Hi all my dad has been in intensive care for 8 weeks during this time he had bipap for a week then his lung collapsed and he was placed on a ventilator 24 hours later we were called to the hospital as his organs were failing but after being placed on dialysis he got a bit better. After 2 weeks on the ventilator they were proning him and had been able to lower the ventilator and he seemed to be doing better . He had a tracheotomy fitted and we thought great they can wake him now but unfortunately every time they tried he got so distressed they had to sedate again . He has had many ups and down in the last couple of weeks he has liver disease, internal bleeding and his heart stopped 3 times for a couple of seconds they said they think it was from medication. They have all that under control now the main problem his his lungs and liver is still bad . They have been trying to wean him off sedation and ventilator but they said the same the problem is he is breathing to fast and heart rate and blood pressure is going to high so need to sedate again . They called yesterday to say they feel his lungs are damaged to much and that they will never be able to get him off a ventilator and they don’t feel he will get better.
As a last ditch attempt they started a treatment yesterday to drain all the fluid from his body to see if can help but they don’t think it will. They asked us to come in Monday to talk about end of life care .
I’m just so heart broken I feel if they give him longer his lungs could get better but they have said they won’t and that his chest mussels are to weak to even expand fully.
Has anyone been this far gone from covid and a miracle happened and they pulled through?
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Mrs_blounty
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I am sorry your family and your Dad are suffering like this. It is very hard I know. The Drs have to prepare you for the worst outcome. Things change minute to minute even, in ICU with new infections but I hope that your Dad improves. I remember these days very well but it was precovid. There are many stories of hope on here. Remember everyone is different and recover in their own way. Thinking of you all.
Thank you for the reply he has had a few hospital acquired infection and they said the other week if it hadn’t been for one of them infections he probably wouldn’t be at the point he is at now . I am praying for a miracle and I won’t stop as I said to my family it’s not over till it’s over we still have to hope .
My husband had the same problem getting off high sedation drugs and they finally were able to wean him by balancing between high sedation drugs and anxiety meds little by little and get him off. I moved my husband to another hospital and it's been a long road. He originally went in November 1, 2020.
They wanted me to end his life, but I refused. We are finally at the point that it looks like in time they can wean him from the ventilator. He is healing real slowly.
Hi lynnmarr happy to hear your husband is doing better that’s a very long road for both of you . How did you move him to another hospital did you ask for a second opinion? The hospital have tried so much and I appreciate everything they have done for him but I did email an ecmo consultant in one of the other hospitals I’m waiting to hear back we only have 3 ecmo machines in Ireland . He is probably not a candidate for it but I need to know I tried every avenue possible for my dad .
I'm rather surprised Ireland only has 3 ECMO facilities - here in Cape Town, the city has 4, two of which are mobile.
Unlike mechanical ventilation, the ECMO circuit can assume heart and lung function externally, thus allowing the lungs to "rest and recover" somewhat.
Have you broadened your search to include mobile facilities outside of Ireland?
Typically the ECMO team would fly by helicopter (or jet) from the hospital to the patient, place the patient on ECMO, then fly back to the receiving hospital with the patient.
It may on the face of it, it may seem a long stretch, but very easily accomplished if a mobile unit is available.
I am so sorry to hear about your dad, it’s really sad. My father was in the icu for 5 weeks two years ago, but because of his age and his condition (he had kidney problems and was in a comma following a resuscitation from cardiac arrest), if he survived he would live in a bed and unable to communicate or do anything by himself. He’d need dialysis often and would suffer too much. We decided to move him to palliative care and he passed away peacefully at 85 years old. If your dad is younger, I’d say, don’t give up! It was a difficult decision for us but it was the best for my father. I miss him every day. Take care and keep hopeful.
Hi thanks for the reply my dad is 59 he has type 2 diabetes but that was under control other than that he was in good health. This is actually his first time to ever be in hospital in his life . The hospital are really pushing for end of life as he hasn’t improved over the weekend so I guess I will see what they say tomorrow in the meeting . Sorry to hear about your dad such a strong figure in your life to lose I’m sure it’s been very hard . Take care
Thanks, yes it’s so hard to accept and deal with the loss. Your dad is young, I am sure doctors will do all they can to help him! Keep strong, I wish you all the best.
That is very young. You know you are entitled to ask for a second opinion - the hospital may not grant it but it is worth asking.
I am sorry to read about your dad and all he is going through. I was in ICU last year firstly with an infection that gave me sepsis, and included kidney failure and diabetes. After 4 weeks I was put on a general ward, but contracted Covid and was returned to ICU. My condition deteriated and was put on a ventilator and sedated. I had a trac and was turned on my front. I was also given a steriod drug that was being trialed for serious Covid cases. I was lucky and after about 4 weeks was taken off sedation and the ventilator. I was in ICU for a further 6 weeks. I lost my mobility and was transfered to a community hospital to receive physio and learn to walk again. After another 8 weeks I returned home. I am waiting a long covid clinic appointment. I cant thank the doctors and nurses enough for all they did, they never gave up, but I understand some respond better than others despite all their efforts.
My husband went in to hosp with Covid start of Jan. Tried CPAP mask for 3 days but he couldn’t tolerate it and sats dropped so they intubated him. He was in ITU for 11 weeks and 9 on the ventilator! He had ups and downs. They proned him within two days in ITU and he responded well. They did that 4 times altogether. Beginning of week 5 had a tracheostomy. 3 days later they woke him up but the next day one of his lungs collapsed so they put a chest drain in and sedated and paralysed him again. Over the next 2 days he had high temps and they were trying him with several different antibiotics and an antifungal drug. He needed a lot of meds to keep BP up and on the following Monday his kidneys stopped working so they put him on dialysis. He slowly improved and 10 days later started to produce urine and 2 days later they stopped dialysis. They took him off the paralytic and reduced the sedation gradually and then began weaning him off the ventilator. They said it’s a miracle as they thought they were going to loose him a few times. The Monday when they put him on dialysis they called me in and said no longer 50/50 and that they had put a DNAR in place just awful!! But he hung on in there and came through. He lost about 5 stones in weight but gradually putting weight on. Is walking okay and they keep an eye on his kidney function. He had no underlying illnesses and is 54 so that may have stood him in good stead. I hope your father comes through it. Keep strong. X
Many miracles have occurred for my dad after doctors had those same conversations with me about quality of life and what not. Fuck them all. There were times that I felt or questioned that maybe I was being selfish but we kept praying and he did wake up after being off sedation for a month. The dialysis had a lot to do with that I believe. We have had setback after setback with miracles in between. But I asked him if he was glad to be alive and he was. I’m not going to lie. Some days are rough because one day he’s good and communicating and the next he’s a vegetable back on the vent with crazy levels of carbon dioxide in his blood. But I truly don’t believe we have made it this far(6months) for nothing. Keep the faith and don’t give up on anyone that wouldn’t give up on u
Hi, I just read your response and it sounds so similar to what’s happening with my dad. He’s been off sedation since May 26 and is still not very responsive. He opens and closes his eyes, opens and closes his mouth and moves his head to noise but he doesn’t follow commands. He’s also on dialysis since the end of May. Every time they take him off the anxiety medication his CO2 levels go up. He’s been in the hospital since April and it’s been such a long road. The doctors aren’t very optimistic and have mentioned he may have brain damage due to hypoxia because he’s not responsive yet. Have you had to deal with similar and have any advice? Thank you
Thank you everyone for your reply’s . My dad is still fighting the dialysis to take the fluid away didn’t make much difference they still haven’t been able to wean the ventilator or wake him but after being sedated for so long how could he wake up straight away . The doctor called yesterday and they are getting a specialist to look at him to see if he has an underlying lung condition as my dad has pigeons and all ways had a very bad cough so there is a thing called pigeon lung so they will check for that and anything else that could be underlying . They are also trying him on an unlicensed drug to see does it help as none of the other antibiotics are working . They took samples and his body is very resistant to the antibiotics so they keep changing them but his body becomes even more resistant. Hopefully this new drug helps . They are going to give it to early next week and if there is no change they said there really is nothing more they can do and we will have to move on to end of life care . So I’m paying for a miracle 🙏🏻
I am sorry about what you're going through and hope a miracle does everything back to good.My fiance, just 29 is under medically induced coma from February end. He got covid and his results didn't come back positive as bad as luck could get.
Doctor's have almost no hope and I live in India and him in USA.
On 31 August onwards his Do Not Resuscitate order will come into effect.
My heart is bleeding. It looks like it's me who is dying from inside.
It’s very very hard just keep hope that’s all you can do . It’s a very long road for you to all the months of worry and stress . Try take care of your self as much as you can . I hope he turns a corner and improves x
Thank you! I cant even meet him as we are from different countries. His family isn't replying. They are in shock, probably. All info is coming from his company. Take care x
Hi everyone I just want to say thank you for all your reply’s . Unfortunately my dad passed away on the 25th of June . He really put up a good fight but in the end his lungs were just to damaged to do any work on their own and they were unable to bring him around from the sedation. Thank you all for the support and reply’s
I was told on more than one occasion that my wife was not going to make it. She’s still in hospital but is now covid free and is hoping to get to a rehab unit so she can learn to walk again .Ask the doctors if there is still hope and if there is insist that they carry on
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