My Father is in an Induced Coma on Life Support with Pneumonia

[Kittanzie]

Reading many posts here, have given me hope. I just found out that my father who suffered an accident at work years ago that lead to MRSA and a leg amputation, and who was recently diagnosed and in remission for throat cancer has contracted pneumonia. He was taken to the emergency and is now in ICU intubated in an induced coma. In just a few hours from now I will be getting a phone call to talk to the doctors along with my uncle who is in the same state as he. Last I heard, his vitals were stable but I am worried that because my father lost his girlfriend of over 30 years a month ago to cancer, that he may be giving up. I am struggling because I want time with my father before it is too late. At the same time, I want to make sure he is not suffering because he has suffered so much back to back over the years. Even though I want to have the time I never got with my father, I am trying not to be selfish. I want his wishes to be met. Now after reading all of your stories it gives me hope that he can pull through this. So when I speak to the doctors, I will be asking a ton of questions before agreeing to anything drastic other family members may want. As long as the doctors say he is stable and will still have quality of life, he will remain on the machine until he is stable enough to be taken off. If however, he goes downhill to the point of brain death or damage beyond repair so quality of life is dire... then as my father stated to my uncle, I will have to make sure his wishes are met by agreeing to them removing him from life support. How can a daughter make that decision for the father she fought so hard to have a relationship with but life and health got in the way and now it may never happen? I at least have hope he will pull through seeing all the success stories here and knowing his vitals were stable. I just hope and pray they continue to stay that way. I am just so worried that all of this may be too much for him to handle... esp after just getting off of chemo and burying his girlfriend to now being on life support. When is enough, enough? Sighs. I hope it doesn't have to come to that. I truly hope he recovers. We need time together. =( Again thank you for sharing your stories. They truly help! I will be keeping you and your families in my thoughts as well.

[tamarmag510]

HI Kittanzie,

I was intubated for 12 days for pneumonia, (I tried removing the tubes, so they medicated me, don't know if it was a coma.) Things were very foggy for me - it wasn't making sense for two weeks. Then because of throat soreness and that I had lost so much muscle mass and weight, I was sent to skilled nursing facility where I stayed for 3.5 months. I am now home, thank heavens. I function okay, but definitely am much slower than I used to be. I am 62, and until the pneumonia i hadn't had any colds or flus in 7 years. I have cerebral palsy too.