Waking from induced coma

[Onestepfirst]

Hi

Someone very dear to me has been in an induced coma for a week following severe Hypoglycemia. They have been put on sedation holds each day and finally yesterday they woke up “appropriately” (whatever that means). She can move her arms upwards and can say words but is very out of it, groggy, I’m not sure she knows what the heck is going on or if it’s her in there at all. She is laughing inappropriately. I know this is a huge step but It still is so hard as you expect them to come out of an induced coma relatively quickly, much like TV. I guess I thought because it was medically induced that she would come out of it and I would be able to see more of her then I currently am. Just after other people’s experiences. Trying to keep the hope that each day will get better. Most coma experiences I have read have been following brain injuries so I know not the same.

Thanks for any comments and sending love to all who are having to deal with this nightmare x

[Woo2]

Hi there Onestepfirst,

I was in an induced coma for 18 days due to Covid.

It took a full week after finally waking up for the drugs they gave me to fully leave my body. During that time I was hallucinating hugely and thought I was in all sorts of wonderful places (Paris, Portugal, Jamaica, Cape Verde) as well as seeing some very odd things interwoven with reality.

I imagine your friend is going through a similar experience and that the laughter is entirely appropriate for her current reality.

Never give up hope!

[Sepsur]

Easy for me to say but I wouldnt be concerned, especially as the medical staff say that she’s waking appropriately - as you said - you expected her to wake like it is on the TV. Reality is a little different - what is fairly common is for a patient to suffer ICU delirium which could explain her laughter - lucky her that her dreams are so amusing.

I’ll attached a link which gives various PDF’s - intensive care guide & delirium guide might explain everything that you are witnessing.

icustepschester.org/informa...

[Onestepfirst]

I thought that it could be ICU delirium. She is laughing at random times and is also keep waving. It seems to me like child like behaviour but also could be a mixture of drugs / delirium. It’s just so hard seeing her like that as I am pessimistic anyway, so my thoughts keep on telling me it’s her new self following this. I know that the chances are she will have brain damage, it’s just how much? It’s so hard x

[Sepsur in reply to Onestepfirst]

I wouldn’t assume anything - the teams in ICU can be very pessimistic at times. Many of us who have survived, with little inability, were given little chance of survival. Hold back you’re pessimism until things are confirmed. Recovery takes much much longer than you could ever imagine.

[Onestepfirst]

Thanks so much, these comments give me hope that she can come out of this as unscathed as possible x

[Onestepfirst]

Did anyone / anyone’s loved ones wake up with very dilated pupils? It’s been over 3 days since stopping the sedation but my loved ones pupils are still very dilated.