Hi I’m new to this group and I joined as I was desperately searching for support of people who had similar experiences to myself
My father is in ITU with covid and has been on a ventilator for three weeks, he has a tracheostomy in and this has allowed them to reduce all his sedation so he is awake and able to write things down and FaceTime us ect
This whole experience has been a rollercoaster and has made me extremely anxious
One minute he’s fine and they can reduce his oxygen then next he has to be put back up on high oxygen! They sat him on edge of bed today and this has tired him out to the point he needed 100% oxygen from been reduced to 40% yesterday! They are waiting for the drs to review him and want to consider the possibility of a blood clot which is causing this rapid increase in the need for more oxygen every time they move him
Has anyone had a similar experience with the recovery period...I just can’t seem to see the light at the end of this extremely dark long tunnel
Thanks in advance
Written by
Skoda27
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I’m so happy he is off sedation and alert!! Baby steps for your dad but this is already an improvement it sounds like! Pray no blood clots but pray doctors can manage if he does 🙏🙏
When you have been sedated for a length of time you lose a lot of strength in fact you are very weak. Just sitting on the edge of the bed is exhausting. Being lifted and put in a chair is exhausting anything remotely physical is!
I didn’t have COVID but was ventilated/ sedated for nearly 2 months.
Gradually my strength is returning - came out mid march
Hey , I’m so sorry you and your family are going through this. I know just how painful it is as me and my family are going through it too. My dad is currently in icu he contracted Covid and started to feel better then he suffered a massive stroke at the end of September . He was put on a ventilator and they attempted to take him off it a few times but he was too anxious they then also fitted a trache. It has been such a long slow process a lot of set backs a long the way but he is now in the weaning process and doing great he only requires a cpap mask via the trache and no longer needs assistance from the ventilator. It is such a long process and sometimes the stats will go up and then back down it can be for a few different reasons, try your hardest to remain positive. The consultants told us it wasn’t going to be a good outcome for my dad, basically that he wasn’t going to make it but here he is doing great proving them wrong. We have had smiles finally on FaceTime calls and even a kiss blown goodbye. We have had some dark scary times but it does get better slowly just keep the faith and Take each and every day as it comes try your hardest to remain positive even in crap situations always keep the hope and let him see that / hear that send in some photos, videos anything that lets him know he has got this 💪 he has got this. Sending you and your family lots of love and virtual hugs. Xxxxx
It’s such a bumpy road but my dad is strong and we have had chance to face time him and he also blows us kisses, we send in weekly letters and cards and he has a photo board
We just got him a hand held white board today so he can write down things he wants to ask us for when we face time
I’m glad your dad is making a recovery hopefully our dad will soon x
Ah that’s amazing your dad is definitely a tough cookie and I’m so glad he can communicate with you by writing on the board , my dad isn’t there just yet as he still very weak. Your dad will make a full recovery I have no doubt. What your doing for him is amazing ❤️
Why I was writing it was very difficult and my words were spelt back to front and appeared to be in a different language. I got very frustrated because it was clear to me but others didn’t understand 🤐
My own experience ( although not Covid) mirrors your father’s.
I was admitted with avian flu & double pneumonia, septic shock and multiple organ failure - 4 days later I apparently showed real improvement & I had responded really well to treatment - so much so that they decided to try & remove sedation & take me off ventilation - after numerous further infections & severe ARDS - I woke up 57 days later and experienced another month in ICU before I dropped down to the wards. Forgetting the lockdown - I live pretty normally😊
It’s my dads Taxi car make random choice of a name I know! Thanks for taking time to reply, it’s encouraging to hear positive outcomes and I’m pleased that you have made a recovery
My husband has been in ICU for 9 weeks today. He has been on the ventilator for 8 weeks. Last week was the first try at trach collar and he is currently able to handle 14 hours as of yesterday. I didn't see the light at the end of the tunnel either. Baby steps baby steps! Lots of prayers and patience. He will get there slowly. The weaning process takes a long time, especially if the patient has been on the vent for weeks. Best of luck to you both ❤️
This group has been the best thing I have done to help me cope with the anxieties we face throughout dad’s recovery, because you can’t visit and loose the support you would normally have from the nurses ect it can feel isolating and lonely
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What does recovery look like (non-COVID)
Covid ICU coming off sedation 
COVID pneumonia and Stroke 
Post induced coma recovery 
