Acute on chronic subdural haemotoma

[Sodes]

Hello people, My mom was on anticoagulatants and then suffered from a acute on chronic subdural haemotoma on Feb 5th,2019. She was in coma at that time. She underwent a burr hole drainage for the same. 3 days later she had a heart attack. She was in the ICU for a week and now shifted to a hospital room.Not discharged yet.

Current status : A tube in her nose from which she is fed liquid foods. She now takes some spoons of liquid food through her mouth as well.

Earlier she was in coma, then she regained conscious, then she was in very agitated stated yelling and crying but now it has stopped.

Once she gained consciousness, she started talking which was gibberish and we couldn't understand and she kept on repeating those words again and again. Now, we think that she can understand what we are talking her to ( although not all the time), but we dont know if she recognizes us. She sometimes gives relevant answers to our questions but still blabbers and keeps on repeating things. Laughs at some of our jokes and tries to sing her fav songs when we play them on out stereo.

Has anyone gone through these things? what was the recovery process? How long does it take generally ? Does recovery happen at all?

I am very much troubled and sad to see my active and healthy mom in this state and cant wait for her to get better again. So desperate to find information for the same.

Thanks in advance.

[cat3]

Absolutely Sodes. Reading your post was like listening to my son & daughter after I had a brain haemorrhage in 2011. They described how they were convinced I was lost to them because they were seeing me as a badly brain damaged stranger.

I apparently made nonsensical claims, one of which was that the pristine, state of the art ward was 'filthy' whilst attempting to pull out my tubes/feed to wash the ceiling ! And my daughter was upset for weeks by my addressing her by a neighbour's name and thanking that person for taking the trouble to visit me. I could go on...…

It hurt me deeply finding out later what my family had been through, whilst I had no memory of any of it. It must have been scary for them arriving to find me with hands bandaged like white footballs to prevent me from pulling out drips so I could 'Go for a ciggy'.

Your mum won't remember any of her present behaviour, but for you it'll be possibly the worst time of your life. All I can tell you is that I'm repeating what I've said to so many people over the past few years because SO many others have been where you are.

She's finding her way back to you. You can't see it, but her brain is busy healing and recalibrating. Keep talking to her about familiar things ; show photos and keep playing those songs ; all the odd behaviour is SO normal at the stage she's at. It's such early days ! It was over a month before I could string a sensible sentence together.

I wish you all the very best during this challenging time, and though it's a long journey I hope your mum will be back with you before long.

All best wishes, Cat x

[Kirk5w7]

Hi Sodes,

Everything Cat says is so true.

We see recovery from brain injury portrayed on in the media as something that happens quickly and totally. This is untrue, it is a long and arduous journey with no promises at the end of it.

Patience is the watchword, and stimulation, as your mum becomes more aware of her surroundings encourage her to talk and participate.

If you visit and she is asleep, talk to her or read to her.

I am 7 years into recovery and still have issues but coping well and life is good.

Keep strong.

Janet x

[Sodes]

Hi Janet and Cat,

I am so grateful you people have reached out. I was so down and depressed about her condition. I was searching for her recovery prospects when I came across this forum. Me and my sister feel positive that my mother will eventually come around and be good enough to talk to us as before. Your words have inspired us. Its just that sometimes we feel down about her future, our lives to adjust with it etc. Some weird thoughts also cross our mind that what if she doesn't show progress? or doesn't get better? However we know that it is going to take some time to get better and we have to give her that time after all that she has done for us. We have learnt to celebrate even her smallest progress and tell her how we love her and are proud of her. We have strong belief that she is going to get better. She is strong woman and has a great willpower.

Its just that at times when we are down we need people like you and forums like this.

Thank you so much.

Today's update : She drank half a cup of coffee by her own self, taking the cup in her own hands. We played my sisters wedding video for her, she was looking at the screen intently, concentrating hard and also twice or thrice tried to reach out to touch the screen and move her fingers on it.

[cat3]

Those are small but significant signs which hopefully will add up to a recognisable, overall improvement in the near future. The hardest part is the waiting because progress can be painfully slow ; it's only when looking back that you'll see just how far your mum has come.

It wasn't 'til around the 4 month point that we, as a family, managed to offload our personal feelings on the whole nightmare to one another. In the meantime, although the waiting can be exhausting, try to bear in mind that the most effective 'medicine' for a poorly brain is the passage of time.

You've learned quickly that keeping you mum stimulated, and reassured of your presence and love, is an integral part of that medicine. Keep us updated won't you Sodes…….. xx