What does recovery look like (non-COVID)

I posted before about my mom being in the ICU due to extreme dehydration leading to acute kidney injury, having to be ventilated, failing extubation 3 times and being moved to a tracheostomy. She was moved to a long term care/rehab within the same hospital 20-Jan.

As background for this question prior to this event she had COPD, was a life-long smoker, was a shallow breather, and also did not do the exercises she was supposed to do after previous hospital stays. Basically she was already weak before going into the hospital in November.

According to the rehab coordinator she's been showing improvements, but still needs 'maximum help' for everything. We only started to be able to visit again last week due to COVID restrictions, only for an hour at a time and every time I have been there she's been asleep. My dad had a good visit with her on Wed last week when she was in a chair and had the speaking valve on. He said she was still a bit confused about time, but mostly knew who people were.

My question is what does a 'timeline' of recovery from such a serious illness look like?

Is sleeping a majority of the time normal for recovery or is this likely to be her 'new normal'?

At what point do we start thinking that the tracheostomy is 'permanent'? The place where she is specializes in long term tracheostomy care and weaning. According to them she's still on a weaning protocol and that this is a 'marathon not a sprint'.

[Sepsur]

Hi @KateD882

My mother-in-law had surgery on a brain tumour, she did some physio but was easily discouraged, if you can keep your Mum buoyant in mood then maybe you will have more luck.

My mother-in-law then had radiotherapy and that finished her off really. She was unable to really process what was being asked of her and remained bed bound for the rest of her life.

No-one knows what a person can achieve if they try, if they don’t do the necessary physio, I think they have fairly limited mobility - of course it is a personal choice - I just didn’t want to spend the rest of my days shuffling along this mortal coil.

Hope your Mom plucks up the energy & desire to get going again ( for her sake).

[Hidden in reply to Sepsur]

The Physical Therapist says that she is doing the work and not giving up and the Speech Therapist told me today that Mom has been more awake and alert since we were able to start visiting again, I have just been unlucky with my time of visit.

Hoping our continued presence will remind her what she has to come home to and will help keep her spirits up.

[Sepsur in reply to Hidden]

🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 - having loved ones around is so important 😀

[LeopardGecko]

It's hard to compare person to person. My husband spent 2 and a half months in ICU and was then able to have his tracheostomy removed. For various reasons (set backs, waiting for a rehab centre etc) he was in hospital for another 2 and a half months with minimal physio and managed to get to walking very short distances with a zimmer frame. He then went to a rehab centre for 3 weeks and made fantastic progress managing to walk with crutches.

He slept a lot (still does after being home for 2 months!) as it is just so tiring (and he is considered young at the age of 43). I think now that visiting is allowed, this will really help as you will be able to keep her spirits up when she is finding it tough.

[Hidden in reply to LeopardGecko]

Thank you for sharing your experience! I 'feel' like the sleeping is part of the recovery process as it is tiring being ill and also just being elderly (she's 78) but it is comforting to hear that other, younger, people also sleep a lot during recovery.