chickbabes Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 Hi All, I have just found this website and have read some of your stories and want to share me & my mums. Sorry of it waffles on. Me & my mum (a fit 68 year) were going on holiday 5 weeks ago, we made it to the airport, got loaded onto our plane and as we were reversing out of the spot the pilot came on to appologise that there was a technical fault & we were going to be delayed. We were all offloaded from the plane & back into the airport where we waited for a couple fo hours. Me & mum went for a snack and as she finished eating she all of a sudden grabbed her head and said something was wrong and she felt sick. I rushed her to the toliet where I knew there was something really wrong and rushed for medical help. The airport staff called for the firebrigade staff who brought oxygen & called for a ambulance. Mum was conscious, in a lot of pain and being violently sick when the paramedics arrived and asked if she suffered migranes. Not that I knew of but I was pretty sure that she did not have a migrane...They then asked her if she wanted to come to hospital or wait at the airport and try and catch our flight!!?? I demanded that they get her to hospital to get checked out. The agreed and the whole journey there kept telling me it was a mmigrane and I should stop panicing, mum opened her eyes at one point in the ambualnce and they didn't look like hers - they were cockeyed and really glassy, she was saying she couldn't see properly, still I was told it was a migrane. Once at the hospital they wheeled her into the waiting room and just wandered off, I was losing patience and getting so worried about my mum at this point. Eventually they got her into a room, layed her down and a student nurse started asking all of the same questions that the ambulance staff had asked, mum started to become unresponsive at this stage and started kind of groaning. I lost my patience, I shouted at the student and demanded that someone help my mum right now - it got the attention of a nurse from the hall who came and started examining mum and quickly made the decision to transfer her to resussitation room. The next half an hour was hell, I just sat in the hall waiting on some news, eventually they came to tell me that they had done a CT scan and detected a bleed and they had put her into a controlled coma and they were transferring her to another hospital where a neuro team were on standby. At the the other hospital they fitted a drain into her head to relive the pressure and said they would assess her the next day to see if they could operate. She was too unresponsive the next day and they explained that it was a severe bleed, a subarachnoid hemorrhage as I now know it, and that her chances were slim. The day after she was a little more responsive and they were able to coli the anerysm successfully. She was kept in a controlled coma for a week before they brought her around and managed to remove the breathing tube for an hour - she was able to talk and move all limbs. Unfortunately she wasn't strong enough to manage without it completely and they had to put it back in. Mum was also suffering with an extremely fast irregular heart rate and they gave her a shock to sort this out on this same day. This was the last time we seen her awake. Since then she has been in her own coma with minimal reactions. It was discovered after about a week that she was having non convulsive seizures and that they were likely the cause of her still sleeping. This was on a Thursday about 3 weeks age, they introduced an antiepileptic drug and carried out another EEG on the Friday - still seizure activity, so another drug and we were told they would leave it until Monday (EEG departments closed at weekends). The Monday & the Tuesday still showed seizures and she was now on 4 different antiepileptic drugs. On the Friday of that week they sedated her with Thiopentone, this stops all brain activity except burst suppression and the hope was to restart the brain... Last week there was no seizure activity but she also had no responses at all. A MRI was completed on Friday just passed - they think its all clear but thats the best they will tell me. 2 nights ago, I had a kind of prepare for the worst chat and they explained that they are almost out of ideas why she is still sleeping and needing the breathing support. Yesterday I went in expecting all doom & gloom & she had had responses. A very positive hand movement when conflicting pain on her and a good half attempt at opening eyes but not quite there and they wern't really focusing. They had also managed to drop her oxygen support and she was doing well. Left the hospital feeling like that little glimmer of hope was back. Today - we are back to very little response and she has a bit of an icreased temperature. Its an absolute rollercoaster of a journey and we are still going through the ups & downs. I am praying that one day my mum will be able to come onto this site & share her own story & get support from all of you but until that day I will come and visit & read the stories. I would love to hear if anyone else suffered from prolonged coma & seizures on here? Best wishes Xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldfish.girl Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 Hi 'chickababes', I am so sorry to hear what you & your mum are going through, especially as you about to fly off on holiday and have fun. I think paramedics are trained to say things that later seem 'silly' in light of what has happened, but they need the patient & family members who are with them to stay calm, so saying what they very probably know is the seriousness of the diagnosis wont help anyone. I can't imagine going through this roller coaster ride but there are a few people on here who have been so seriously ill & slowly got a bit better over time so keep hope & faith that this will be the same for your mum, it can happen. Best wishes to you both Michelle x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryB Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 So sorry to read this post. So thankful you were not in the air. I had been in the emeregency room 2 hours prior to my really awful headache for nausa but the next time was my SAH and I was vomiting and could not move my head without lightening pain. THEY still asked me the same questions over and over. I hope things improve, try to stay positive. Will be in my thoughts and prayers. maryb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul99 Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 hi chick babe hang in there girl mum is in the early days of recovery my lin took a long time to come round dont give up hope yet the words which will drive you mad is stay strong it did me but where there is movement there is hope i will send you a private message with my number if you want a chat my lin is four years down the line and is still a worry im due to take to hospital this morning for a jab to help her i will answer you privately later today but you can call me anytime take care chin up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Hi there Warm welcome to the site, so glad you found us.... sorry to hear about your Mum hun, yes it can be quite a rollercoaster hang in there take care... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winb143 Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Sorry to hear about your Mum I was in a coma for approx. 2 weeks I was in my own world, (chasing my Mum who would not talk to me,) Like you and your Mum I was going away with my daughter when I had my SAH. I cannot remember anything about the hospital I know I put hubby and daughter through it so keep strong for Mum and get some rest !! Good luck to you and Mum Best wishes WinB143 xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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