My dad (aged 64) was recently admitted to the ICU on June 3rd. When he first arrived at the ER after suffering aphasia and impaired memory, the doctors found a lesion on his temporal lobe. Shortly thereafter he suffered a grand mal seizure. After the seizure the doctors were having difficulty getting him to awaken, so they induced a coma. A few days later on June 5th he was weaned from the sedatives. He was talking and laughing, but also seemed confused and agitated. Within a few hours, seizure activity began to show on his EEG so they had to sedate and intubate once more.
The second induced coma has been with a heavier dose of sedatives (Propofol AND Versed) and for an extended period of time. He has also received 8 rounds of radiation treatment while he's been asleep. On June 16th he was fully weaned from Propofol by 8pm. By June 17th he was fully weaned from Versed by 8am. My dad is still intubated and receiving seizure medication. He is able to respond to Doctors asking him to close his eyes hard, but he cannot move his hands or his feet when asked. He teared up when my mom spoke to him as well. As of now, he has not yet had any sign of seizure activity. We are beyond thankful for that!
My question is how long {at the longest} would it take someone to fully "come to" after being sedated for almost two weeks? Is it normal to not be able to move your extremities even though you can tell that he is with us through the blinking? The doctors say that it may take some time for the sedatives to eliminate from his system. He has discolored urine which means there is Propofol present in his body still. Has anyone else experienced having a parent or relative in the ICU in a comatose/sedative state that could provide some discernment/encouragement? Thank you for your insights in advance!
Natalie
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natalierosejerome
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there are all sorts of mitigating factors that can shorten or prolong how quickly someone wakes from a coma. A person may have more or less of a tolerance to sedatives, a person may have received a larger dose and been kept at a deeper level of sedation due to the need to synchronise with life support. Have a look at the Glasgow scale.
If your father had and kidney or liver issue this would slow down the body’s ability to rid itself of toxins & medications - hence prolonged drowsiness. Age and fitness play a role.
I took 11 days to fully come around from a 57 day coma - but I know of others that were away with the fairies for weeks having only been sedated for several days. We are all different. Hope you day shows great improvement soon.
Thank you so much for you thoughtful reply and for relaying your personal experiences as well. I am happy you are well now!
As of today he is much more alert and definitely aware, but he still has his intubation in as a precaution. He answers all of our questions with blinks, but still cannot move his body. He has begun a plasma exchange treatment and will have a total of 5 over 10 days, so we are hopeful that helps to stimulate his cells and remove the "bad" antibodies that may be interfering with his movement.
I was in a induced coma for eight weeks and I wasn't fully conscious until two weeks after medication was stopped, I was paralised for a further month...Now six months on I'm walking talking and as dumb as ever!
I've major spinal nerve damage due to the drugs, but all in all life is good..
Keep smiling, it gets better, very slowly but better. God's speed.
Hi Paul! I can't tell you how much hope your response has given my mom and I. I am SO pleased you are doing well!
I responded with some more insights to post above yours, but essentially my dad is more alert and aware. He is able to answer our questions with blinks, eye raises, and has smiled and yawned while we were there. It is the small stuff that improves on the daily.
He has yet to move his hands or feet but he told my mom he could feel her touch his hand whereas the day before he could not. So that is a blessing as well!
I appreciate your encouragement and kind words. They are life-giving! - xx
Natalie (Tacoma, Washington, USA)
P.S. - It is so neat that we can connect even across seas!
I hope a follow-up question or two is not bothersome...! Each day my dad is more and more alert as I mentioned before. Today he was moving his head back and forth and answering questions. He is still not able to move the rest of his body though.
Through your experience when you were paralyzed for that month, were you able to hear people talking to you? Were you able to understand them? And could you feel any sensation in any part of your body, including your arms and legs? Could you feel people when they held your hand or touched you?
I told my mom about our chat and she was highly encouraged and wanted me to reach back out to see if you could provide another moment of insight or two
Yes I could understand people but the drugs make it a bit surreal, and yes I could feel touch so contact and talking to him will be very helpful.As I say it takes time but things will get better. All my love for you and your family.
Hi there. I am recovering from a sepsis coma. I had to learn to walk, talk, swallow and breathe without a ventilator. During the coma there are times where you are able to reach consciousness to see and hear. Then you zone out again. Someone had Lauren Diagle music playing and I could hear it and remember it. I had 5000 exhausting coma dreams. You look like your sleeping to others but there is an entire journey going on. So keep talking, play music hold hands if allowed and assist with that journey back to this dimension. I had to undergo constant physical therapy after waking up since every thing from my neck down was shut off. I do walk with two canes and drive again. Takes time for the brain to adjust but keep at it. Coma folks are awake inside the body.
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