Chapter 2 Summary and Analysis

Alan was in a coma, and Cathy feared brain death and a vegetative state, but nurses assured her a coma was the brain's way of trying to heal itself, and did not always mean brain death. Alan was kept naked to keep his body temperature as low as possible, and a feeding tube was inserted. He was also put on a ventilator to keep his brain as oxygenated as possible.

Meanwhile, Cathy tried to learn everything she could about TBI. Alan's official diagnosis was DAI, or diffuse axonal injury. Cathy conferred with a graduate friend of theirs, Dr. Andy, who specialized in brain injury cases, and Dr. Andy and his wife gave Cathy additional information and sent her a book on brain injury. Cathy grew close with other TBI victim families in the waiting room, including the parents of a teenage...