Coma and viral meningitis

[beci]

Hi all

My mum has been diagnosed with viral meningoencephalitis. She was admitted in hospital on 20 December after repeating seizures during the previous night. Since then she was put in induced coma and couple of days later the doctors stopped the sedatives but she is not waking up from the coma. Now two weeks later she is still in coma. The doctors are not giving us much hopes. They said her current state is complicated because of her recent stroke which she suffered at the end of November and her medical conditions - diabetes, anemia, heart condition, high blood pressure. I am really upset and emotional and I don't know what to expect. The doctors today have said that she is reacting to some signals but for them this was not an improvement. She was put on a ventilator to help her breath due to her weak heartbeat. The doctors noticed a couple of days ago that she is breathing on her own but they still don't think this is an improvement in itself. I am very scared of what is going to happen to my mum and how long she is likely to be in the coma. The doctors keep saying her state is very critical and they are doing everything they can to keep her alive which in itself is very worrying to hear. They also transferred blood yesterday because they say my mum has anemia.

Can anyone say how long is the coma likely to continue? What might be the complications for my mum? The unknown is really making me feel very stressed and worried for my mum. I keep reading people wake up after 8 days in coma but it has been two weeks now and I am getting increasingly worried and stressed. I don't know what to expect and I don't know how to cope with all of this as I still have to go to work but my mind is always there thinking about my mum.

Any advice or encouragement is greatly appreciated.

Beci

[Canada3]

Hi Beci, I would love to offer advice, but I am afraid I can only offer my empathy for you and hope that you can get through this difficult period in your life. It is such a horrid time, seing your mother ill, part of your life=line. I hope and pray she comes through all of this and you are together. You can only hang on and hope with her, try to look at the moment and not the future, because none of us know what will happen with this dreadful illness, everyone is so very different and the brain is such a delicate instrument. It takes as long as it needs to recover and we have to be so patient. Please know that others are thinking of you and hoping for the best outcome.

[beci]

Hi Canada, thank you so much for your kind words and support. I am trying to stay strong for my mum and praying that she will recover.

[sophiesicknote]

I recommend you contact jonad724 as he was very seriously ill with VM and has survived and shares his experience, giving excellent advice...xx

[beci]

Hi sophiesicknote, thank you for the advice. I ready jonad724 blogs and it gave me an insight of what he went through. I will definitely want to contact him. Thanks once again.

[Tiga]

Sorry i cannot help with any advise, but i send all my love and thoughts to you and your family, you are been very brave xxx

[Marcaharding]

I was diagnosed with meningeoencephalitis in 2000 and ended up in a coma for two weeks. It was hard to diagnose but that was the final outcome diagnoses that they gave me, but still at this point I am unsure. I wish there was an answer for it and for you, but when I had it they told my mom 98% of the people who end up in a coma die. Luckily medicine and science has come a very long way since then and this can be affectivly treated