George Clooney's neck/brain injury from 2005

I respect George for the way he coped with all that.
Didn't he make Good Night and Good Luck during that period. I think his love of his work got him through
his annus horribilis.

It's also one of the reasons why I don't critisise
his choice of lady friends.

Thanks Mazy, I heard it too that the operation was at the top of the spinal. Poor George. But strong if he really doesn't take painkillers.
 
Does anyone know if he still suffers under short -term memory loss?

Wonder after 8 years if he still suffers from headaches, back pain and shor term memory loss............Poor George Hope he recovered from all of that.

Mazy please change the title
It seems of today!!!

Anyway in some The American pics
When  dangled down in exercises scene you can see a lil scar
Not exactly at the base of the head
More lower

Anyway CHANGE PLEASE THE TITLE

Brain injury? No way! I didn´t read it but title is crazy.
Oh god, all you have to see

The spinal cord begins at the occipital bone, lower part of the cranium & extends 45 cm downwards along the spine. Therefore, more than likely his surgery on the dura matter of the spinal cord was, as stated, in the neck area.

NOT brain surgery as erroneously written by the exuberant, sensationalist reporter.

If The American photos indicate a fine stitch on the left side, perhaps that's the scar.

Thanks for the change

I think he still gets some headaches but not 100% sure. In the beginning he tried some of the pain meds they gave him but they gave him the horrors. I also heard or read that he didn't actually said that he contemplated suicide, what he was saying was that he could not imagine living the rest of his life in that kind of pain. Which is quite normal in that condition.

In my opinion he is one hell of a person more concerned about others all the time and fighting for equality and justice for many different groups of people. That's why I always say that I love the person George way before I love the film maker George. I have an enormous amount of respect for him. Even with something like this the media has to twist his words around. I do a lot of research on things like this because I like to know the truth.

Changed your names IM, okay.

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On one side, there's a small scar to the left of his neck; consistent in two photos.

You are right
I remember another one
Lower

Anyway
All went fine

This is the most important thing

The thing that most of all made me sad was that
In this occasion too!
He was seen as the 'weak sissy superstar' who can't bear an headache

Without even trying to understand what happened to him

After all he bounced with no protection at all

Maybe it is lower and what appears to be a small incision on the nape of his neck in the first photo and the one leaning forward is actually a shadow...

In any case, it's not brain surgery...

Maybe the extra 30lbs he gained for the role in Syriana had effected his agility and he was more accident prone.
Anyway, both GNGL & Syriana were released in November 2005, but I'm not sure which was filmed first. I was under the impression they were filmed in 2004 & GNGL preceded.
I could be wrong.

Syriana first
GNGL when he was slowly loosing weight

"more accident prone"

He was tied down

Sadly

Juliette Hardy wrote:[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

On one side, there's a small scar to the left of his neck; consistent in two photos.

No big deal.......you just kiss it better....very slowly......X

  yes

Alas, praise the Lord the road to recovery may have been slow but George is a hyperactive guy and ultimately pulled through.  Some fine performances too. Like Michael Clayton, to name a few.

Here is a link to one interview, I am checking the rest.

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Ooh Mazy, I just read the interview on your link.......it WAS serious.

Such pain...poor Baby....I am so ashamed, I thought it was just "Hollywood Headache"

     

George Clooney - Brain Injury And Family Loss

George Clooney considered committing suicide after "the worst year" of his life. The 'Oceans 12' actor admitted the past 12 months have been difficult to cope with after suffering an excruciating brain injury on set of his new thriller, 'Syriana'.

He was also left reeling after his grandmother, brother-in-law and dog all died within months of each other.

He told America's National Public Radio in Los Angeles: "There was this scene where I was taped to a chair and getting beaten up and we did quite a few takes. The chair was kicked over and I hit my head.

"I tore my dura, which is the wrap around my spine which holds in spinal fluid.

But it's not my back, it's my brain. I basically bruised my brain It's bouncing around my head because it's not supported by the spinal fluid"

The accident left Clooney with excruciating headaches and serious memory loss. He added: "Before the surgery it was the most unbearable pain I've ever been through, literally where you'd go; 'Well, you'll have to kill yourself at some point, you can't live like this'" But the 44-year-old revealed life became even more difficult after members of his family passed away. He confessed: "It's probably the worst year personally I have ever had. My brother-in-law died of a heart attack aged 45; my grandma fell, broke her hip and died this summer. And my dog got attacked by a rattlesnake and killed"

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George Clooney, 2010

As reported in various newspaper articles, George Clooney revealed how he contemplated suicide to escape the horrific pain he was experiencing after suffering a brain injury in an accident while shooting a scene forSyriana. The 44-year-old star said he battled against excruciating headaches and serious memory loss after falling and banging his head while filming the thriller set in the Middle East.

“There was this scene where I was taped to a chair and getting beaten up. The chair was kicked over, and I hit my head. I tore my dura, which is the wrap around the spine that holds in the spinal fluid. I basically bruised my brain. It's bouncing around my head because it's not supported by the spinal fluid,” Clooney stated.

He suffered constant pain and splitting headaches as doctors initially could not identify the problem. He could not take painkillers in case he became addicted to them; several members of his family had suffered that fate. Instead, he had to prepare mentally through therapy that taught him to forget his own pain.

After the accident, Clooney began trying to encourage his memory to return by doing repetitive counting exercises, and even had to write his lines on scraps of paper for his next project.

“TBI has been a big issue in my life, it changed everything for me” he says, and he has the scars to prove it. "It starts from the top of my neck and goes all the way down to the base of my spine. I still have to have blood patched right into my spine to try and clog up the holes . . . that hurts. Every day I still have to deal with pretty severe headaches, but nothing like what it was.” —George Clooney

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Apparently they didn't operate on the "TBI" but the surgery was at the top of the spine which goes into the head area. It had to be some surgery if it took 9 hours. He still gets the headaches but not as bad. This is the reason why I say that the lights both his eyes. I get migraines anyone that gets them know that the lights both you.

As of this date he still has to go for the blood patches. I would assume this might be an ongoing thing to keep the dura closed. So actually they didn't go into any "GRAY MATER" which is little consolation considering all he did go through. So the scare would have to be from one end of his spinal column to the other. God Bless his strength.

I wasn't really aware of the severity nor exact nature of the injury.
Prior to 2008, I was familiar with some of George's film work (not TV), and occasionally would come across his name in the media, which I would read about with mixed bemusement & interest.  So, I vaguely remember reading about an injury.

"There was this scene where I was taped to a chair and getting beaten up and we did quite a few takes. The chair was kicked over and I hit my head."

It's scary to think that it could have been much worse if the injury was several millimeters deeper.

I truly hope he looks after himself, has lots of rest, no daredevil stunts, and eats nutritiously.  Injuries take a long time to heal. The older you are, the longer the process.

Well in another interview he said that the doctor told him just have to forget about how you were. You start from now. There are many not as strong would have not gotten back the way he did. If you notice the later in the day it gets the more weary he seems to look.

That's why I always say there are many reasons why he lives his life the way he does. I don't think he could ever cope with raising a family. Also he is not going to tie up a young lady's time for more than he does no matter how he feels. Knowing that most of the most likely have children one day. What he needs one of us less young that can handle his life. However he is not the sort to put his burden on others. God Loves him or he would be here. Many don't make it this well with TBIs, he is an amazing man. Gotta Love Him.

Awful injury, never hear of it before.

I’m venturing into medical science territory here.  Would be happy to have real experts weigh in. But maybe someone can correct me, if I got it all wrong.

I´m confused, so he had TBI? Brain injury not dural tears causing epidural headaches.

And as a consequence, as someone was implying here, he still today suffers from various symptoms. Those symptoms being behavioral + emotional + social (= unable to raise his own family), cognitive (memory losses) and of course physical (headaches) effecting the way he can cope with his life per se?

Yet at the same time he has been working non-stop long hours successfully. Travelling in a year more than many people do in their lifetime, representing in all the awards and festivals, looking good and healthy.

Excellent and fast recovery, it seems to me.

It wasn't really fast recovery but he worked through it God only knows how. I don't believe that he has any memory loss anymore. He had both the dura leak and the TBI (tramatic brain injury) His Aunt Betty that you can see her name in one of the articles above died from a TBI. That is why the family help fund that The Betty Clooney Foundation.  

He got a form of therapy where he trained his memory to eventually work normally and because of the pain he trained his mind to ignore the pain. There was another article that I thought I put here it is from February 2012. At the time he was still getting the "blood Patches" periodically and he said that he still gets the pain and headaches. I didn't realize that the cut for the surgery went from the top of the spine all the way down to the base. He said in one article that he was a scrapper and he sure is.

As far as the suicide thing it doesn't mean that he was planning it or anything. It was more like if this is the way it's going to be forever, then I might have to think about it. I heard him say that they twist his words sometimes, it wasn't like he really was going to do anything.

I admire and respect him for what he has been able to do with all his medical problems; from young the dyslexia and the bells palsy. Love G

Absolutely excellent!!!!!!!!!!!      

As they say

"what doesn't kill you makes you stronger"

Mazy, thank you so much for this, and your comments help tell the whole story. X

Ok, as we already have a thread on this, I've merged the two threads together. Hope nobody's confused.

ps: please don't make thread titles in all capitals, thanks!

Maybe the next time some poster erroneously accuses George of being drunk when he's shielding his eyes from the camera flashes upon exiting a restaurant,
we can all refer them to this thread to shut them up !

It's always been obvious to me that the flashes cause him problems and it makes me mad that it's misinterpreted by a small minded few.

OK.....rant over.

 

Joanna wrote: Maybe the next time some poster erroneously accuses George of being drunk when he's shielding his eyes from the camera flashes upon exiting a restaurant, we can all refer them to this thread to shut them up !

Yes, people with brain issues can have a problem called ataxia which makes them off balance sometimes. People think they're drunk when they're just tired or having a bad day, physically.

And the camera flashes! That is very hard on the eyes and the brain. Neurologists use strobe lights to bring on seizures (for diagnosis).

HU? Really??

Anyway yes, light can be annoying sometimes
To me too, bec of myopic

Or sun, when driving
Really dangerous

Mazy wrote:It wasn't really fast recovery but he worked through it God only knows how. I don't believe that he has any memory loss anymore. He had both the dura leak and the TBI (tramatic brain injury) His Aunt Betty that you can see her name in one of the articles above died from a TBI. That is why the family help fund that The Betty Clooney Foundation.  

He got a form of therapy where he trained his memory to eventually work normally and because of the pain he trained his mind to ignore the pain. There was another article that I thought I put here it is from February 2012. At the time he was still getting the "blood Patches" periodically and he said that he still gets the pain and headaches. I didn't realize that the cut for the surgery went from the top of the spine all the way down to the base. He said in one article that he was a scrapper and he sure is.

As far as the suicide thing it doesn't mean that he was planning it or anything. It was more like if this is the way it's going to be forever, then I might have to think about it. I heard him say that they twist his words sometimes, it wasn't like he really was going to do anything.

I admire and respect him for what he has been able to do with all his medical problems; from young the dyslexia and the bells palsy. Love G

Sweet Mazy!  

Yes
He was really great    

 

AMEN Joanna!  

He really is a trooper . He looks great .

 Thanks for the explanation Mazy. Our george is special

Katiedot wrote:Ok, as we already have a thread on this, I've merged the two threads together.  Hope nobody's confused.

ps: please don't make thread titles in all capitals, thanks!

Sorry about the caps that's how I have my docs formatted on my computer, forgot to change it when I brought it here. Sorry

george said he was planning suicide in three weeks, but you really would not, because I was looking for a way of living, despite all the pain

I was at a point where I thought, 'I can not be so, I can not actually live'. He was lying in a hospital bed with an IV in his arm, unable to move, with those headaches where you feel like you're having a stroke, and for a short period of three weeks, I started thinking 'I have to do something drastic about it ', "said Clooney.

"You start to think in terms of 'do not want to leave a mess, so go in the garage, get in the car, start the engine ... It seems the best way to do it, but I never thought to get there. Behold, I was at a point where I was trying to figure out how to survive, "said the actor

I as well considered suicide last year and was hospitalized for it for a month. I am so glad i got into the hospital though. A year later and i am way better off than i was.

I took the picture down.

Glad you're better vv.

what would he say wrote:As they say

"what doesn't kill you makes you stronger"

Mazy, thank you so much for this, and your comments help tell the whole story. X

Yes, Thank you!

So happy he is still with us    

I couldn't live without my G

erik23 wrote:"You start to think in terms of 'do not want to leave a mess, so go in the garage, get in the car, start the engine ... It seems the best way to do it, but I never thought to get there. Behold, I was at a point where I was trying to figure out how to survive, "said the actor

Thanks Erik. I read that too long time ago but forgot about it. he must have felt really bad at the time. I like it that he speaks open about it how bad he felt.

very vera wrote:I as well considered suicide last year and was hospitalized for it for a month. I am so glad i got into the hospital though. A year later and i am way better off than i was.

I took the picture down.

 
  OMG sorry to hear. Glad you are doing better. Please feel better until the rest of your life.  

  What do you mean by "I took the picture down"?

Maggy wrote:

what would he say wrote:As they say

"what doesn't kill you makes you stronger"

Mazy, thank you so much for this, and your comments help tell the whole story. X

Yes, Thank you!

So happy he is still with us    

I couldn't live without my G

  So agree. He makes me smile all the time,

Nicky80 wrote:

very vera wrote:I as well considered suicide last year and was hospitalized for it for a month. I am so glad i got into the hospital though. A year later and i am way better off than i was.

I took the picture down.

 
  OMG sorry to hear. Glad you are doing better. Please feel better until the rest of your life.  

  What do you mean by "I took the picture down"?

Maggy wrote:

what would he say wrote:As they say

"what doesn't kill you makes you stronger"

Mazy, thank you so much for this, and your comments help tell the whole story. X

Yes, Thank you!

So happy he is still with us    

I couldn't live without my G

  So agree. He makes me smile all the time,

thank you Nicky. that is very sweet!!!
i had a picture up Joanna did not like

In George's case, the pain from the trauma to his brain & spine impacted him so seriously, that it possibly triggered that unbearable episode of existence beyond tolerance.
His work was a positive aspect in his life, but added to his injury, he had to endure all these other unfortunate matters. At some point a person snaps.

I think, that by opening up about it publicly, he wanted to help others know that he too suffered to the point of breaking.

That's extremely admirable. He must have given many people courage.

I don't recall commenting about a picture of yours vv ?
Do you post any ?

@vera vera. I'm glad you pulled through. There are times of prolonged sadness because negative events can trigger depression.  Or sometimes it's physiological and we just don't know it.  
But riding the storm out can often leave those awful experiences behind. Circumstances improve...The past is left behind.
Always have hope & faith.


P.S. Sometimes I have felt it too. That I'm not "alive." I merely exist. When others break you or unfortunate circumstances occur.

Thank you Juliette and yes you are oh so right!! I have come a long way since last year.

Joanna, the picture you PM'ed me about. I changed it

I also think he was brave

And I can understand the discouragement we sometimes get thru

Lucky who can cope and start again