Can the brain stem heal after being damaged?

Does anyone know if the brain stem can heal after its been damaged? We don't know if the radiation , tumor , or surgery is what caused it, we just know its damaged. That seems to be the main reason all the doctors have given up. Can anyone help explain it to me. I would appreciate any information i can get. Breif hx: My sister is 40 , 2 kids (19 & 3yrs old), going on nine months since diagnosis of pilocytic or anaplastic (lots of different opinion) astrocytoma tumor in the fourth ventricle. Traumatic surgery due to hydrocephalus. She is now in a semi vegetative state and considered trapped in the "locked in syndrom", cannot communicate but knows and understands everything. She can react to us by opening and closing  her eyes for yes and no and even though her face is paralized she laughs,we know because her belly moves up and down, it's really sweet.

Wow Teresa, I didn't konw about the communication with the blinking, that your sister could do that. It must be so damn hard to be her, inside. Can you take it to another level with blinking, so that she can spell or select her answer from a multiple choice question? I know it would be a long slow process but wow, I'm continually in awe of how life goes on for some people, even though so much damage has been sustained.

I don't know if recovery is possible but I don't think I would want you to give up if it were me in there. Amazing things can happen. May love and light bless you and your sister.

Best,

Sarah

mom of Andy 26 dx GBM/PNET 1/09

This website describes recovery from a Brain Injury. I would read it to get an idea of what the possibilities are:

http://hosting.texoma.net/business/biotech/thia-faq.htm

I agree with the previous post in that I would not give up. It seems that it could take years to recover some functionality, but there is some hope. The tumor complicates things but if it is not an aggresive tumor I think there is a definite possibility of some recovery.