Hi there, just an introduction and my sons story.

[Frankie989]

Hi, I'm Frann, my son Alan suffered a sudden cardiac arrest in September last year.

Unfortunatly as a result of this he sustained a massive hypoxic brain injury, his EEG's showed no normal brain function.

I think at the time I couldn't understand how this could have happened, to be honest I still can't, Alan received CPR from my husband and his younger sister for 26 minutes before the paramedics took over, it took a further 40 minutes for his heart to start beating and stay beating.

In the beginning the medical team had no real hope for Alan's survival, he had been without oxygen for a massive length of time, he showed no signs what so ever of having any brain function, his life was being supported by machines.

Hours merged into days, all we could do was sit and watch, hope that he would defy the odds and be ok.

When the day finally came for his breathing tube to be removed we were warned that the chances were he would pass away shortly after,

He did not, he was transferred to a gastric ward less than 24 hours after the removal of his breathing tube, I guess they thought well he's gonna die anyway so we will just put him wherever there is a bed....

The staff on the ward didn't know how do deal with him in his state, he was still in a comatic condition and was receiving no fluids, no oxygen, he began fitting, turned yellow, they gave him IM diazepam to try to stop the fitting, there's just no way he should have been in a gastric ward full of airborne infection, we were all horrified at what we were seeing, we kept saying he should be in the high dependency unit,

Thankfully after many hours he was moved to medical high dependency, Unfortunatly his time on a gastric ward without any fluids had already done its damage, Alan had aspiration pneumonia, he went on to contract empyema, a secondary infection to the pneumonia.

He had a thin drain fitted to drain the infected fluid from his lung, my poor boy was going through so much, it's a miracle that he made it that far.

After 17 days in MHDU he was deemed fit enough to be moved to the stroke ward where he would receive some physiotherapy,

Unfortunatly he was not as well as they thought he was, his empyema was actually still there and was getting worse and worse but they didn't know,

His blood levels just kept showing signs of infection so he was receiving antibiotics but nothing was working,

In the end he went for a scan which showed an encapsulated empyema, he needed to go to another hospital for a large operation to have this removed as it was septic. There was basically a 50/50 chance for his survival, however without the operation the infection would kill him.

So we had the surgery which was thankfully successful, and after a few weeks of recovery he was fit enough to be moved to a neurorehabilitation unit,

He has now been in neurorehabilitation for seven months, Unfortunatly his recovery didn't go as well as they hoped it would, he is essentially a baby, BUT...he is so very happy, he laughs and smiles all the time, his understanding is not the same as yours or mine but he is learning things all over again, he cannot talk, eat or drink, he cannot sit, stand, walk or run, he will probably never do any of these things but we will always hold onto the hope that he will,

his survival chances were so low that we are never ruling anything out, because against all odds he did xx

[Hidden]

Oh Frann, how frightening for you and your family, especially as you could see that the treatment he was getting was not the right thing. Don't give up hope, he has been amazing to have come so far and if you read stories of the people on here, you will realise that many of them have been told there would be no hope for their recovery, but they have gone on to improve year by year.

Very, very best wishes to you all. Let us know how he gets on.

Jan

[Kirk5w7]

Welcome, I am so very sorry that your family has to endure this. If I could wave a magic wand I would.

Keep strong, I'm sure your son is aware of the love that surrounds him. And never say never, who knows what is around the next corner.

Look after yourself, that is very important, get plenty of sleep and rest, it will help sustain through this difficult time.

Take care Janet x

[cat3]

Hello Frann and welcome. What an ordeal this last year has been for you all. I hope we can be of support to you now and in the future.

Sincere best wishes, Cat x

[steve55]

frankie always believe. a baby crawls then stands gets its balance toddles.

a baby will mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm then from that words develope.

a baby needs to be fed, but evevetually awkwardly will take the spoon and messily feed itself.

like i say never lose faith

steve

[randomphantoms]

Frann my heart goes out to you and the family.

The old expression "Where there's a will there's a way" holds so much meaning for many of us and the mere fact that your son is still here is testament to the strength of his will.

We are here for you when you need us.

Love n hugs

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

[squire87]

Hi Frann,

Welcome & I & my friend Andy are very sorry to hear that you & your family been through such an ordeal over the last year.

i & Andy send our love, hugs & prayers to you & your family at this difficult time.

Laura, Amy's mum & Andy

[lisa85]

My parents were told that I'd never walk or talk again and my life would be that of a 6 month baby forever. 11&1/2 years later I am walking, talking, running my own headway branch in Merthyr and living a full (normal) life with little problems that's only noticeable to people who don't know I have a brain injury. Just give him all the encouragement you can and fingers crossed he will go on to prove the doctors wrong. Xxx

[Janeleverton]

Frann

I am so very sorry to read this. My son also had a cardiac arrest aged 18 a year ago. Never give up hope, it's a long road to recovery but with the love of his family around him I'm sure you will see progress. Thinking of you all at this difficult time.

Jane

[Frankie989]

Wow, thank you all so much for your kind words and for making me feel so welcome, it is wonderful to finally have somewhere that I can speak to people who understand and who share similar experiences,

So much goes round in your head at times it feels like it's going to explode,

I feel so guilty for my other children, I wish I could cut myself in two, I spend so many hours of every day at the rehab unit, I feel like I am letting them down

I know our lives will never be the same again, but I also know that it doesn't have to be negative either, I think at this point now we have to look at all the positives that we have, there has been so much negativity and its really taken its toll, nows the time to try and turn it around, try and find the positives again.