Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
General health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

My partners just woken up from a coma - what can I expect?

30 replies

jtlr · 04/01/2023 19:11

Just as the title suggests really.

Partner has just woken up from a short induced coma due to infection (4 days).

What can I expect in terms of recovery?

He's on day 3 since been woken up. Day one was very agitated and confused but knew who we were etc. Day 2 again knew who we were but had been given medicine to calm him down so was very quiet and hallucinating a bit. Day 3 he's managed to sit up in a chair and eat some yoghurt, quiet and couldn't remember anything from last few days

OP posts:
VanillaSnap · 04/01/2023 19:29

Nothing different really. A 4 day sleep doesn't really make that much of a difference to anything.

RagzRebooted · 04/01/2023 19:31

Depends how ill he was. He may well be almost back to normal in a week, he may spend months recovering.
Memory issues in the first days are normal as he would have been on a lot of medication to keep him under.

It really isn't just 'a long sleep'.

TheRookie · 04/01/2023 19:34

It depends what effects the infection had on his organs including his brain. If it's short-lived then the likelihood of full recovery is obviously a lot higher and hopefully the drugs will wear off quickly. Have the doctors given any kind of prognosis? So sorry you have been through this, it's very scary. I used to work in high dependency and it could take a week or two for the 'icu affect' to settle. It's a scary place

mummabubs · 04/01/2023 19:37

I'd politely suggest that you ignore VanillaSnap's post as they demonstrate poor insight. @TheRookie has it much more accurately described. Fingers crossed he makes a good recovery OP x

Justkeepleft · 04/01/2023 19:41

Something to be prepared for is that some of the drugs they give them make them paranoid. They think the doctor and nurses are out to hurt them.
This in turn makes things tough later as it is a hard feeling to shake, especially in such a vulnerable position. Kind of a ptsd thing. Look into what support is available post ICU stay. Even just in the area online.
My family member has been involved in a study for post iCU support as nothing existed at the time.
Be prepared yourself to go from intense one on one care to a ward with much less oversight. That was a tough step for us.
I hope you find the support you both need and have a good steady recovery.

Imperfect10 · 04/01/2023 19:41

also he may fluctuate a bit.
an induced coma is not a sleep...in fact he may well behave as if he is massively sleep deprived.
he may gradually recover and have no recall of the events...or he may hallucinate or dream/have nightmares or have symptoms akin to post traumatic stress disorder regarding the time in ITU.

most ITUs now have a booklet with entries for the days they were admitted in a small effort to re-orientate them and help them make sense of the "lost time", for you it's likely to be a bit of a roller coaster too...so make sure you look after yourself and rest too.

Micheal Rosen has written a bit on the after effects of being on ITU during covid.

I'm glad your DH is awakening. Good luck ongoing

Soontobe60 · 04/01/2023 19:42

VanillaSnap · 04/01/2023 19:29

Nothing different really. A 4 day sleep doesn't really make that much of a difference to anything.

This is NOT what a medically induced coma is.

butterpuffed · 04/01/2023 19:48

VanillaSnap · 04/01/2023 19:29

Nothing different really. A 4 day sleep doesn't really make that much of a difference to anything.

Of course it does , stop stirring .

Original poster
jtlr · 04/01/2023 19:59

Thank you for your responses.
The doctors have said there is no reason that he won't make a full recovery and that's what's expected.
He thought yesterday that the nurses were trying to hurt him, today he was much better.
He was very quiet though and weak and usually he is very fit and healthy.
He's been emotional. When I got there today he thought I was pregnant (I'm not - I had a miscarriage in the summer though) and was quite upset when I said I wasn't. I didn't mention the miscarriage just said no.
He's on a ward now and out of ICU - the person in the bed next to him said that he was shouting my name at 4am this morning
It's been a really rough few days.

OP posts:
TheRookie · 04/01/2023 20:04

Bless him, it's so scary for them and he will have some stress from what has happened but he will calm down. It just takes time, just be calm and kind and let him take his own time.

tinselvestsparklepants · 04/01/2023 20:07

Have you got some support for you? A friend who can look after you, while you look after him? Remember you need to eat, sleep and talk - you're not expected to be able cope with all of this on your own.

Original poster
jtlr · 04/01/2023 20:14

I'm doing okay, just worrying about him.
I've been in work this morning and planning on the same again tomorrow then visit in the afternoon. I want to keep busy.

OP posts:
LIZS · 04/01/2023 20:22

It will come and go, and also depend on what treatments he had. Some drugs take a while to leave the system and are exhausting. Have they given you a leaflet about icu delirium? You may find he remembers very little if anything about it longer term.

Greenpleasantland · 04/01/2023 20:30

Just wanted to support you in this. Your partner will be very confused and this will take some time to fade and eventually will
only be noticed by those closest to them - perhaps forgetting of words / wrong words. They may never get their memories back from the time - doctors will advise on this. Often support is offered from being in itu as well as whatever has caused the admission. I have been personal experience so not a medical viewpoint.

Shannith · 04/01/2023 20:33

@VanillaSnap eh? You know he's been an induced coma - they gave him some serious medication to put him in one. It's nothing like a sleep or even a general anaesthetic.

And now they will give him more medication to manage his coming out of it. Plus he's you now, he's ill enough to be in ICU in a medically induced coma.

I know this because I was out in one for 2 weeks. It is not just like a big fucking sleep!

Saved my life but as you described, agitated, hallucinations, needing sedation, loss of memory.

It's all pretty normal. The ICU staff have a load of documentation they give the people who are knowing admitted to ICU or not an emergency but a very serious op.

This talks a lot about what the expect, all of the above plus some possible PSTD type reactions. They actually recommended people go back the ICU once they were discharge from hospital to talk through with the ICU staff what had happened.

I can't remember being in a coma - obviously but I have vivid memories of the crazy hallucinations and panic I felt for about 3-5 days after.

It was a weird experience. He sounds like he's having a normal set of reactions and the staff should take the time to explain them to him.

Greenpleasantland · 04/01/2023 20:33

Happy to answer any questions if you have any ? Or if I can.

MincePiesAreMyJam · 04/01/2023 20:35

When my dad was in ICU, they said to expect about a weeks recovery for every day in ICU. Dad was in for 17 days and it did take 4-5 months for him to feel kinda normal again.

Original poster
jtlr · 04/01/2023 20:43

Thank you so much to everyone for taking the time to reply.

Hopefully he will continue to improve over the next few days. The hospital have offered him someone to talk to but he rejected it.

I couldn't believe how weak he was though, struggling to feed himself medicine with a shringe. It was so hard to watch. He's usually ultra fit and health.

My heart has broken this week

OP posts:
LIZS · 04/01/2023 20:49

Remember part of the sedation relaxes his muscles so it takes a while for the coordination and muscle tone to return.

BrutusMcDogface · 04/01/2023 20:50

Fingers crossed he makes a full recovery. Having you there must be helping more than you know. Take care of yourself 💐

Greenpleasantland · 04/01/2023 20:57

As per last two posts. Physio will be on hand and recovery will normally be quick - although it can be a shock to see your partner using a zimmer frame etc. Salt team will also get involved if problem ks swallowing etc from when tubes down throat. You need to get as much support as possible as it is often worse for people seeing their loved ones change and then having to recover plus the shock.

Destiny123 · 04/01/2023 20:59

VanillaSnap · 04/01/2023 19:29

Nothing different really. A 4 day sleep doesn't really make that much of a difference to anything.

Please don't make such statements when tou clearly have very little understanding of intensive care

... talk to his doctors and nurses, infections often make people delirious (the confusion and agitation you are witnessing). It's very very common, a combination of the infection, the sedative medication and sleep cycle being altered (icu is unfortunately noisy and bright). In an otherwise young healthy person it's generally short lasting, the older the patient it can go on significantly longer. Keep talking keep reassuring, help the nurses make an orientation board for him. Bring in family photos, home comforts, music he likes that sort of thing speeds up recovery. Nearly all ICUs will have a clinical psychologist now who can help patients and their families through the experience, hallucinations and bad dreams are not uncommon.

Take things one day at a time, icu is often a bit of a roller coaster of improvements and slight set backs but keep talking to the team, it takes a special type of person to work on icu so all a v friendly bunch.

They'll always help even after ward or discharge home, call up if he's struggling at home, clinical psych run follow up clinics with thr medical team to try to help unpick experiences or memories and explain things.

It just takes time, muscle strength is lost easily and it's a lot for the body to go through. Just take it one day and step at a time x

ihatesoaps · 04/01/2023 21:01

VanillaSnap · 04/01/2023 19:29

Nothing different really. A 4 day sleep doesn't really make that much of a difference to anything.

Just wow!

ihatesoaps · 04/01/2023 21:05

Google ICU Psychosis.
It's a real thing and 10 years on my DH still suffers from nightmares etc after being in an induced coma for two weeks

The stories you can find from others in the same situation are exactly what my DH experienced....

BigFatLiar · 04/01/2023 21:06

I don't know if there's a typical reaction. Many years ago I was very ill (almost died) and was put in a coma for a while. Not long, just a few days, but I wasn't fully with it for a while. Main things I felt were confusion and almost a feeling of fear about what had happened and the people around me. After a couple of weeks I was OK, still very ill, but not confused. I don't really remember it that well, OH has told me more about my confusion etc. For me it's all a bit hazy.