Wife in coma for 3 months

Michael

You are more than welcome... you do need support...For this large group, can you provide your state / area for help in finding what is avaialble...what somebody has already experienced?

You may want to browse the TBI site in your area...and, what happened to the magnificent social services group in the hospital you were at? also on the main BAF site...I vaguely recall a list of various organizations...

Depending on her background, what about potential disability? If your wife worked....from her company to Social Security disability?

Please come forth w/more info where some of us may be from same...and have more info on state facilities, etc... And, do check in w/the various groups here.. There is a prayer group also...

Do you have incoming health care daily? Can your wife eat/drink/swallow, or on IVs or? Does HHC help /do bathing, shampoo, tooth brushing, etc etc? All important next to your love and commitment to her...

Remember...so important for you, for your rest, proper exericse, activities to maintain your health to continue your loving support to her.

Pat

Michael- I was in a coma for 37 days, then (what I call my parallel universe) for 5-6 weeks. I know that I am fotunate that my brain was able to “work things out”- cause I was in “LaLa land” for quite sone time- Scary stuff. Like Ron, I was classified Grade V and not expected to survive, at all. I spent 4 months in the hospital, the last 2 weeks in an acute rehab.
I wish my husband had found something like this site during my hospitalization.
I will be praying for you- Dana

Answer to Pat.om's questions:

We are in Portland, Oregon, she will be qualified for SSDI in 3 more months but according to the SSI gentleman I talked to, her SSDI check will be too much and make her ineligible for Medicaid. The insurance we have has covered everything up until now but because she is unable to participate in her recovery she will not be covered for the care she needs. We are looking at providing home health care but all costs (with a few exceptions) will be out of pocket. She is on a feeding tube and completely immobile. All turning, changing, bathing will have to be done by me 24 hours a day or by someone I hire out of pocket. If anyone has done the home health care route, I would love to hear your experience and what resources you utilized. To Ron and Dana, thank you for your prayers, my wife and I need them.

Michael, I always have some e.s.p....totally removed from this, I emailed a friend in that area...

I also have other personal friends from Vancouver to Portland to Tigard...will make some connections...back to you later on...

Pat

Thank you Pat, I appreciate it.

Michael...prayers you wil lread this and connect with Dale Preston...you will likely develop a strong connection...

Continued prayers...

Pat

I am sorry as well;my husband came home three days ago after brain surgery and he doesn't rem::: me yet and has been put on zanax and i feel you;my husband needed no meds before either....does she rem: you????..My husband rem's long years ago but not the last 5 years ,its crazy sad here.....best to you and hope her anxiety slows down..I am new at all this ,please bare with me...sorry about your wife...Pray for her and you..X..I had a friend who was in a coma for 6mths and came out very well;had to learn to do things like eating and walking and his hearing was off a little and caused his speaking to be not understandable;but year later he was moving around and rem and doing great..so pray everyday and have faith.....He can't drive because of bal off on left side though,but he is a happy person and rem's all family...don't give up......nite

@ Sue, Yes they did tell me the exact amount she would be getting and that it would be too much to qualify for Medicaid, but that there may be exceptions that I have to hire a lawyer to look into. I do have insurance now however it does not cover long term care. So as she is at this time in a persistent vegetative state they will not cover any of the day to day care needs however they will cover a nurse one every other week to check things out. It looks like the insurance will stop paying the nursing home this Wednesday and we will move into home. As I will have to turn her and change her every two hours 24 hours a day, does anybody have any similar experience?

@ritafay: What was the cause of your friends coma?

A cartiod artery annie size 4.4 mm on left size-was running when ruptured. Bless you and your wife..Hope you have some support from family and friends:I really love this site;all are so nice and anytime you need to talk;you can and so interesting to find others with similar problems that help you a lot...I will be praying you and your wife....

Michael, the only info I could provide from friends in your area...are back to your stating, get attorney, etc...

What you may need are her med records, including the clinical data that supports the written records; and, also order the CD/DVD of the angios / other rad tests; i.e. CTs, MRI/As and US/Doppler's ...also secure itemized statements.

Often, the paper records take a bit of time (15-30 days) and are billed...the CD/DVDs usually quicker...

Also google your state laws and the Social Security / CMS sites... Likely you have already done this...

Also, hope the hospital's / nursing home's social services provided some assistance in directing you...

Prayers for you securing the right assistance / support...

Pat

Hi Michael...

I was coiled ... and I was placed in a 2 day coma (induced by Doctors)...nothing like you wife...so I can't be of any help...I am so sorry...but I will say some prayers for her...God Bless you both ~ Colleen

Michael,

I am so sorry to hear about your wife. I know how awfully scary it is and how concerned you must be. My wife wasn't in a coma but she was unconscious for about the first 5 weeks. Just a couple days after her coiling she spoke 4 or 5 words and even joked a little with her face and gestures. It went downhill from there.

After a little over 4 weeks they moved her out of intensive care and into a long term acute care hospital. They didn't hold a lot of hope, it turns out. THe doctor at the LTAC gave her some medicine for narcolepsy and it seemed to pull her back.

I hope you and the medical team are doing all you can to stimulate her and give her familiar sounds and faces. My wife still remembers some of what happened when we didn't know if she knew. Call her. Call her every day and don't be afraid to be loud - reach inside of her. Give her something to come back to.

I don't know if it will work for your wife but it did for mine.

We're still in the hospital. 8 and a half weeks now. But she's finally in an inpatient rehab hospital, just since yesterday,, and learning to walk and function again. It appears that all her muscles are working and her mind gets better every day.

I will tell you that it is painful just to type this to you; I know the pain you're going through - and I didn't have to go through it as long as you have. I'm not an unreligious person but not terribly religious either but I will tell you that I will be praying for you and your wife because I know your pain so well.

Just never give up on her. Fight for her. Fight with her.

An interesting note is that as my wife begins to recover her mental faculty, it turns out that anger is a great stimulant for the brain. :) She gets mad at the world, or even at me, over things no one did or can control - but when she's angry she becomes much more clear in her speech, her logic (even if misapplied due to her condition), and her alertness.

When she was out, I begged her, I cried to her, I was stern with her. I told her how much I needed her and had to have her back.

After she began to wake up, and before we knew if she was going to recover her mind at all, they put a speaking valve on her trach. Much later that night, I begged her again to come back to me... She just laid there. I went to the sofa in the room where I slept and then heard her say, "I need you, too." Can you imagine how I felt?

We have a long way to go yet. She's still very confused and mixed up and has a very hard road ahead physically but we will likely be home in 3 weeks and working through the rest on an outpatient basis.

I hope your story ends as well as I know ours will. Don't give up. Don't ever give up.

1 Like

Sorry about your wife, i'll pray for her and hopefully things will improve Micheal.

God Bless you both

Nikki

I am so sorry to hear about your wifes condition, I will be praying for you both. God Bless

Michael, I unexpectedly came across something when I contacted my fed Senator's office... about a particular issue...

Then, thought to ask about ways the young ones needing assitance to secure SS Disability, etc...rather than having to secure an attorney to help them...When, they have already lost income, etc, etc...

If you have not already checked w/your Senator / Congressional Rep offices, give it a try...no promises...but everthing is a step...to securing help...

On their website(s), there is a form entitled US Senate...(I did not check the Rep site) lists the committees, and refs the Privacy Act, etc..

Prayers for success..

Pat

@ ritafay: Do you have more information on your friend that was in a coma for 6 months. The reason I ask is that this is the longest I have heard of someone being in a coma and coming out so well. Would he be willing to chat with me on this forum? My main questions are: Was he considered to be in a persistent vegetative state or a minimally conscious state? Before 6 months did he have any signs of response whatsoever? What were the first signs of recovery? From what I understand someone in my wife's condition (vegetative state from ruptured brain aneurysm) has a lot less chance of recovery then someone with TBI and I am getting very discouraged.

@ Dale: Why did they say your wife was not in a coma but was unconscious for the first 5 weeks? My understanding up until this point was that they are the same. P.S. I am glad to hear she is doing so well.

Rita, Please see post at bottom of this thread. I asked a few questions that would greatly help me.

The difference is my own interpretation; I didn't ask and the doctors didn't say. But she was responsive to stimulation so I figured that wasn't a coma. I could be wrong. THey bruised her shoulders so badly that they hurt for weeks afterwards, pinching so hard to get any response - just for Deb to flinch or reach her arms to make them stop but she didn't speak and only a time or two did she open her eyes for just a second or two. And I guess it wasn't for 5 weeks, it was from the start of week 2 to the end of week 5 so about 4 weeks ending but ending 5 weeks in.

A post was split to a new topic: Questions for those who have been in a coma