WIFE NOT WAKING UP AFTER LOW SUGAR AND SEDATION

[Jake305]

Hi Everybody. My wife has diabetes pretty bad. She sometimes gets to where she is unconscious. ILong story short I was working Tuesday and called home no answer had mom-in-law check on hr found her unconcious sitting on sofa with sandwich on a plate on her lap. Did not wake when Sugar was ran in IV. Normally she would have woke up quickly. This was at 445 am and I hadnt talked to her since 8pm so we are thinking she may have been like that for 3 to 5 hours. They had sedated her and that was for about 25 hours and then they stopped sedation and still not waking after 48 hours. Vitals are good Liver was elevated but ok now. @ CAT scans were both normal and an EEG showed some abnormalitys but they said they expected that since she did seizure at hospital when this first happened and she never seizured before this. Hasnt seizured since she first got there. Now 48 hours and little movements. Felt her pushing foot down on my hand and actually felt like she was trying to stretch that leg out, squeezed hand a few times and actually lfter her leg about in inch off bed. They lowered ventilator and she is breathing 16 and ventilator is 12 so she is doing 4 more than ventilator. But still not waking. Is it possible to still be under some of the sedation? Im a mess over this. Anybody can help with this I would really appreciate it.

[Lynn2010]

I’m so sorry. I don’t have experience of low sugar diabetic coma but I was sedated following ARDS. I was awake but non responsive for over a week. The drs were worried enough to call in a Neurologist from another trust to examine me. Just talk to her I’m convinced I was able to hear things whilst unconscious.

[Jake305 in reply to Lynn2010]

Thank You So Much Lynn. She will not be waking up. Its just the hardest thing Ive dealt with. She is or will be in a better place. She has been a wreck since her sons anniversary of his death was so close "March 11th", Im praying she is able to be with him again. She never got over it. I know this is gonna happen after they take the ventilator off today, Im hoping she is in no pain and can make it to her sons anniversary. Maybe Im weird but I think it would mean something if it were the same date. I love her and Im missing her already.. She is my every thing. She is only 51. PLEASE PRAY FOR HER.

[Lynn2010 in reply to Jake305]

I’m so sorry to hear that. You’re not weird, anything that helps you get through this is fine in my book. You are both in my thoughts.

[Jake305 in reply to Lynn2010]

Im really concerned about the medical treatment. Its only been not quite 4 days since she was off sedation. They are saying she is not braindead but there is damage. They have not tested with a "water test" to see how bad the brain is. They say she will probab;y breathe for awhile but basically starve to death. Im really wondering if I should try to get her moved to a big city hospital. I just think tihis is to quick and to let her lay there like this is killing me. I would feel better about some type of test to find out what her quality of life would be like should she survive. Im really confused and her family is rushing everything. I just needed to vent and see if I could get anymore suggestions. Thank You Lynn...

[Lynn2010]

I’m not much use I’m afraid as I only know about my case and I was unconscious for most of that! Are you uk based? I know we have PALS here it’s a patient liaison group. They can advise you, if not it might be worth looking to see if you have patient advocate groups near you or getting a second opinion, even speaking to a medical negligence attorney.

If she’s not brain dead and is breathing on her own how dare they starve her. If it were someone I loved I’d have her moved ASAP as it can’t really get any worse, she’s stable and breathing on her own so I can’t see they could object.

So sorry you’re dealing with this, she’s lucky to have you fighting her corner.

[Jake305 in reply to Lynn2010]

Im In the USA. They are scheduled to remove the tube this morning, they said her breathing was getting better and they want us to take her to a "Hospice" home and basically lay there until she passes. This just doesnt sound right. If she is breathing on her own why would we not feed her through a tube? I dont know if she would ever be cocious again. They say they dont know either. Im gonna try to talk to her mother about getting this postponed for a day. They are rushing me it seems to pull the tube. they are saying its not good to be on it this long but thats only been 6 days total. I had her pushing my hand the other day with her ffot, moving her leg a little bit and she actually lifted her leg about an inch off of the bed twice. And she did most of it on command. The nurse seen her moving the one time. And she was squeezing my daughters hand a few times. That was a couple days ago. Im not sure if they have her on Morphine and shes to out of it. Im really confused but Im gonna try to get her transferred. I can not let this happen the way they want it to.

[Lynn2010]

Imo, as an outsider, if you get a second opinion and they agree with the hospital you’ll know they were correct in their assessment. Unfortunately your wife will die but you will know you did all you could and that nagging doubt that wakes you at 3am will have been silenced.

Are you next of kin? If yes don’t allow yourself to be railroaded. If no, then you’ll need the family on side. Have you and your wife ever discussed how you’d deal with a situation like this? After my health issue we discussed how we’d want to be dealt with in situations like this. If you can say “she would want” to her Mum maybe that would be persuasive to allow you extra time.

[Jake305]

She passed yesterday at 7 am. Im really happy with the way it happened now, well not happy but just glad it went smooth and just long enough for me to hold her and tell her good bye. She looked beautiful without all of the tubes. Ill miss her so much. Thank You for caring.