My husband has been gradually waking up over the last week from a coma following a road traffic accident on the 24/11. He sustained a severe head injury and had a craniotomy. He can only open his right eye at the moment (his injury is on the left side) He now has a tracheotomy and they are weaning him off the ventilator which seems to be tiring him out.
He is nodding when asked a question and muttering words. I am showing him pictures on the phone which he is tracking. Sadly, I don’t think he recognises me or the kids. He is having trouble sleeping at night so they have now decided to medicate him to help him sleep.
What should I expect next in his recovery? They seem to be focusing on the ventilation weaning. Any advice or shared experiences would be much appreciated.
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Lunalg
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Please don't be alarmed by your husband's lack of recognition ; this is a common theme as an injured brain tries to reconnect with the real world.
Hospital surroundings and staff are alien concepts to wake up to and grasp after a period of unconsciousness. I was repeatedly reminded throughout each day of where I was & why, but I didn't recognise my own daughter.
Your husband's progress may speed up or continue at a painfully slow pace. There are no hard & fast rules for any brain injury.
Thinking of you Lunalg as you wait, and sending virtual hugs ..... Cat x
Hi, I had an accident on 12/11 last year and although I am back at work I am still recovering. I too had a crainiotomy and woke from my coma a day before they said I would have to have a tracheotomy. I was confused, didn't recognise some of my family but it started to come back. My partner put photos of us, the boys, my pets, our holidays around me so I would be able to remember but I was lucky and recognised them. It is very frustrating though when I didn't know who somebody was but then a few days later realised who they were. I don't have any memory of what happened in my accident, alot of time spent in hospital although I do remember swearing which the nurses and doctors said was fine as that what happens, I forgot words but then a couple of minutes remember them. It is difficult to explain to someone what it's like but we do get frustrated when we don't know someone or get confused. I too was put on medication at night to help me sleep. 3 months after the accident I started to recover well amd then I was discharged frim neuro rehabilitation for cognitive therapy. If I'm honest all I would say is try and be yourself helping him with photos, songs, books etc, although it will be difficult. My partner still struggles at times with me forgetting words or what I want to say but now a couple of seconds later I remember. I hope this is alright to what yiu asked. X
When I was brought out of my coma apparently my first word was mom?! It was a slow recovery another week in a normal ward, transferred to a local hospital. Remember seeing local places as I neared home, a road I often drove. Was upset when ambulance continued on to hospital. 4 months in either there or rehab clinic where I relearnt so many simple things. Through the patience of loved ones I rebuilt ME. Good luck
Good morning. Your husband is making good progress albeit slowly. They will want to wean him off the ventilator and get him off the tracheotomy as soon as is safe to do so. The longer you are on a ventilator the harder it can be to breathe on your own. The fact they are slowly taking him off it is good news.
As he becomes aware he may start to try and pull out any tubes and lines as they will irritate and frustrate him. My partner had what can only be described as boxing gloves put on her to prevent her pulling lines out. She managed to pull out feeding tubes, catheters, and medication lines. I would spend most of my time constantly stopping her trying to take the gloves off.
Be prepared for a lot of confusion, frustration, and irritation. Just remember anything he says or does is because of this and don't take things to heart. Take pictures and stick them up around his bed or on the TV if he has one in front of him. Take music in (I did that on an old phone) with playlists of songs he likes and they will sit it by him with the music playing. Wear his favourite perfume so he smells it. Talk to him a lot although I know it can be hard to know what to say. Just talk about your day, the kids, family, friends, etc.
Take time to write a daily diary of everything that is happening. Put your feelings in there too. I did this for my partner and made a book so she could look back on the days she doesn't remember from that time and know everything the doctors and nurses were doing, what I was doing, how my partner was (the good and the bad stuff), how I was feeling, etc. This will help you too.
I think I'm a bit different from most here as I am not the person who had the TBI. Most members here were the people who suffered the injury. I was in exactly your position 13 months ago. Sounds like your husband is on a similar path to my partner after very similar injuries and treatment.
Most important is to make sure you eat and drink and keep your strength up.
I'm coming from the patient side, and yes what Hidden suggests is a very good idea. And do make it personal, feeling and thoughts etc. I have no real recollection of my treatment or what was going on around me after my injury. It may be a while ago now, but I still have a lot of questions and gaps I am trying to fill. A diary would have perhaps help fill those gaps in my knowledge.
Some photos may also help. Post event, I was very interested in what I looked like. I was in that environment for about 8 weeks. I got very beardy, so a beard trimmer maybe useful if you are allowed? My partner and a ward orderly tried to wet shave me after about 8 weeks with what I can only believe was the oldest bluntest razor they could find. A very traumatic experience!
Clipping his nails could be useful too.
I do remember the "restraint" mittens. They were there for a reason as I was bad at pulling on the tubes. I found them so irritating, that I would try and chew through their bindings to get them off!
Be prepared for some funny dreams/ICU delusions. They are quite common in that environment.
It is a very alien environment, so having a sense of normality there, i.e. you, will be good.
I hope it all goes well for you and your partner 😀
As it was caused by an RTA are you going to do a compensation claim, if so I recommend starting a diary with all the important dates and what is happening. It took 5 years for ours to settle so to remember a date 3 years ago is impossible but could be an important time line. Xx
Life will be a roller coaster,always give a bit of time for you.
Everyone behaves differently with a brain injury, don’t take things personally, he is rebooting a whole system and there will be glitches. Have a pen and paper, my daughter had to learn how to write again and we played hangman, noughts and crosses, join the dots - so we didn’t use phones - pack of cards maybe. Read a book to him maybe. I took in a lot of melon pieces at the beginning as she had a very sore throat from the ventilator and trachy. Being over stimulated is a big thing, so if he wants the curtains drawn around the bed and just sat there let him.
I’m so sorry to hear about your husband and I’m sure you will get help in this group to deal with the road ahead .. it helped me so much and you will fine a massive about of help and advise also with I hope the feeling that you are not alone . Best wishes Sue x
What more can I add? All the above and more are common to all us survivors and yes I had my hands bandaged to stop me pulling out tubes and monitors. According to the diary the hospital charity provided for my visitors to record things in, I also had an inflatable around my bed in case I fell out or tried to “escape”, I thought I was still married to my ex, and gave some choice words to one of my sons when I opened one eye and saw him.
It was all so traumatic for them but I recall so little of this.
Plus various people brought me books to read and brain training puzzle books. Sadly because they overloaded me many remain unread or unused and I will say that even conversation can feel like it is going in one ear and straight out of the other with no retention or understanding. Dont overload the survivor as it will not help. Music, yes if they like it although I found TV and general radio an annoyance.
But with a second op and a couple of months in neuro intensive critical care, I made it through. Its a long process and continues even after leaving hospital.
So never give up. Small steps, a little at a time are the way forward for those surviving and it must be so much more difficult for those looking in from outside.
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