Relative in ICU with heat stroke and is not going to make it

[SmokeyMountainRain]

Posting for traffic. Has anybody been through this? Close relative, relatively young 50s), was found incoherent last Wednesday. Rushed to hospital straight to ICU as she'd fallen into a coma. They've kept her asleep, tried to wake her twice and she cannot breath on her own whatsoever. They've ran repeated scans which show due to the heat stroke damage the part of her brain that tells her to breath is severely damaged. They've pretty much said she's incompatible with life now and we will have to turn the machines off this week unless by some miracle she wakes up. Her core temp was 41 degrees for 4 days, she's now at 40. Not responded to any medication, antibiotics etc.

She wasn't even doing anything strenuous. Just in her flat watching telly. Has anyone been through this? Does anyone have any advice? I don't even know what to think and feel it just seems so so cruel. No brain bleeds or blockages on the scan. Substantial brain swelling and damage.

posting for traffic as can't see any similar threads

Any advice or miracle stories please send them my way. Thank you x

This, most healthy conscious adults when feeling dangerously hot will take steps to cool themselves - they'll get in a cool bath or shower, drink a glass of water with ice.

My husbands friend went for a run in the heat on saturday before coming to our house, knew he was overheating when he arrived at ours and opted to put his head under the garden tap!

Very sad op, sorry about your relative. What an awful consequence of this heat.

Hi all. Thanks for the messages I'm just taking 5 minutes out.

She is in SH, she had her curtains drawn and windows open and there were fans there. They have found double pneumonia and secretions in her lungs as well as COPD. They have reduced the sedations very slightly this afternoon, she is moving her head from side to side but isn't tracking with her eyes. She is trying to breathe on her own, but she still is relying on the vent. She is moving her hands but the doctors have told us this very well could be reflex movements from the brain damage. I've been in a coma myself after a cancer surgery went wrong, but I've never seen someone like this before and it's horrible. It sort of looks like she knows we're here but then doesn't at the same time.

We don't know if the infections have been here a long time, but she does have substantial lung secretions and scaring which aren't helping.
Her heart, liver and kidneys aren't doing great and won't be able to be donated. We haven't thought that far yet. It's minute by minute, but realistically, we know she probably won't survive.

Ive been taking endless cold baths so having to use more water

This is tragic. But I’m confused - could the hospital not lower her core temperature from 41 degrees for 4 days? Surely there must be some underlying condition for that to be the case?

I have to admit it’s a strange diagnosis that a generally able bodied adult gets heat stroke inside so badly it caused brain damage

Until now. Many people are still failing to realise how extreme the temperatures we've experienced in the last week are. Inside temperature can easily rise higher and there are many seemingly run of the mill conditions, lifestyle habits and medications that can greatly increase a person's vulnerability.

@SmokeyMountainRain I am so very sorry, I hope that she experiences a miracle. Its incredibly hard for all of you who love and such cruel, pointless thing to happen

Im so sorry OP My DH has COPD He stopped smoking 20 years ago after a heart attack. Its a horrible illness

I'm so sorry this has happened to her, I was really ill Friday with heat exhaustion. I had a cool shower, then just couldn't stop sweating, I was dizzy, banging head, feeling sick and really tired. I was shocked how ill I felt, it came on so quickly. Maybe that's what happened to your poor relative and there was nothing she could do x

@Locutus2000 @pragmatismuniversalsentimentalist it's really distasteful and inappropriate that you make comments like the ones you have on a thread like this. This isn't a random news story you've read about, but a person going posting about an intensely personal and distressing thing to happen to a loved one. Your comments about 'how there must be more to this' and insensitive to the extreme.

We do now!

I'm so pleased you got your I told you so moment. You really are a piece of work. Just leave the thread, you absolute monster.

I'm so very sorry for this shocking thing to happen to your relative. You must all be reeling from the suddenness of it all, and the apparent prognosis.

I live alone too, and this has given me a bit of a fright TBH. But it's not about me, I'll be ok.

Take care and be gentle on yourself.

Not everyone has electric fan money.

Im not the one insisting "there must be more to this" WTF is wrong with someone pointing out that something needs to be done about overheating homes before it gets any worse.

Bless you, OP, your poor relative. That's so sad, and I do truly sympathise. The heat can certainly be quite dangerous for vulnerable groups, and it is obviously something that is taken quite seriously in the Mediterranean, when they take a siesta as respite from hottest part of the day.

I'm so sorry you are going through this, and obviously youf poor relative. It's scary as PPs have said how quickly heat can overcome someone. I get bad migraines because of being too hot sometimes so I can certainly see how it could be serious. I hope you are looking after you too.❤️😪

I didn't say there was more to it. We do need to make changes to homes but it isn't a LL issue as you are making it.

Spot on.

I had cavity wall insulation fitted when there was some scheme where you could get it done for £100. The following summer (2003) was bloody hot, and I really noticed how much cooler it was with the insulation.

If you want to discuss the troubles of being a landlord these days, perhaps do it elsewhere.

And take a rain check - you've come on a thread where someone is describing their relative dying a horrible and tragic death and called another poster an "absolute monster" because you're feeling fed up.

This is neither the time or the place.

I'm sorry you're going through this with your relative. Is there a bereavement counsellor at the hospital you could talk to? It must be a terrible shock. Please do take some time for yourself. It must be a lot to process.

Nope. I called her a monster for repeatedly derailing the thread. She brought up the LL topic. I agree with you and I was making the same point as you, this isn't the place. I won't comment anymore and shall let her argue with herself.

OP- I am so very sorry for your relative but if she has active COPD then this really isnt just about heat is it?

I did a placement on a respiratory ward as part of my training and the summer was always very hard on those with COPD - much harder than winter actually.

Again, I am so sorry but this wasnt just heat that caused this, clearly.

What liability?! He can’t change the weather. My bedroom was 35 degrees on Sat night… I don’t blame my landlord one bit.

Well, I'm a landlord and I offered to buy fans for my tenants and made sure they had the resources they needed to be OK in the heat. I guess that's why it's relevant. However, from a liability perspective as the heat was extreme, and the tenant didn't lack mental capacity in any way, presumably, I'd doubt whether the landlord was liable in any way, but it's certainly worth asking a few questions.
Incidentally top floor flats are usually the worst for heat issues.

Oh gosh I’m so sorry. This is so tragic. I was a bit naive in thinking the very young and very old would be the age groups most at risk, but your 50’s is so young to have had such a catastrophic impact. Are you able to get a second opinion or will they allow you more time, just for your own reassurance? Maybe if they could give a bit of time for the swelling to go down and if the temp comes down too, to see if that changes anything. I’m very sorry.

None of us knew she had COPD. They couldn't get her temp down from 41 for just under 4 days. We've been told the leading cause is heat stroke, and the COPD and infections are coincidental findings however they are making her recovery much much more unrealistic. But the heat damage to her brain was just as likely to end her life with or without the COPD.

It's the part of her brain that tells her to breathe that's the most damaged. She also has bruising and swelling in the brain.

There's already been a second opinion. 2 different consultants on the ward and ward rounds. Same conclusion unfortunately. All we can do is pray for a miracle but I we are all preparing to either turn the machines off, or that she will not survive herself.