Critical

Hello everyone,

My father was admitted to the ICU on June 21st after he had a bad fall that hurt his head and was said he was having bleeding from the inside and outside of his brain. Luckily the bleeding stopped but the swelling was still there until day 4 of being in the ICU. His blood pressure was always low so they had to give him medicine for his pressure to go up. The pressure on his brain did a lot better on day 5 do they decided to todo an MRI that same day, but we didn't get results until the next morning. He still had the breathing tube in and he had gotten a bacteria infection in his stomach which didn't allow him to digest his food, but they told us its normal with patients like this they gave him antibiotics. On day 6 we got results of his MRI and it was not good news, they told us my dad was in a deep coma since the blood got into his cerebral cortex and damaged it. He had dead tissue on his right side of his brain which would leave him paralyzed from his left side if he ever was to wake up, which at this point they had little hope of him ever waking up. They whole time we were there my dad would show signs of coughing, a little bit of hand movement and toe movement but never from his left side. His right pupil wouldn't dialate but his left would. It would seem like my dad tried to move his eyes every time I spoke to him but couldn't open them, they told me it's all normal signs of just his body reflexes that not until he can physically squeeze my hand or lift his hands to show us he's there they wouldn't take it down. They encourage us to pull the plug, but it's only been a week. We want to keep faith and believe he's there that he can hear us and wants us to wait to give him time to heal more. His sedation medicine has been removed completely but he still hasn't woken up. Any suggestions of another neurosergian who we can show him his MRI too or a better hospital who can do more research maybe there's hope. Or if anyone has gone through an experience like this and has came out of coma please comment.

[NebulaNeko]

Hi there, we seem to have had an almost identical experience and I'm sending love and best wishes to your family. Please try to keep strong. It took a long time of visiting until my Dad regained consciousness. There are so many different stages to a coma and it's very difficult to witness someone you love having to struggle through it. They told me when my Dad gripped my hand it was reflexes but I knew it wasn't. He WAS squeezing my hand. See if you can get your Dad to squeeze your hand and then release. It takes time. A lot of time. I don't know where it is in the world your Dad is receiving treatment but surely they shouldn't be rushing you to turn off the machine already? Infection unfortunately is common and my Dad has had plenty since he was admitted back in April. Healing the brain takes a lot of energy so having to deal with an infection as well hinders the process. My Dad was admitted back into ICU because of one and caused his body to shut down again. The whole process is up and down constantly but you just have to stay strong and positive. Has there been any change in the week since you wrote this? Really praying for your Dad xx