Hi my husband spent 7 weeks in an induced coma,he had covid pneumonia which caused respatory failure and he was put on ECMO for a month he had kidney trouble needing dialysis he had to have a biopsy on his liver ... he is now medically fit after 4 months in hospital ... he is now in a physiotherapy hospital for rehabilitation...im so worried about him I have spend every day at the hospital with him ..im just wondering if anyone can tell me there experiences with recovery ... he is learning to walk again ..he can stand for a few minutes and he is using an exercise bike that attaches to the wheelchair ... he is frustrated that its not moving along quick enough...he wants to come home its been a long 5 months 😟
Physiotherapy after coma: Hi my husband spent... - ICUsteps
Physiotherapy after coma
Written by
Potter321
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
41 Replies
•
I had to relearn to do everything, I was left with ICU acquired weakness & chronic muscle waste coupled with fatigue.
Eventually, after prolonged physio & determination on my part, I regained enough to start all over again. Months later I returned to work - sitting for long periods was hard, standing was even harder, don’t ask me to balance…that was a non starter.
I was forgetful& clumsy.
18months later I was mostly back to how I was before critical illness.
I know how much longer it takes to get well, much, much longer than any of us wished.
We set up some on line sessions to help people once the pandemic hit. We still run them.
He says he feels exhausted after exercise..but he's doing it ...im so glad to hear you are almost recovered after 18 months ..that is amazing news for you and your family x thankyou
He will be exhausted - it’s part of the after effects of ICU - chronic muscle waste & fatigue - it’s called ICU acquired weakness. I’m now 6yrs out of ICU - so I have enough distance to see how long I took to really recover.
Best of luck to you both & tell him not to get too disheartened - little steps not giant leaps - we get better incrementally
I was also in a coma on ECMO for a month. The beginning of physio was hellish, just standing or sitting on the edge of the bed was so hard.Then I had a spurt of a month of rapid improvement (relatively speaking, compared to how ill I had been).
Then it was a matter of small incremental gains ever since.
I have now been home for 15 months, and been told it will take 2 years from being ill (late Nov 2020) to get near my previous self.
But the physios have told me that things may not necessarily get back to 100% and there might be a "new normal".
Fatigue and balance remain ongoing issues.
It is a marathon not a sprint, where slow and steady will win the race!
That's what I tell him tortoise and the hare lol I just feel lost as just wish I could help him more.
I can relate to the early days of walking before I could go home I had to do some stairs and I thought the physios were mad.........me stairs.......but I did it.
I had a tiny set of three stairs in hospital, with a handrail, which the physios kept trying to get me up. It was just not possible, my back went every time.....and I could not get my brain to coordinate right and left legs and arms. Fortunately I can now manage three stairs.
Hello Good day sunshine hope you are well i just wanted to ask did you have trouble with eating when you woke ? My husband eats but small portions ...but sometimes he is sick as he can't keep food down .. it's the heavy stoggy stuff he can't keep down ... fruit yogurt noodles as long as something is really wet in texture he has no trouble with ... is this something that happens .... just a little worried ...
At first I remained on the nasal cannula food line, plus yoghurts. Then they added small foods on a plate, of a soft and hospital foods nature.
What I noticed was that my heart was pounding so hard to digest this "solid" food.
I had to ask for my serving time to be earlier, as physio were coming round after lunch and I was too exhausted from just eating to do anything with them.
I did not vomit, but had food stuff sticking in my throat and was in an out of imaging as they tried to work out what was happening. They never did, but it seemed to pass.
I had to be very careful though, eg cutting the batter off the fish and chips they served.
Also, I had to cut crusts off toast etc.
I hope the issue is resolved, I am sure part of it is the body reacting after having no solid food for months.
Sounds so similar to my case. I’m 15 months since coming home from hospital and I still have balance issues and numbness in my feet. As much as I’m sad to see so many others with the same issues; it’s reassuring that I’m not alone.
Hi please don't worry, same story here. ICU induced coma for Covid. Touch and go 3 times I'm told.
6 weeks rehab though and now 14 months home and I too am near fully recovered.
Rehab is tough. Every muscle aches and confidence is low.
Walking is scary, stairs are a massive challenge! It's important to pace and excersise like the bike 15 minutes a day helped me build stamina and strength.
With love and support and encouragement I'm sure your husband will progress as we have done. 🙂🤞
Same as all the above. Its tough and its slow. Find the positives wherever you can 😬😀👍
As above. Concentrate on how far you have come rather than how far you have to go. Accept things as they are keep hoping keep working and they will almost certainly get better. Getting frustrated with how slow it all is will not speed things up and just make things feel worse at the moment, being patient is not having given in. It is just something extra we have to learn to get through this.
. I couldn’t have physio because I had open heart surgery and a tracheostomy that wouldn’t heal so the upper part of my body wouldn’t take the proper exercise so really your husband is lucky to be in the right place with the right care.qa
Thankyou all 😊❤️ I Am so so lucky to have such an amazing husband who has so much get up and go .hes such a fighter . considering he had a 10% chance of survival ... I am so so incredibly lucky to still have him ..and I will be forever thankful for all the medical specialists... we have been together 25 years this month ... and our anniversary is possible thanks to them even if it is to be celebrated in the rehabilitation hospital ... just wish I could do more for him.
He has been about as ill as you can get as no where else to go after ECMO and as others say 18months - 2 years is probably a realistic target . The other thing you can do is encourage independence and although tempting to push for early discharge make sure he is physically able before he comes home. You are his wife and that relationship is important so you don't need to be his nurse - its tough once you leave the support of the hospital so small steps first . Good luck to you both .
Two years on from my dad suffering the same he is medically a lot better. His kidneys recovered but he still has regular tests , last month he had a call back saying his kidney function had dipped but they think that was the medication he’s on for his Diabetes.Dad is still tired and two years later he’s sleeps of afternoon. However there are some big improvements it’s juts takes time .
I wish you and your husband all the best and hope he is home soon.
Thankyou so much .. glad to hear your dad is doing well xxx
Hi my husband was on dialysis after he was ventilated for covid so I’m probably not the best person to ask as he sadly passed away
Copse77• in reply to
So sorry for your loss on your husband passing away.
• in reply toCopse77
Thank you 🙏
Potter321• in reply to
I'm so sorry to hear this ❤️
Hello, I was put in an induced coma 2/26/20 before the pandemic. Testing wasn’t accurate for Covid at the time so I was diagnosed with possibly having influenza A . But doctors feel that I did have Covid. My lungs were severely compromised, I was put on ECMO for 54.5 days, my kidneys stopped working. I went to a step down facility June 1, 2020. They had the pedal exerciser that I used and they also had an elliptical machine that you could use with a wheelchair. I had a setback w blood clot issues which delayed time w physical therapy a few weeks. July 30th I was taken off dialysis completely since my kidneys were more efficient. I went to another rehab on July 30th. I needed contraptions to help me stand. I started doing isometric exercises in bed as best I could to help progress. The 3rd week in August was the first time I could stand at the parallel bars and little by little I walked progressing to a walker while someone followed me w the wheelchair. I went home 9/14/20 and had therapy come to the house. I still have severe drop foot and can move my feet slightly, my balance has improved but my ankles are like loose hinges and I can’t stand without holding on to something. Everyone recovers differently and every little bit of extra exercises he can do even if they are in bed will help. Someone that went through a similar experience had told me that just when you think you aren’t improving and seem to stay the same, unexpectedly they would improve so try not to get too discouraged and stay positive ! Tell him it’s a Marathon Not a Sprint and things will improve little by little. Good Luck and keep us posted.
Qusie : )
Your husband is making good progress. Everyone is an individual and recovers at different rates. I will send you a link to our family story. We just lost our Dad who was a brilliant support when my brother was critically Ill
Hello
My husband was admitted in first wave and went from being a fit man who went to the gym 3 times a week to being admitted into hospital and into ITU .
He spent six weeks on a ventilator and like your husband it was touch and go .
Thankfully 2 years on he is much better , he will never be the man he was as has suffered with nerve end damage and a few other conditions.
Please tell your husband it really does get better and it’s a slow process. He is incredibly lucky to get so much rehab , that’s wonderful.
My husband was used as a patient study for our trust , upon discharge from the care/rehab home , a covid team of physio’s were appointed.
They were absolutely amazing and pushed him hard but we had such a wonderful relationship with them ( still do ) .
He celebrated immensely when the last disability aid left our house , it was quite Cathartic.
He has just fought the biggest battle of his life, and the battle will continue for. While. That said my oh my you too have been through it , so please look after yourself too x
My goodness you just made me cry ... im so happy to hear your story ...I sometimes feel so alone ..
I understand how you feel so alone , it’s a desperate time for you and as much as family and friends say they are there for you, they have absolutely no idea of the depths and despair you have gone through. Once your husband comes home it’s an incredibly hard time for you and again nothing can prepare you for the hard work and exhaustion you will feel . That said it’s short term and you will look back and think wow how did I do that .
Sepsur runs a drop in zoom session that you may find you helpful.
If ever you want a chat drop me a private message x
I spent 2 months in a coma due to pneumonia and respiratory failure/ lung collaps, started walking with a walker 6 weeks after I woke up 25th of December. In the begining I couldn't move, talk go to the toilet or eat. but I recovered more and moved from the ICU, then to the medical ward in the ordinary hospital I was in, to a rehabilitation hospital after that. I started walking on my own during my 2 months there. I then moved to a local clinic for further rehab and continued progress. I now work out thrice a week and this week I started working 60%. Comparing with what I read here my progress has seemingly gone fairly quick. The reason is probably a combination of various factors. I've gotten excellent help from physiotherapists, ergotherapists, nurses and doctors at every place I've been. I was not an athlete before, but kept myself in fairly good shape and I'm still able to improve my physical health because of age (am 48 y). Also having life goals and getting much more support and motivation from friends and family than I expected has really boosted my drive and kept me steady, not overstraining and holding me back when I want to do too much has been important. For that I'm eternally greatful. For me it's important to try to focus on positive sides of life, appreciate small steps of progress and little things. It would have been easy to be bitter an blame those that didn't treat my pneumonia in time before it was too late, but it doesn't help me. We just need to be patient, do our job with as much positive mindset as possible and take constructive feedback from our surroundings. That's what works in the end. People that find themselves in this situation might be more or less lucky or spend shorter or longer time than me to rehabilitate, but a patient, positive and steadfast approach is key I think.
Wish you and your husband the best of luck. Chearing for him!
😊👏🏻
I am also a Covid ventilated survivor and as others have stated had the journey from learning to walk again onwards, after 6 months I did return to work in the NHS were I caught Covid and it was hard, since December 2021 I have been off again and sadly in my area still awaiting support I was told I needed extensive therapy but still on a waiting list 18 months later. I realise I have come a long way as walking was a huge challenge but now improving and I have damage to heart and lungs and was in stage one renal failure which has now gone. Feelings are well I am here and yes life has changed from the person I was before and this causes mixed emotions and I agree ICU recovery for many disorders not just Covid is really slow but understandable when you think we were comatised.
Best wishes, Phil in Nottingham
So my husband took his first steps yesterday with the assistance of the arjo but it made me cry ..i am so so proud of him he walked up and down the corridor for about 3 mins.I just wanted to share this good news with you.
It was amazing
😀
I was in hospital for 4 months from Nov 2020 to March 2021 with severe covid pneumonitis, sepsis, DVT, grade 3 kidney failure, on dialysis, pneumothorax, atrial fibrillation and in an induced coma for 6/7 weeks and ECMO for just under a month. I experienced a great deal of ICU delirium which in turn still contributes to PTSD, so that’s something to possibly be aware of with your husband. When I regained consciousness, I couldn’t move at all. Down to muscle atrophy from being still all that time and the unknown effects of covid and sepsis. They started rehab in ICU, with simply lifting me out the bed with a hoist and sitting me in a chair, they gave me sponges to squeeze to regain the use of my hands. They had to reintroduce eating too by seeming on yogurts to soft food to normal food. As the feeling in my body returned it was very very painful!!! I was on Fentanyl patches and OxyContin and morphine and Gabapentin (looking back I wonder If that’s even allowed?) I slowly began to get feeling back, physio did various exercises including the body board, sitting in a chair was one of the main things they did. Then hand exercises, arm exercises. My feet were the last to regain feeling and to be honest 15 months on I still have numbness from nerve damage from it all. I was still not walking when I went home. Grit determination was required and I would raise my hospital bed (that local authority put in my house) to the highest height, then I’d try and get into the standing position (with people holding my hands) not recommended - but it worked for me. Physio would confirm to my place and gave me hip exercises as that controls so much if our walking. She got me a walking frame and I slowly learned to take a couple of steps with that. Then a few more steps, a couple of weeks later across the room. A month later across the hallway. It took a few months to get confident with this then I could try and take a step of two in my own. I can walk a few meters unaided now and I still have a way to go. Be encouraged that it’s all possible! It will take a while though. It’s a long convoluted process unfortunately, but your husband will get there! All the best
Wow you have come so far be proud of that you sound like a very determined person ... alot of what you have said is very close to what my husband is going through and doing .. im so glad there is a positive outcome for you keep up the walking..you can do it x Thankyou for you kind wishes and for sharing your story with me.
In 2014, at the age of 60, I also had ECMO treatment as a result of a bout of streptococcal pneumonia. I to was in hospital for four months (eleven weeks of which were spent in an ICU) and I recognise your husbands condition and recovery program all to well. Coming out of my coma, more or less paralysed felt at times that I would never live a normal, active life again. But I have.
The recovery will come in baby steps - very slowly and nothing dramatic. The real break through came when I had recovered enough to return home to the care of my wife with very, very limited care help (in my case, walk with crutches a couple of hundred meters, learn how to climb stairs safely and make a cup of tea and a slice of toast). The key to recovery is movement. At home I walked around the house. I soon ventured outside for, at first, very short daily walks - a few hundred meters, which left me gasping for breath. Each day I increased the length of the walk slightly (just a few meters at a time) and gradually added in slight slopes and, eventually, hills. I bought a cycle (just a cheap one) and went for short cycle rides. My leg strength came along in leaps and bounds, but my upper body strength was still very poor, and I had a pronounced stoop. To tackle this I joined a local gym and used the weight machines (in retrospect I think a few sessions with an 'aggressive' sports physiotherapist might have helped). I returned to work as a lawyer three months after coming out of hospital. About six months after coming out of hospital I returned, with the help of friends, to the passion of my life - running. Early efforts were not promising I could only manage a few hundred meters. But I kept at it. A little over a year from my admission to hospital I returned to my Running Club and took part, and could keep up with, the slower group runners. Two years three months after leaving hospital I completed a full marathon (26.2 miles). It was a very slow time, but that did not matter.
Now, nearly nine years after my admission to hospital I have retired. I live an active and normal life. I go for a run four or five times a week and have joined a hiking group. At the age of 67 I have just completed my second post pneumonia full marathon (and again the time was rubbish) and I am planning to return, after a twenty year break, to ultra running next year.
Recovery is all about movement (be it walking, dancing, running, football - whatever your poison). I wish you and your husband well for the journey ahead.
Patients must take action swiftly to recover from this horrific experience once they are awake, which normally takes between one and four weeks (or, in extreme circumstances, months or even years). For people who have emerged from a coma, physical therapy is an essential means of enhancing their motor skills and igniting brain activity. Physical treatments like massages, chiropractic adjustments, or physiotherapy can encourage social engagement and lower the risk of developing new illnesses. Patients who remain inactive are at a higher risk of developing pneumonia and other serious infections. Once the patient is displaying modest indications of consciousness, it is strongly advised that physical therapy begin almost immediately.
Check out here for more : physionow.ca/Locations/Etob...
Hi. I feel sure your husband will improve. It will take time though
What physio hospital was he sent to and has he been there long
Not what you're looking for?
You may also like...
Medically induced coma after cardiac arrest
This past Wednesday my dad suddenly collapsed at his friend’s house, with no previous history of...
Husband in induced coma for one week
Hi Everyone. I am Yneng, a Filipina living here in Germany. I am married with a German and we have...
Induced coma
Hi, my brother bought a dirt bike on the 29/06/18, he has never owned a bike in his life, he rode...
Pneumonia and induced coma
Dear readers
I feel very worried due to my dad's condition. It all started with pneumonia. He...
10 months after induced coma
Hi everyone, looking for advice last June I was put into a medical induced coma after having...
Medically induced coma recovery process after 2 week?
How long does it take to come around after coma?
still think about my induced coma everyday.
Coping with life after Coma
No change after 5 months 
