Hi guys
I've posted a few times with regards to my father in law being seriously ill with covid. Just an update that he finally came home on 30th June, very weak but very determined to get back to himself.
So his story so far, it is quite a long one.
He went into hospital 30th March, which was a Monday, with breathing difficulties he didn't for 1 sec think it was covid as he had been shielding for 2 weeks before hand as he has asthma. The paramedics didn't think it was either and mentioned possibly being tested for copd. At hospital his temp was recorded at 39c but no cough.
He spent his first night on oxygen and a routine covid swab was taken the following morning, that afternoon he got his positive result. We didn't know exactly what was happening as he played it down, as to not worry us all. Wednesday morning at approx 5.30 am we had a call off of his wife stating he'd been rushed into icu and intubated. After week 1 he went into renal failure and we was told his prognosis was poor, dialysis was started. He spent a further 1 week in our local hospital's icu before being transfered to lincoln county icu 2 hours drive away.
The staff at Lincoln was absolutely fantastic,. They answered all of our questions and the care, empathy and communication from them was second to none. Week 3 he had a tracheostomy fitted, week 4 the tracheostomy started to bleed back into his lungs, he was drowning in his own blood. Again we was told he had a slim chance of survival. The amazing team at Lincoln saved him! His wife had to make the awful decision whether to resuscitate if the time came and she said to put a DNR in place.
Fast forward to approx day 50+ Dr's tried bring him around off of sedation all his Sat's crashed and he was re-sedated. Blood pressure, heart rate, potassium levels and oxygen levels went erratic. Multiple chest infections, constant antibiotics.
They tried bringing him around on many occasions with the same outcome until approx day 73. Then the delerium started. He was pulling at his tracheostomy, his canulas, his feeding tube. Trying to get out of bed, hallucinating. Skype his wife and he didn't recognise her. The staff would put football on the TV (which he loved) he had no interest in it and wanted it off. He still couldn't talk at this point.
Still prognosis wasn't good. The Dr's was expecting more of him so they re-sedated him again and took him for a CT scan to see if it had affected his brain. Luckily this came back clear but again, we was having to wait for him to wake up again.
When he awoke this time he was alot more alert and things started looking up finally. He had his tracheostomy removed on day 80 so was finally able to talk. He was doing physio daily but still confused and hallucinating, he couldn't distinguish between what was reality and what's not.
Day 86 he was transfered back to our local hospital onto the respiratory ward.
Day 91 was his 63rd birthday. We was able to physically see him for the first time since lockdown began, he came outside the hospital in his wheelchair and opened his cards.
Day 93 he finally came home! This is undoubtedly the most horrific experience my family have ever been through.
He's lost 4stone. He has very little strength due to the muscle wastage from being in the come for such a long time.
He's still very forgetful but thankfully can't remember anything, not even the paramedics going to his house when it all began.
When he came home he attempted to go straight upstairs to use the toilet, determined that this won't beat him and he did it. He will still need dialysis as an outpatient until further notice and a biopsy on his kidneys at some point.
The doctors have said he is the most durable man they have ever met and is a walking miracle. Before he was intubated he had the tiniest little pocket in his lungs for air to get into if it had been left any longer then he would have died there and then.
I've probably missed loads out but this is just what I can remember off the top of my head.
The nhs are nothing more than miracle workers and we will be forever grateful!
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