No visit..

[Dogsabighelp]

Quite upset I didn't get to visit yesterday,I decided it best as I have a cold,sitting there with full ppe and a bunged up nose not a good idea..rang unit Thursday son has a chest infection.his nurse also told me sedation had been given because he was " spinning around bed".he seems to think son perhaps is starting to remember what happened to him five months ago..he says these"flashbacks" come as the person starts to be more aware that they are not where they should be,home with me etc.I cannot think of anything worse,he must be terrified and can't talk?so the more agitated he gets,the more sedation,the more sedation,less progress...does anyone know how the therapy team handle these situations?they obviously deal with this type of thing all the time.I had face time with him y/day he was coughing a good thing they have taught him how to clear his throat.he was not interested in me or dog at all sitting in chair all he kept doing was fidgeting with pillow behind his head only occasionally glancing at tablet.nurse had to ask him to wave bye which he did.so,I guess we are moving into the next phase of this process?there is just something in his eyes that tells me this is not going to be a good experience...

[Shreds]

Dogs, dont pre judge at this point.

Its a long and arduous path to watch and effectively drove my wife to breakdown not knowing outcomes or whether I would survive or become a vegetable. Its taken her longer to come to terms and open up about it than me.

Whilst I couldnt function at all in hospital until much later, the sedation kept me in a ‘happy land’ of very realistic part dreams that convinced me I was in a city I had worked in, many years previously....partying!😀

So dont lose faith, he will have recall over time but as my neuro said, ‘dont push it, let it come back slowly and a lot of the jigsaw will make sense in the end.’

Wise words indeed.

[Nanapal]

So sorry you had to cancel your visit yesterday - I know how disappointing and upsetting it is. I can’t give any advice on how to deal with recollections as our son hasn’t displayed any but hopefully others on here can. I hope your son soon gets over his chest infection and you can shake off your cold quickly. Rollercoaster journey as ever with so many ups and downs to contend with - just have to keep holding on best you can. Take care of yourself. Best wishes Nanapal. x

[cat3]

My agitation was greatly concerning to family but they were assured I was unable to sustain traumatic thoughts/ideas for more than seconds as my poorly brain was incapable of registering and remembering them.

Don't read too much into your son's troubled demeanor D ; many expressions can be misread and mistaken for something meaningful rather than frustration with incapacity or discomfort of feeding tubes or other paraphernalia.

Try to see his flashbacks as further development associated with progress ; all part of the difficult but inevitable route to awareness. I see though how this rollercoaster is exhausting and distressing for you.

Thinking of you and hoping you'll see one another face to face soon... xx

[Pairofboots]

Hi, try not to over think the process. Recovery is one phase, there are ups and downs, but that is the rhythm of life. As you say , the team deal with this all the time, so take comfort in that thought.

Good idea to postpone the visit, from personal experience, snotty nose and mask don't make a good combination. X

[123Bereft]

I think this is all a good sign, I wish with all my heart that my partner was agitated, it would show signs of him still being there. I know it's stressful, but as you have said, the staff on the ward deal with this all the time. There was a young man in the bed opposite my partner that was always agitated and confused, the staff were lovely with him and took it all in their stride.

Take care.