hi guys. My mom is 58 years old and has been intubated for 13 days after a colon resection. She had diverticulitis and was severely malnourished and weak which is what they think started all this. Since being intubated almost two weeks ago she quit moving or doing anything. She had emergency surgery a week ago and after that her pupils were unequal. They did a CT and it came back negative of any issues. They have turned off sedation for a day at a time but then have to start fentanyl back up for some reason of sorts. Whenever she’s off sedation she follows you with her eyes and looks at you when you call her name and will look at whatever you are showing her, also stares at the phone when I have someone on FaceTime. Her pupils also respond to light. I’m pretty sure she sees me and knows I’m there but I’m so scared. She won’t follow commands or move her body AT ALL! does anyone have any advice or hope in this situation? The doctors say they don’t where she’s at neurologically and/or if she’ll be bed bound. We’re supposed to get a trach put in in 2 days.
mom has been intubated for 2 weeks almost - ICUsteps
mom has been intubated for 2 weeks almost
Sorry to hear about your Mom. My Mum had different circumstances, but the trach massively helped. They tried to wake her once before they out it in, and she just wasn’t strong enough. It took about 10 days with the trach for her to really fully wake up. A lot of the meds take a while to leave the body. Sending lots of love and well wishes your way x
I was your mum’s age when I fell critically ill with C-19 and it’s many complications some 4 years ago. On life support, ventilator for almost 4 weeks, my husband (a medical dr) had similar concerns to yourself. There were 2 failed attempts to reduce sedation and remove ventilator, each time I would become distressed and fail to breathe independently. It was finally, on the third attempt, that success was met. I’m unable to remember anything whatsoever of the reality of this period, such were the effect's of illness & sedation, but I do remember vividly an alternative world I lived in. I guess my message, without knowing your mums detailed medical information, is try always to hold on to hope. Those drugs used are mighty powerful! My husband sometimes recalls the absolute fear he felt after the two failed attempts at extubations and my lack of neuro etc responses. He recalls asking my ICU consultant anaesthetist if I was likely to survive. Her reply was what he held on to during the darkest times… “I always hold on to hope. Without it, I couldn’t do this work”. Some two weeks after their discussion, I was finally extubated successfully and stepped down from ICU to a High Dependency environment. That’s when the hard slog of rehab began. But after all this, I’ve recovered well enough to get on with my life again. I’m wishing the same outcome for your dear mum and you too.
my situation is very different but keep the hope. My mum has been in ICU for 6 weeks now. Following a cardiac arrest (10 min down time). She had an tracheostomy on week 5. All her imaging is normal but what the CA did was send her brain into an electrical storm (status epilepticus). Her EEG is abnormal but she has opened her eyes. She does not track me yet and she has not moved any limbs but she shows me little glimpses of consciousness every now and again (it’s been two weeks since she was off sedation). I’m holding on to those little glimpses in the Hope they become more frequent. Time is a healer. Xx
i am praying for you ❤️
my brother took weeks to wake up and come round from an inducted coma. Everyone is different and their body is recovering from illness. Remain hopeful was the best advice we were given by a kind ICU consultant. You can see my family story posted various posts on here. Best wishes for a strong recovery.
How long to expect someone to be intubated for?! 
Mom vs. Covid-19
Covid Coma - how long did it take to open eyes?
Anxiety and vent weaning? Also a novel of my moms icu experience 
