It is almost 6 weeks since my son had his heart attack and hypoxic BI. He was one week in a drug induced coma and a further week in high dependency unit before being moved to a respiratory ward which was full of very elderly stroke patients. The nurses were very good but he is a very strong fit young man and he would not stay in bed and kept rolling out - so mattresses were put all over the floor and around the walls of the room (like a padded cell) as when he tried to stand he fell over and his arms did not appear to have any strength in them at all. He did not talk but his swallowing was good. He was three weeks on this ward and had about one hour of physio every day with the S&L visiting him every day on the ward for 20 mins or so. He was left on many occasions wet and had been rolling out of the room into the corridor and one patient's relative told us that the nurses were stepping over him. We of course, complained and he was transferred to a more suitable ward for neuro patients a bit nearer to our home, which we were extremely grateful for. The new ward has also had to put him in a side room and take the bed out and turn it into a padded cell with mattresses etc. They have said that he cannot go into the rehab ward as he needs to be in a bed etc.
Yesterday he appears to have turned a corner and when he was having his shower (only the 3rd since he was admitted) he indicated to the nurse that he wanted to use the toilet, she got him on there and he managed to say to her "thank you for all your help". The physios then arrived and this was reported to them - they were quite shocked and took him to the rehab ward for some therapy and whilst he was there stood up and started to walk with very little help.
I knew right from when he came out of his coma that he was still in there but as I have read on this site that the brain can take up to three months to get over the shock. He has spoken quite a bit yesterday and for the first time was able to sit in a chair without trying to get out and stand up. Long may this progress continue