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Dora, there are a lot of things happening when someone is in a situation similar to your mother's. It may seem as though the doctors are "playing guessing games", but these might actually be their attempts to find a solution to the situation, or wait until various body levels stabilize.

She can't be removed from the ventilator until certain medical conditions are met, specifically, she has to be able to breathe on her own. And apparently that isn't happening right now, b/c of her carbon dioxide level. So they can't "unsedate her and take her off the vent".

This is too complex a situation for anyone here to diagnose. There are some medical people, but primarily this is a forum of caregivers. And w/o more information on SAT rates, CO2 level, etc., no one can really second guess the doctors. The medical people could probably offer more insight into the situation to make it more understandable though.

In the meantime, perhaps you could try to make her more comfortable and relaxed, just by sitting with her, holding her hand, talking soothingly.

When my father was intubated and in a chemically induced coma, I brought a small portable CD and played his favorite songs for him. I watched the meters monitoring his various levels; I can't remember the name of the instruments these 13 years later. But some of the ICU nurses watched the change when I played the music, and they agreed he was responding.

Music does have soothing capabilities; perhaps it might help your mother until the medical issues are stabilized.

Have you had any really serious discussions with the doctors to address your concerns? That's the first thing I would do to understand more the methods they're using to treat her.
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Thank you for responding to my question it's just the same thing everyday test results come back clear everything's fine they keep saying they don't know why she's stuck asleep I was reading another post on this site where another girl was going through the same thing her mother ended up passing away and being put in a nursing home and not much solution was found I don't want that to happen to my mom. I just thought I would post in case someone else has been through a similar situation.
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Dora, if it's any consolation, my father was on a ventilator and in the induced coma for a few weeks. An ICU nurse and a pulmonary doctor told me I should expect that he wouldn't survive, but if he did, he wouldn't be able to walk. I told them they didn't know my father!

I fought their prejudice and willingness to just give up on an 85 year old man. It wasn't the first time I challenged the "quitter attitude." Eventually, 7 months later, Dad came home, after being decannulated and having speech therapy. A few months later he passed a swallowing test and began eating real food.

He'll shortly celebrate his 98th birthday. He still walks and causes me great anxiety when he's out walking in this heat.

I read all I could on his situation and asked doctors and nurses a lot of questions. By the time he came home, I had two 3 ring binders filled with medical information downloaded from online.

Your mother may be sleeping b/c that's what her body needs, or b/c of a combination of meds, etc. Even after Dad came out of the coma, he slept a lot, especially when he was hemorraging internally.

So, don't give up; hang in there! Learn as much as you can about all the complicated and interactive situations and ask as many questions as you feel necessary.

And just keep holding your mother's hand when you visit her. Although we don't really know how much she's sensing now, I do believe that the power of touch can communicate words that can't be heard.
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Deep Sleep.....I'm going through the same situation now with my 82-year-old mom. Not getting up, she's been off of all drugs, was sedated for 12 days, tube, ventilator, dialysis, drained water out of both lungs had pneumonia..2 liters of water drained yesterday. So why isn't she waking up?? TIME is all I here and her being older takes time because the meds are stored in her fat, So for any of you...is it possible for her to wake up. It has been a week now after Monday's sedation because we flew her on-air ambulance Cancun Mexico to US Detroit. moves her lips, the nurse that washed her said she wrinkles her face when they wash her, eyes open few times.I noticed 5 years ago, 1-year ago.. is this normal..waiting game. What do I do??? Hajar Kayat
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Hajar, lots of questions, but also lots of complicated medical issues. Is your mother still on a ventilator, still being fed by PEG tube? I'm assuming so if she's not able to wake up. And being sedated for 12 consecutive days probably factors in as well.

Was the water from a pleural effusion? Is she a diabetic? Type I or II?

I'm not a medical person so I'm just asking from experience, but it does sound as though her body is still undergoing some extreme and complicated challenges for recovery.

In my personal experience, I've only seen one person in a similar state, and that's my father. He was medically induced into a coma and remained so for about 2 weeks until the ratio of inhalation and exhalation of air was normalized. He did have a difficult time coming out of the coma. He was 85 at that time.

I would think that with all your mother has gone through, her body may just not be ready and she's still sleeping b/c she needs to be. That sounds like a very nonmedical conclusion, but sometimes the issues are more along that line than something more complex.

What happened in Cancun that brought on this emergency?

BTW, knowing the SE Michigan medical facilities fairly well, if she's at DMC Receiving, she's at a good hospital. Inconvenient and in a bad area, but my father was treated there for a traumatic finger amputation. I had some problems with a few nurses, so if you do, go to the charge nurse immediately, or ask to see and confer with a hospital administrator.

Could you explain this: "I noticed 5 years ago, 1-year ago.. " Did this happen 5 years ago and 1 year ago as well? If so, what were the causes, and the outcome?

I think the fact that she's responding by wrinkling her nose or opening her eyes is a really positive sign!

Is she by any change on a monitor that measure brain activity? I watched this when my father was in a coma. I talked to him, played music on a portable CD player, and watched to see if his brain functions increased. I also sang some of his favorite church hymns.

He responded; his brain function increased. And the infectious disease doctor as well as a nurse confirmed. They recognized that he was responding to music, even while in a coma.

You might try that, playing music for her.
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