, recorded on the station's daily log. You might think that someone would mention that - either the station in this report, or even the LA County Fire & Rescue when addressing media inquiries.
I agree. I know a few paramedics and if a patient refuses transport, it is documented like crazy. If the person then dies, they cover their own tushes against civil cases. (can’t blame them there). I sort of wonder what she was thinking though. If I suddenly had an “episode” where I garbled my words, I would be so frightened and seek immediate medical assistance.
She´s a television reporter. Going to the hospital is for the little people. Freepers don´t know this?
There are cases when a person will refuse treatment because they are afraid what the hospital will discover, normally drug use. But, there are other issues such as homosexuality, dirty underwear, or abuse of some kind etc.
Billy Mays is an example of that. He was severely knocked on the head but refused any attempt to get him to go to the hospital. He died later that night and it was discovered he was using cocaine.
Whenever a patient with an obvious sever injury, vehemently and irrationally refuses treatment and checkout, I automatically think ‘drugs’.
Of course in the military you don’t have to ask, you just wrap them up and go. With civilians it is a little more tricky.
Still, why she wouldn’t want to go herself just for her own peace of mind? She said she was terrified. I dunno?
If you watch her mouth in the video, you can see it droop and twist a few times. It was her right (viewer’s left) cheek and mouth.
Wouldn’t it be great if all news people had that ability?
Indeed. That she stated her right hand went numb... along with my commenting a few days ago about her right cheek and right side of her mouth... she had a stroke.
I was thinking she may have had a seizure. However, there is a huge connection between seizures and migraines.
I’m guessing there must be something in her background. She probably has a neurologist, and hopefully she talked to him.
Considering the subject matter, I find your comment rude, insensitive, and very funny.
Right. Except her doctors, knowing all this, determined that it was a migraine, not a stroke. But don't let that get in the way of your internet diagnosis.
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