Had a meeting yesterday to discuss the next steps but they already took the sedatives off my boyfriend last night. He didn't react or move at all but still reacts to light because his pupils dilate. They now have my boyfriend on a ventilator. He has been in the ICU for 3 weeks and he was sedated every day as he had some seizures and brain spazzing. Like anyone would take a while when they have been sedated that much.
They stopped sedating him completely last night and said they are just waiting for him to wake up. They asked him to do commands, but he wasn't following at all. I'm not too sure if the medication was so heavy on his body that we have to wait a couple of days but they said to wait a couple of days to look for improvement.
They say he has some brain damage but I'm 100 % sure he can hear his family because in the first week he had tears coming out of his eyes, he followed a mini command by putting his thumb up but after that, nothing anymore.
Doctors think he is not improving because he hasn’t shown any meaningful movements at all. Such as not responding to verbal commands, no movement of limbs, BUT he did show a slight sign being uncomfortable with the tube in his mouth, he was coughing and having muscle spasms but they said it could be just his body reflexing but as I said, I have faith it's him.
They had given him another week but I'm preparing for the worst. We have so much to do together, we talked about plans for our future. I have faith that God will give his family, my family, his friends, and me a miracle. It'll be a very long road to recovery but I know he will be here.
Has anyone experienced a loved one taking this long to wake up?
Let me know your thoughts.
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valerielopez249495
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it took me 11 days - I’m sure others have been much longer, some of it is down to the individual’s constitution and tolerances. If there is any kidney or liver failure/ dialysis - this will slow down the body’s ability to rid itself of sedative and therefore the waking process. Most importantly- everyone is different
I know this sounds strange but if you are going to have a heart attack & sepsis - being in hospital is probably the best place - he will be getting immediate treatment
Waking from a coma is nothing like what you see in movies or on tv its sometimes worst for family as the not knowing what will happen makes everything much worse
But the truth is even the docs dont know
Have faith in your boyfriends strength keep talking to him keep touching him
His body is in a fully relaxed state and his brain needs to come back slowly
Would you like to gently wake up in the morning or jump out of bed after a nightmare Imagine it like that
Remember that many of the drugs are extremely strong and this may have an effect too
Try not to read too much into the doctors words they will only add to your anxiety
I am so sorry you and he are going through such a difficult time. Talk to him, hold his hand, pray with him, and be there with him. Even if it doesn't seem he can hear, it can still help. I know it did for me, even though I don't remember my wife talking to me while I was sedated. As other said, it can take a while to wake up. It could be days, or even a couple of weeks.
I will pray for your boyfriend, you and your families. We don't know what God will do, but He will be with you, whatever may come. Have hope, faith, and know you aren't alone.
Remain hopeful was the best advice we were given by a kind ICU dr. It took my brother almost a month to wake up fully after being placed in an induced coma. He had sepsis from flu and his lungs were failing. He was put on ECMO to give his lungs chance to recover when life support was not enough. He did make a good recover. It’s very hard what you are going through. An emotional rollercoaster but keep talking to him and everyone is different in their recovery response. Best wishes for his recovery.
As everyone above has said, we are all different and it takes time. As Sepsur mentions if you’re kidneys are damaged and you’re on dialysis it will take long.
If you read my bio you will see I had AKI and on dialysis and two heart attacks, sepsis etc etc etc . I took a long time to come around, I can remember brief moments when family were there and being asked to do things but I was coming around from not only a induced come but being paralysed due to my body not healing. The only way I can explain it is if you’ve heard of locked in syndrome that’s what it’s like for me. I could hear but not move anything or respond as I was intubated. Very very scary and frustrating
But eventually I came around a bit more each day until I could put a thumb in the air
There is hope and trust he’s trying to get out.
Best wishes for you all
Keep posting. But make sure you look after yourself.
So sorry to hear this. It reminds me of the 3 1/2 weeks I spent in an induced coma and on a ventilator. It took a long time to wake me up. Apparently I would react quite violently and have to be sedated again. The doctors thought I had suffered strokes and brain damage etc. But I came through it, so keep hoping and look after yourself too - there are support groups for ex-ICU patients and their friends and familly.
unfortunately my dad did not wake up from his vegetative state coma. His eyes weren’t dilating and were fixed, he suffered a cardiac arrest April 10 and was flatlined for 20 minutes before resuscitation. Giving the circumstance he suffered an anoxic brain injury. We thought he would wake up because he started to open his eyes, however he seemed super groggy which we figured was due to the sedation. They basically wanted us to wait 3 days for responses which he did not respond to commands. They ordered neuro consult and did EEG and CT but no known damages present. They couldn’t do an MRI because my dad was too wide in the shoulders to fit the machine ultimately giving up absolutely no clue the condition of my dad mentally. They did switch his vent to the CPAP setting which he tolerated for the most part. The cough reflex is due to the tube unfortunately and muscle twitches aren’t meaningful. They want absolute follows on commands that are not a reflex but a signal through the brain to tell the body to do what they ask. With the fact that my dad was able to open his eyes they did not find blinking “purposeful” as it is also considered a reflex not a comprehension.
I don’t mean to scare you with the facts of my experience because situations that led to this are different in a few aspects. It is not impossible for him to wake up completely and follow commands. So thoughts are with you
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