Facts About Vegetative and Minimally Conscious States After Severe Brain Injury

Hello everyone, for past few weeks I have been reading everything about coma, vegetative state, etc. My dad had a major cardiac arrest. His heart stopped for 25 min. They resuscitate him and finally came back. He needed stems at his heart so that has been done. The doctors have put him in a induced coma. After one and a half weeks they tried to stop everything. Cutting the story short... now is 5 weeks. He opened his eyes, moved his hand and legs, smiles but there is no consciousness yet! We have fought to get an EEG and waiting for the MRI. The neurologist will assist and hopefully give us some good news. He has progress every day. Every day is a new move or a cheeky little smile. I just hope he will be conscious soon because this is draining. He is in a vegetative state I believe? He reacts at every noise around so I'm not sure if is not classed as minimal consciousness? God bless everyone with this problems. It hurts so much :(

My dad was diagnosted with gbm 2 years ago. He had 2 seuizers last sunday. He has not waken up since. They saw multiple blood spots in his brain. It is absolutely devastating to see him like this.

My daughter struggled with anorexia for 4 years. It became a severe mental illness and at age 21 not only did she stop eating but was drinking too, while in a very fragile state. A friend also brought over 'spice' to smoke. By the next day she suffered massive seizures, died and was resuscitated and then was in a coma. She was put in a sub-acute facility (her accident happened while on vacation away from home and our home town didn't have a sub-acute) in Southern California. We had to move there for 1 year to be near her hospital. After 1 yr we brought her home and have been caring for her 24/7 for almost 6 years. Her trachea came out, but she still has a feeding tube, bowels don't work, and she remains non-cognitive, vegetative. The girl we raised is gone but her Spirit is still here. She's like a 6 mo old baby and so we 'play' with her and embrace what is now with joy and peace to keep a quality environment for us all. We trust in God and do not look backward. We accept what is bit always believe miracles are possible I'll be 60 in a couple months, my husband almost 68, so this is a big job for us for the rest of our lives....but home is where hope is in our control. We pray for everyone within this site (I read many of your stories) as we totally feel for each of you. Take care of yourself and find joy in the midst of the storm 💛

My daughter suffered a almost total shut down from Diabetic Keto Acidosis. Kidney function was at 4%, coma for 23 days, thereafter a rehabilitation for another 4 weeks, released to my home. I put my life on hold, my career on hold (or rather closed it down). As she recovered slowly, now 2 years later, still cognitive impairment, behavior issues, violent thoughts.  Somehow being her caregiver for 2 years, she has decided she was going to hate me to the point of being verbal to others on how she was going to kill me and my dog because he barks to much. Now I need mental health counseling. Trying to understand the brain damage, the change in her.  It is just so horrific.  The grief and loss is like my old daughter basically died when she got sick. Now this another person inside of her.  Who can't take this personal, the daughter who once loved me now decided somehow in her faulty brain she now hates me.  I know it's not about me, it's about her, her recovery, her wellness. Just looking for information on how the brain works or thinks after such traumatic brain injuries. There was alcohol and drug, as she was a career and single party girl.  She was already exhibiting some extreme mood and behavior changes prior to the DKA. What changes along the line and how a brain could hate someone who only loves you.  LVD

My 62 year old father went to the ER on June 10th to get his swollen foot checked out. He did not have diabetes and was relatively healthy except the high blood pressure and cholesterol meds he was taking. During the couple of hours that the doctors were trying to figure out what is wrong, his foot started forming large blisters and turning dark. They rushed into surgery. It turns out he had sepsis due to necrotizing fasciitis (the so-called flesh eating bacteria) on his foot. While debriding the infected tissue, my father suffered a heart attack. They amputated the leg above the knee and worked on reviving him. They say he coded for 45 minutes but finally got a pulse. He got moved to the SICU and was in coma for 5 days. When he finally opened his eyes, he exhibited no consciousness. The neurologists told me the anoxic brain injury was "global" and that he'll never regain any level of consciousness. He was breathing on his own so i had them remove the breathing tube. The neurologists were not 100% correct, because my dad did regain consciousness. He recognized me, my kids, his siblings etc and even though his speech was severely impacted and we couldn't understand clearly what he was saying, he did try to talk and could communicate by nodding his head. He was even able to feed by mouth, despite the neurologist telling me this will not be possible. So those of you out there in despair by what you hear from the doctors, there is always hope! Just keep praying. My father ultimately passed away on July 7th. I miss him every day but I thank God for the extra month that I got with my dad.

Hi everyone, I have a relative who suffered a TBI almost 2 years ago and was diagnosed as Persistent Vegetative State. Yet after a few months of his injury he deliberately was responding, using his hands, thumbs up etc. however was not offered any rehabilitation due to his diagnosis as the OT who carried out his assessment did not get consistent responses.  There is no doubt that he has full understanding, laughs at jokes, cries at sadness, expresses all emotions as anyone without a brain injury.  He has gone through periods of responding using his hands, turning on command, lifting his limbs, but is losing this and the will to live as he realizes there is no help, even for simple common medical issues.  The medics/social services made everything so difficult as they had a plan for residential care and would not admit that he understood.  After continuously fighting, he eventually got home, and is now being cared for by family but he is not eligible for any services such as physio, nor any equipment to assist.  It appears due to sheer ignorance to his condition he gets left to suffer.  I have endless amounts of electronic recordings demonstrating that he understands, and every relative, visitor and even nurses are now aware of this.  He is now, understandably experiencing panic attacks, yet no help with this either. It is absolutely heart rendering to observe this suffering.  Is there anyone else in this situation.  I would like to publicize this story as I feel as if it is so wrong not to treat, yet allow to live without even ensuring comfort. Are we alone or is this common practice?

My heart goes out to everyone on here. My husband suffered a TBI almost 13 years ago. He lives at home with me and has since he was released from the hospital. I will never give up hope as long as he is breathing. He is in a vegetative state and has been the whole time. I talked to him all the time and pray he is still in there. I loved him so much.

I believe that there are three new ways to help people with brain injuries:

(1) Hypobaric chamber:  Gives the brain more oxygen, and therefore heals an injured brain with dramatic effect.

(2) Fish Oil INTRAVENOUSLY fed into the blood stream.  Again, it heals the injured brain with dramatic effect.

(3) Coconut oil. Heals the brain and reverses Alzheimer's disease.  If it can reverse Alzheimer's, it is powerful in healing brain injuries.

God bless you all.

Cynthia 

I'm praying for you.....I have a daughter your son's age.

I sure understand what you're going through. My mom had bacterial meningitis that made her brain swell and had several mini strokes through out her brain...devastating. This happen back in April, she's out of coma but went into vegetative stage. I wish I could know if she has any chances of getting out of it. .

My mom, who is my best friend, had a significant stroke in November 2015, she has underlining dementia, which makes everything worse. That stroke left her with behavioral changes and loss of bladder and bowel control, but could eat, drink, walk and talk. A blessing. Well, yesterday she had a massive stroke. She was starting to move all limbs, I am not sure if these were voluntary or not, but I believe they were. When I asked her to squeeze my fingers, she pushed that arm and brought it up to her chest. They did put her on a ventilator to increase oxygen. Today they were going to do more tests, ween off the ventilator and asked us to take our time coming to visit since they didn't want us to stimulate her at all. It is so hard to see her like that. I am very very close to my parents and this is all devastating And bless you all, I am at a lost.

My father got sick (sepsis and mrsa) dr. Said probably no chance of recovery, only organ working was his heart! After two days the woman who called herself his wife said "she was tired, pull the plug " it was horrible to watch my father suffocate, I had to leave. Every day I wish I would have tried something, anything? There must have been a better way! My love goes out to all who suffer.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is 89.4% effective at healing anoxic brain injuries I am currently sitting in a wheelchair and have been for 4 years From a methadone overdose that caused me to get choked I remained in a coma 2 1/2 months after sucking the food I got choked on into my right lung I'm alright mentally and am still intelligent as I was but still need to walk I pray I get the help I need soon this happened to me at 17 and I'm 22 now we had a benefit for me but didn't raise enough bc oxygen therapy us not supported by my Insurance A lot more stuff happened to me but I don't really need to get into all that. Let me just tell you real quick a lil of what I went through because I do remember a lot ... At first I couldn't speak my mouth would move but no sound I was Cortically blind and to top it all off I couldn't move On emerging from the coma and I am 6'4" I only have 5,000$ and I need at least 15000 and I have a feeling that after so much time has passed I won't be able to walk again I've been through all therapies my advice to anyone who reads this get anyone who has had had a tbi abi or anyone with a brain injury the help they need best of wishes to you all and good luck