We just spoke to the nurse looking after our mum today and she said she's heading in the right direction so it looks at this point she is responding well, just hoping and praying she continues in this direction as we have heard ICU can be a roller coaster but we are holding onto the fact she is fighting this and seems to be responding well to the treatments she's receiving.
We have been given a ward portable mobile number to call so they can put the phone to her ear so we can speak to her, even though she's heavily sedated hopefully she will be able to hear us 🙏
I'm also going to contact the PALS team today as I have a long list of questions that we want to ask and it's not easy doing this over the phone.
Were also going to ask about taking in some of her favorite CDs for them to put on for her as the beeping machines are probably not nice to listen to.
Having joined this group and the critical care support group on FB it has been really helpful to find the strength to deal with this terrifying situation!
Feeling slightly relieved but still extremely anxious. Thankyou all for your support ❤
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djsioux
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We didn't ask many questions when we called so not sure what her stats are or how much she has improved but clinging onto the nurses words she is heading in the right direction. I'm going to email a list of questions to PALS so hopefully we can gain a better understanding of what is going on. Hoping and praying she keeps heading in the right direction 🙏
The photo idea sounds like a great idea, I read somewhere on here about making a photo board to send into her but will have to talk to PALS about this or maybe we can just post photos on her WhatsApp that the nuses can show her as I know they are cautious about introducing germs and infections 😏 the CDs should be ok ad they can wipe them down to sanitise them xxxx
That sounds positive and hope the improvement continues.
One experience I had was ICU delerium and it maybe worth you looking at the ICU steps information on this. It is suffered by 2 out of 3 on a ventilator and sedated. It usually involves vivid nightmares often violent and can lead to a bit of confusion when the patient comes round. I know I thought I had been in France, Cyprus and Scotland often in hospital settings albeit strange and involving some of the doctors looking after me in reality. It was a bit of shock to find I had been in hospital all that time.
So your Mum may need a lot of reassurance when she comes to.
Yes it's a relief to have some positive news but we know she's not out of the woods yet!I've read a lot of people's stories on here about the delirium, it seems quite a common thing, we are going to try and get some of her favorite CDs to her and record some WhatsApp messages for the nurses to play to her and send some photos to her on her phone for the nurses to share with her when she wakes up.
We are just clinging onto the positives and hoping and praying she continues to go forward in the right direction 🙏
When my husband was in ICU, I would track his sats daily, many professionals would tell me not to read too much into them. I couldn't help it and it got me through . Wonderful news you have had some positive news, you all have a rollercoaster ahead of you, long may reaching the top continue x
We called this morning but the nurse didn't give much away as she said the doctor is going to call us, that was 3 hrs ago, this waiting is torture!!I asked about her sedation as the nurse yesterday said she had be reduced a lot yesterday, the nurse today said she's on 25% but she didn't explain what that meant, just said the doctor will explain!
Nothing new to say…just affirming what’s already been written. Yes, ICU is a rollercoaster experience – for the loved ones in a coma, and, in other ways, even more for their families. My wife phoned the ward four or five times a day and was given extensive and frank, often very scary, information. For me, coming out of the coma and slowly back to consciousness, with delirium etc, was the most difficult part of the journey – very weird, disturbing, with moments of deepest despair which were massively helped by having a favourite family photograph beside me.
This forum has been inspirational, especially in the early stages of recovery. More than a year on, I’m still following it, feeling deeply for others who are in the midst of things. However remote and anonymous, it’s a large and caring community for which I'm profoundly grateful.
We spoke briefly to a nurse this morning who said no change from yesterday, so not sure if that's good news, she didn't give much away! I asked her how sedated she was as the nurse yesterday said they had lowered it dramatically the, nurse today said she was on 25% but didnt explain what that meant she just said the doctor would explain when he calls but that was 3 hrs ago, this waiting is agony!!!
Just spoke to the doctor he was much more positive today than he was last Thursday and said she is improving but they have detected an infection on her chest which needs to be treated with a broader spectrum anti biotic than the one she was having.
He mentioned about doing a tracheostomy possibly in the next few days so they can bring here off sedation quicker. We have been prepared for this from speaking to people in the support groups we have joined so wasn't a shock or too scary as we know it's a good thing and will help her come off the ventilator quicker hopefully!
He said she has a long hill to climb but he was so much more positive ❤🙏
That's great news about your brother, is he still sededated? The doc said when they get the tracheostomy in they can start waking my mum up so hopefully they can do this in the next few days x
Thank you! And positive news about your mum too! They had weaned him from some sedation before the trachy but he was quite distressed - at the moment he is on morphine and out for the count x
We had a scare this morning with a call from the doc saying they couldn't get her oxygen levels up so we rushed in to see her, they told us at first if we saw her we wouldn't be able to see her again as we would have to self isolate for 14 days but then we were told the sister said because we had all had the virus recently they would alow us back to see her if she deteriorates again. Never been so scared in my life! We thought we were going to lose her today xxx
She had stabilised before we left this afternoon. They started her on some more antibiotics so praying these work. They stopped the dextramethadrone after 10 days as its an imunosupresant so a double added sword, they are starting her on something else cant remember what ig is just now, its instead of rhe dextramethadrone xxx
This is such a difficult and challenging time for you all and I know hard it is going to be. Anything that you can do to remind them of who they are, how much they are loved and what they mean to people helps so much.
My wife made a big poster with photos of me and my family throughout the years - “This is John” and he likes to ……, This was a huge help, the staff moved it wherever I went and put it up so could see it. The consultants used it to see what I could remember, how disorientated I was, everyone who looked after me talked to me about it and I drew inspiration and motivation to get well from it. The PALS team got it laminated and it simply went with me everywhere. It’s on my office wall now
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