My obsessive researching my actually be paying off

Probably at the expense of my mental health, for weeks now, I’ve been reading just about every research paper out there relating to COVID, the drugs used, ICU, tracheostomies, ARDS, cytokine storms....you name it.

And I think that research, coupled with the shared experiences and feedback I received on here has helped me understand the disease progression, what outcomes my family and my dad would be able to live with, and most importantly, to be able to advocate for my dad in a way that I think prioritises his wishes over mine.

Today’s updated on my dad:

First symptoms Boxing Day

In hospital since 5th Jan

Day 27 on a ventilator,

The doctors are pleased with the recovery of his lungs

He was sitting in an ICU chair again today, minimal Pressure Support and 35% oxygen

They said he was looking brighter and they were playing his favourite radio station.

So far we’re on course for extubation this week.

What has been panicking me a lot the last few days is the doctors had said that due to his age, the length of time he’s been battling this, and that his pre COVID left sided stroke paralysis that now seems to have returned, they didn’t want to reintubate or perform a tracheostomy.

I think we’ve now reached a compromise. We’ve said we would be accepting of no reintubation for gradual respiratory failure, but that we’d like it to be an option for treatable situations for example if more muscle conditioning is required.

My fear was that a lot of the decision making was based on what they were seeing with the left side paralysis, but there’s been no evidence of a further stroke.

The doctors now agree it’s possible that the symptoms from the previous stroke have resurfaced due to the time in ICU, or perhaps even due to inflammation from COVID itself. They haven’t come across someone of his age, with a previous stroke making it to this stage in ICU for COVID.

The doctors don’t know if it will be permanent or not, but based on his recovery from the original stroke, I have faith that there will be some recovery from that.

He’s come so far and his lungs are doing well, I’m now starting to believe recovery is possible.

[FamilyHistorian]

That is really good news I was so worried about your questions before.

I didn’t say before some people who were proned experienced problems with their right arm. I wasn’t proned because my sternum had to heal however a few years ago my right shoulder was replaced by a reverse shoulder (ball and socket swapped) and didn’t help with the loss of strength / use.

When they put him in a chair he may complain that it hurts or is uncomfortable. That is probably true as I guess he has lost a lot of his padding (polite for fat) and may bruise.

Don’t forget my mantra take care of yourself

[Hidden in reply to FamilyHistorian]

Thanks again for sharing your experiences and your kind words.

[qmcsurvivor]

Spent 12 days in ICU with Covid 9 on ventilator and I too am now looking at everything around severe Covid and its impact some things I have read have scared me and some have made me feel how lucky I really am to be here but am terrified of getting it again though had 1st vaccine. I am front line NHS staff and looked after Covid patients at times and it seems surreal I have been through this. Best wishes,