My husband had a brain aneurysm rupture on July 4,2018. He had coiling on the 5th as well as a drain. When do we have the conversation with the neurologist/ surgeons about quality of life. He is on a vent and we will discuss trach and peg tomorrow. He runs a high fever if not on a cooling system. He had non purposeful movements when sedation is lowered and also becomes VERY agitated. He does move everything and before being put back on the vent said a few words. I am so torn bc I know what his wishes are but if there is hope for improvement ? I just need some guidance. I know nothing is normal and won’t be again but when and how did others make decisions.
May I just share a bit from our experience? My wife had a ruptured aneurysm 12/19/2011. One of my first questions was about the possibility of a normal life at the time when the was unconscious and totally unresponsive. The answer was that a normal life was a possibility. She was on a vent at least two weeks. She was not given a trach, but they discussed it. She did have a peg. She had a fever, but there are different causes. After various examinations they concluded it was not from infection but just from the brain’s healing processes. She was also agitated at times for what reason I am uncertain.
The fact that he said words and can move everything is a strong encouragement. Ask questions whenever you can. Hopefully your doctors will be responsive as ours were. You will need to trust them. Today my wife is maybe slightly more emotional and her left leg has less mobility. Otherwise she does almost everything she did before, and we were right and blessed to give her every chance to live. I can’t say what you should do, but this is what we did. I’ll pray you do the right thing. You are right now in a place that is surreal, and nothing is normal. We were in that place in a sense for seven weeks. Even after that life is a new normal, but it an be very good.
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