Attempted suicide: Good afternoon, My girlfriend... - ICUsteps

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Attempted suicide

superal587 profile image
39 Replies

Good afternoon,

My girlfriend hug herself exactly a week ago today. She made a video and we found her 20 minutes afterwards. She has had a coma score of 3, but is responding to pain slightly and her pupils are responding. Her brain scan showed damage to the basal ganglia, but the doctors said it's not as bad as it looked. She's only 19. She also had issues two days ago with brain swelling, huts gone down now with the help of a machine. What are the odds of her coming back?

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superal587 profile image
superal587
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39 Replies
Sepsur profile image
Sepsur

That's tragic - I hope your girl improves soon.

Leab2017 profile image
Leab2017

Keep talkng to he her my brother went to sleepy in the 22nf of July after an attack which caused major head injuries told us he wasn't ever going to wake up after 9 days asleep he woke up he's now off the ventilator and responding to some pain test, don't give up hope you will want to sometimes but keep talking to her play music I hope she is awake soon

EveBarrett profile image
EveBarrett in reply toLeab2017

LEAH is right. Keep talking, reading or just make your physical presence be known. I KNOW they know that you are there.

Brady1234 profile image
Brady1234

Sorry to hear this 😥 Think positive she's only young so she could make a good recovery but be prepared it may take sometime x

crazyLiz profile image
crazyLiz

I don't know what to say other than I was in your girlfriend's situation (suicide attempt) 10 day coma with lots of complications etc back in 2014 and now here I am today, completely recovered physically although still having my battles with bipolar and depression xx.

superal587 profile image
superal587

Day 8 and still unconscious. Her brain pressure is really high. It's been fluctuating as low as 11 but as high as 22

Leab2017 profile image
Leab2017 in reply tosuperal587

If her brain pressure is still high she still needs time to heal the way I got through things when my brother was asleep was to think you don't want them waking up before its time too her body is resting talk to her smother her in kisses she will know your there, my brother got moved hdu unit this morning never give up hope sending prayers your way

superal587 profile image
superal587 in reply toLeab2017

What was your brothers coma scale?

comadreams profile image
comadreams in reply tosuperal587

There's a "coma scale"? Please explain. Thank you, cheers! :-)

superal587 profile image
superal587 in reply tocomadreams

The Glasgow coma scale

comadreams profile image
comadreams in reply tosuperal587

Thank you for the info'. I remember the nurses repeatedly asking my name, etc. I couldn't remember the name of the hospital though because I'd never heard of it. Eventually a kind nurse allowed me to cheat and wrote it on a piece of tape stuck to my bedside cabinet. Cheers! David.

Leab2017 profile image
Leab2017 in reply tosuperal587

If I'm honest I'm not sure that sounds bad I know but those 8 days all my strength was going on praying and sending him strength that he would wake up we are now contending if we will ever have the person he once was back but u can't lose hope, is she showing any signs of waking ? My brother started moving his eyes behind his eyelids a few days before he woke up

superal587 profile image
superal587 in reply toLeab2017

She's not showing any signs of improvement the doctors think all the shaking she does is involuntary. The family is now deciding whether we should withdraw care or perform a tracheotomy. I feel like this has been too short and we should at least give it a month

Leab2017 profile image
Leab2017 in reply tosuperal587

My brother used to jerk they said it was abnormal movement probably the same as what they are saying to you, are you in the uk or us? Please don't withdraw treatment yet give her time my brother did wake up on day 8 but they are in a coma for different reasons, is there any movement behind her eyelids? Also I always checked my brothers heart rate on the monitor before he knew I was there it was always between 60 /70 as soon as I used to say hello brother it would shoot up to over 100 that was a sign for us he knew we were there. Please keep talking to her play her favourite music my brother could hear us I'm sure they can don't give up hope

superal587 profile image
superal587 in reply toLeab2017

Thanks and the mom decided not to withdraw. There inserting a trach today I just hate to see the tremors and her shake. We're on day 10 and her eyelids flutter but they say it's because of the brain damage and not actually her. And we're in the us. Her heart heart rate has been well above 100 all day and she's running s fever as well. And I read her some poems today but she started shaking and they said they wanted minimal stimulation. I just hope we're doing the right thing by giving her more time. She's on a lot of drugs like oxy to keep her from shaking

Leab2017 profile image
Leab2017 in reply tosuperal587

Oh I see I am in the uk I think you guys do things differently over there however as I said before your girlfriend is in a coma for a different reason to what my brother was, oxy is an opium based drug the effect of opium is sleepiness can I ask if your girlfriend experimented in opium based drugs through out life ? Reason I am asking is my brother did and it's a fact when they put you in coma it's opium based drugs used to do this meaning someone who is prone to them it will take a lot more of the drug for them to sleep as opposed to someone who has never used opium based drugs before, you need to think of Little things like that , she does seem poorly I didn't realise she was jerking a lot I am so sorry you are going through this pain but please have peace of mind you are not alone and I was in your situation with regards to a loved one sleeping only this time last week , stay strong for her

superal587 profile image
superal587 in reply toLeab2017

No she didn't experiment with drugs. She's currently getting a tracheotomy right now. It's day 10. I hope we're doing the right thing

Leab2017 profile image
Leab2017 in reply tosuperal587

What are their reasons for the tracheotomy? Is just my brother only had one once he was awake as he still needed a little help breathing and the ventilator is too uncomfortable when you are awake like I say you guys do things different out there , are the jerks happening a lot? I really feel for you right now

superal587 profile image
superal587 in reply toLeab2017

When she's someone talks to her or the nurses reposition her she trembles a lot. They said the trach is for long term because we want to give her another week

Leab2017 profile image
Leab2017 in reply tosuperal587

Oh I see I will be praying she wakes soon you must be hurting so bad

superal587 profile image
superal587 in reply toLeab2017

They give her fitanyl, oxy, and Ativan for shaking in pain every hour. Whenever it wears off she starts shaking and her breathing and heart rate spike up

Leab2017 profile image
Leab2017 in reply tosuperal587

She does seem very poorly gave the told her parents the shaking is down to brain damage try and stay positive for her

Leab2017 profile image
Leab2017 in reply tosuperal587

Fentanyl Is a very powerful opium based drug 50x stronger than herion hat alone will be making her sleep, in the uk they stop the drugs which put you into a coma completely to let you come out of the coma however it sounds like your girlfriend needs this pain relief which they won't want to stop giving her this will be why she's still sleeping , you guys work very different to us here in the uk

superal587 profile image
superal587 in reply toLeab2017

Ok turns out the fentanyl was a one time thing to help calm her down in that moment but the OxyContin is consistent

Leab2017 profile image
Leab2017 in reply tosuperal587

Again OxyContin is opium based its a pain killer to keep her as comfortable as possible , has there been any change?

superal587 profile image
superal587 in reply toLeab2017

They took her off the ventilator today so I'm assuming that's a good thing that she breathes on her own

Leab2017 profile image
Leab2017 in reply tosuperal587

Yes that's good did she get a trech fitted

superal587 profile image
superal587 in reply toLeab2017

Yea she got a tracheotomy yesterday

Leab2017 profile image
Leab2017 in reply tosuperal587

Yeah that is why she can come off the ventilator , has there been any major changes?

superal587 profile image
superal587 in reply toLeab2017

No she still has the tremors same responses to everything

Leab2017 profile image
Leab2017 in reply tosuperal587

She's still fighting look at it that way stay strong and remember keep taking to her

Leab2017 profile image
Leab2017 in reply tosuperal587

How is your girlfriend doing?

superal587 profile image
superal587 in reply toLeab2017

It'll be a month next Tuesday. Neuro response is now deemed questionable in only one limb rather than all 4. She is also now battling a UTI. I'll never forgive myself.

Leab2017 profile image
Leab2017 in reply tosuperal587

Oh I'm so sorry to hear , you can't blame yourself, Where are they suggesting you guys go from here

superal587 profile image
superal587 in reply toLeab2017

Nothing yet, but I think when Tuesday comes they are going to suggest withdraw of care

Leab2017 profile image
Leab2017 in reply tosuperal587

I'm

So sorry the pain you are going through

Leab2017 profile image
Leab2017

Also my brother responded to pain tests and his eyes were reacting to light the whole time just like you said your girlfriend is, he woke up. Have faith

EveBarrett profile image
EveBarrett

You have my prayers

sarahallen27 profile image
sarahallen27

Hi, I am very sorry to hear about your girlfriend. I was in a coma on life support for 12 days back in 2006. My GCS was 5. It is a very difficult time for all of you, but the staff in ITU are excellent and they will take good care of her. Hopefully she will wake up soon, and you can get your life back on track. Good luck. X

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