“Celebrity Apprentice” contestant and Poison frontman Bret Michaels’ condition is said to be deteriorating, according to a report from ETOnline. The celebrity news site claims that a source close to the family revealed that the 47-year-old singer would undergo surgery soon to relieve swelling in the brain. The report comes on the heels of optimistic doctoral prognoses and reports, including an interview with Bret Michaels’ father.
After five days in the hospital, Bret Michaels’ condition remained critical, and doctors were still having difficulty locating the source of the bleeding that was found emanating from the base of his brain. His publicists headed off talk of “stabilized” and “improving” condition reports by posting a statement Sunday on the rocker’s website and his Facebook page, noting that Poison frontman was in an ICU in critical condition, that the tests had failed to locate the source of the subarachnoid hemorrhage, that more tests were forthcoming, and that although Bret Michaels was conscious, his words were slurred and his vision blurry.
It was a cautious but hopeful statement, entreating all of Bret Michaels’ fans — from his music and his stints on reality shows like “Rock of Love” and “Celebrity Apprentice 3” — to pray and hope for the best.
On Monday, reports were somewhat pragmatic. Updates on the singer’s condition included many professional medical opinions on what could be expected. Although some of the numbers were a bit daunting — such as one in four of brain hemorrhage victims die within the first week and half within the first six months — the idea of survivability became the underlying theme.
Then, on Tuesday, “Extra” talked with Bret Michaels’ father, Wally Sychak, who told them that he had talked to his son, and although his words were a bit slow, he understood the conversation. He seemed to be improving.
He said he had been told that Michaels was moving his arms and legs. When asked how Bret had sounded on the phone, his father said, “He sounded a little slow, but fine. He was talking, not as cheerful as he usually is. But I guess he is under sedation. But he understood what he was saying and knew me. Everything seemed good that way.”
“Well, the fact that he was talking to me and giving me information,” Sychak told “Extra,” “I thought that was great. I understood that this was a terrible ordeal that he was going through. We’re not getting information right now. I guess no news is good news.”
But if the news being reported by ETOnline about surgery being imminent came from a reliable source, no news in this case wasn’t so good.
Bret Michaels was rushed to the hospital Thursday night after suffering from an excruciatingly painful headache. He was diagnosed with a subarachnoid hemorrhage, a bleeding between the brain and its protective layer of tissue covering the brain. Doctors are unsure of the cause of the hemorrhage but note that most are caused by undetected aneurysms.
Bret Michaels is currently starring as a contestant on “Celebrity Apprentice,” where he has raised thousands of dollars for diabetes (the American Diabetes Association), a condition for which he was diagnosed at the age of six.
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Sources:
ETOnline.com
Extra.warnerbros.com
