waking up from induced coma

[Bendnfn]

I posted a few days ago about my sister being in ICU in an induced coma. This is day 7 now and they have turned down the sedation after being able to control her seizures. I have read that it’s a slow process. Can people give me example of how it went for you.

I know everyone is different but it helps me reading what other people went through

Many thanks. Xxxx

[Bendnfn]

I meant to say it’s only been a few hours and she is trying to open her eyes, coughing and yawning loads. Is this the first steps.

[Sepsur]

it took me about 11 days to come around properLy - and yes yawning, coughing & rolling the eyes was my norm.

I struggled with ICU delirium which is worth familiarising yourself with

cc-sn.org/information

[FamilyHistorian]

my family were told it would take a couple of days but despite trying to wean me off it was nearly 2 months

[Alex-Brighton-76]

Hi I have been in a number of induced Comas and they where all different. It depend one a) the patient and b) how sick they are, they might even give your sister more time after the first attempt so she can be as strong as possible because the hard work starts when she in awake. Most ITU units are really very good in what they do and when she goes to a ward an ITU outreach nurse will carry on supporting her for a few day, your in safe hands, hope all goes well

[Signingfun]

Waking up from a coma is very different from what you see on tv. There's a whole process to waking up. I remember I started to wake up in March. There were days when I was more aware than others. My husband had to fill in a bunch of blanks. Also, I had memories from being in the coma. Some memories were true and some were not, but they all felt the same. I had conversations with my husband to figure out which was which. Also, I tired easily when I first woke up. Take this one day at a time.

Anne

[Missmylonghair in reply to Signingfun]

I was on a ventilator for 16 days. I have no memory of my boyfriend visiting. I have no recall of the days before being placed on a ventilator. At the hospital that spent time a speech therapist was there hours after I woke up. It could take a while.

[Sepsur]

how is she doing now?

[EdinCat83]

HI Bendfn. My mum has the exact same issue as your sister. Her MRI and CT were clear but her hypoxic brain injury seems to be status epilepticus. She is in day 20 of an induced coma and was transferred to Walton on Monday 24th June. They put her on thiopental to reboot the brain in the Hope it would restore normal balance in brain. She’s in that critical stage now of being weaned off sedation gradually. EEG last two days have been satisfactory. Tomorrow she might be weaned off completely if EEG shows more more seizures.

I’m so nervous. On edge all the time. I can just hope she is strong enough to fight. I hope your sister isnOK. x

[ZanderB]

I think that it's difficult to comment on what it's like coming around from an induced coma when one has been in one but here's my tuppence-worth.

I was in an induced coma for something like 3 1/2 weeks. I have no idea when I was lucid or not during this period. I do remember being immobile with a tube down my throat/through my neck, unable to speak and mouth so dry, plus tubes and wires all over the place. I was just existing. I couldn't do anything to pass the time and I don't think I even knew what was going on.

The hallucinations are so scary and real - on one of the few occasions my wife was allowed to visit - this was late 2020 during covid lockdowns - I do remember trying to point out to her that the nurse who was around was part of the body-part harvesting gang of medical professionals who had kidnapped me to cut me up.

It's worth knowing that with induced comas you are heavily sedated by the medication. I think, but am not sure, that you are still conscious, rather than "out cold". The doctors then reduce the medication - in my case this included a lot of fentanyl which has hit the headlines as part of the opioid crisis in the USA - to "wake you up".

I have since been told that it was difficult to reduce the medication for me because I would react quite violently, trying to pull the tubes out, etc. I have no memory of this.

Looking back now, I think it would have been a bit easier with ways to pass the time. Visitors (but covid prevented this for me), audiobooks, podcasts, tv, music. I could not read or deal with screens - my brain was too scrambled. I managed half an episode of The Queen's Gambit on my laptop, although this was probably when I was in High Dependency (a step down from ICU).

It's great that you are there for your sister and asking questions to inform yourself. She is lucky. Do keep us up-dated and wishing you both all the best.