ICU Recovery: Hello everyone My mom just left icu... - ICUsteps

ICUsteps

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ICU Recovery

6 Replies

Hello everyone

My mom just left icu and returned to her room in the hospital, she has been in an induced coma for intubation for 13 days and another 15 days before that lying in bed in the hospital, her muscles are very weak and physiotherapist just started working with her and she cam barely move her hands, she did 2 operations in one week in her intestine and the wound is not healing because of the cortisone she is taking, she might need a third operation and im freaking out because the doctors told us there is a risk on her life, any experience with this subject in how to properly recover from the muscle weakness and if there is a way to assist the body in healing the wound ?

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BBDEBS profile image
BBDEBS

Her muscles will recover with time and exercise, when first out of my coma I couldn't walk but I was issued a Zimmer frame with wheels and instructed to walk around the ward. By 3 weeks I was walking unaided, slowly, and could do a flight of stairs, again slowly.

With regards to the op I'm afraid I was in with chest illness and not operation so hoping someone else can advise.

Being told your loved one may die is awful but know she is in the very best place and they are preparing you all for every eventuality. Some of us made it out of ITU, some of our fellow residents didn't, and trying to get your head around that is very hard as a survivor, let alone for the families.

God bless, keep praying,

Debs xx

in reply to BBDEBS

Happy you recovered and it gives me hope everytime i know someone recovered from such cases, prayers are keeping me strong and i believe in God's will, thank you a lot for sharing your story and it gives me hope

teatimeagain profile image
teatimeagain

Hi there,

What a worrying and difficult time for you.

I was in an induced coma for 2 months and then another 4 months in hospital following major heart surgeries. I could barely lift my arms initially and had to be hoisted from the bed to the chair, I couldn't stand or even sit up in bed unaided.

Initially I had physio for half an hour every few days, it wasn't enough and I hardly made any progress. Once I was moved to a specialist rehabilitation unit with physio twice a day every day, I came on in leaps and bounds. I left hospital walking slowly with a stick, but within weeks was walking independently. One year on (6 months after leaving hospital) im 90%'back to full strength. I am 53, I don't know how old your mum is, but age can make a difference to recovery times, but I'm sure your mum will get back her strength back in time.

I also had a very big wound on my leg where they had taken a vein graft. I was advised to eat as much protein as I could to help with healing, I didn't have much appetite but always tried to eat the protein in any meal I was given.

I had about 3 operations following the first major one, I was extremely poorly and in Icu, my family were told each time that I may not survive, I can't tell how frightening that must have been for them, I can only imagine. I know how hopeless they felt, but knew that it was the only hope for survival I had.

But I'm here, and feel very blessed.

Thinking of you and your mum.

in reply to teatimeagain

Glad that you recovered, as you said its frustrating for us my mom is 54 and the internal wound is not healing because of cortisone, we are stuck in a difficult cycle and i'm praying for her to recover from it, thank you a lot

stevet11753 profile image
stevet11753

I was in hospital for a ruptured colon that required major abdominal surgery. My large surgical wound dehisced (opened up) after surgery; the stitches would not hold, so my wound had to be left to heal itself. It's still being dressed over twelve months later, but it didn't prevent my recovery. It took many weeks of physio, but I left hospital able to walk, and now I'm almost back to the way I was. I was 61 when I went into hospital as an emergency. My family were told to prepare for the worst and I was given a 1% chance of survival. I was ten days in an induced coma and ten weeks in hospital. But I survived, so don't give up and don't lose hope for your mom.

in reply to stevet11753

Hello, mom has the same issue with her colon and its not healing because of the cortisone she was taling for several years, my mom is 54, i'm happy for your recovery and i'm hanging on to the last breath of hope, thank you a lot

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