Aa
Prognosis doesnt look good
My father-in-law is now going to have a tracheostomy and it seems they are going to place him in a medically induced coma, firstly I am trying to get clarity on that to see if they are just going to heavily sedate him or actually induce a coma.
They say that the facts dont look good.... Swelling still prsent, unconcious and on a ventilator. I guess this doesnt look good but we are holding on to every bit of hope.
It seems he has developed a fever, as yet dont know why.
More advice or even just experiences or opinions would be appreciated. Is a tracheostomy a good move? Medically induced coma... ahhhhhhh! all sounds so scarey. While at his bed side what can the family do.
Please WHAT QUESTIONS SHOULD WE BE ASKING THE DOCTORS???
Once again please help.
They say that the facts dont look good.... Swelling still prsent, unconcious and on a ventilator. I guess this doesnt look good but we are holding on to every bit of hope.
It seems he has developed a fever, as yet dont know why.
More advice or even just experiences or opinions would be appreciated. Is a tracheostomy a good move? Medically induced coma... ahhhhhhh! all sounds so scarey. While at his bed side what can the family do.
Please WHAT QUESTIONS SHOULD WE BE ASKING THE DOCTORS???
Once again please help.
hi Putali. i know it's been 7 years since this post but i am now in a situation where you once were. my father in law (he is 56 years old) also had a hemorrhagic stroke 3 weeks ago. he didn't have to undergo craniectomy because the swelling has subsided quickly. his fever is still on and off and his blood pressure fluctuates. after being in a coma for roughly 2 weeks he has already awaken and now, he taps his fingers for attention and knows when to nod and shake his head for yes and no. we are happy to see him recovering really fast and we are praying that he finally gets better. well, this morning he had a tracheostomy and i told my close friend about it. she said her brother in law was on a similar boat and he only lasted 8 months after the tracheostomy. now i feel scared and i don't want to tell my family about this. my father in law is a fighter and a strong man and we are really hoping and praying for a full recovery. i would like to know about your father in law too whether he has fully recuperated. i hope all is well with you and your family. God bless you.
Firstly want to thank Blessedsoulforever, Copper10, PamRam228, Cargiver222 and everyone else who gave advice. You have been amazing with your advice and support. Angels sent from God. Thank you!
The operation seemed to go well, he is still in recovery but are expecting to shift him out of ICU sometime in the next 5 days. Now it seems that the long process of rehabilitation begins.
I would like to hear from anyone with advice on STROKE REHABILITATION, especially for right sided paralysis (Left-Hemisphere Stroke)... In doing alot of reading it seems that speech is one of the things effected. I understand each stroke and stroke patient is different, but what could we expect in relation to time of recovery and how much recovery should we realistically expect? Any advice or experiences shared would be appreciated.
Thanks again
The operation seemed to go well, he is still in recovery but are expecting to shift him out of ICU sometime in the next 5 days. Now it seems that the long process of rehabilitation begins.
I would like to hear from anyone with advice on STROKE REHABILITATION, especially for right sided paralysis (Left-Hemisphere Stroke)... In doing alot of reading it seems that speech is one of the things effected. I understand each stroke and stroke patient is different, but what could we expect in relation to time of recovery and how much recovery should we realistically expect? Any advice or experiences shared would be appreciated.
Thanks again
Hi Pam, I was confused with the terms of the operation but he did have a piece of his skull removed (Craniectomy) to release pressure.It seems the operation went well, he is now in recovery.Thank you so much, your advice and questions have really helped.
Update in following post...
Update in following post...
Hello, again, Putali. I was reading your profile and I see that your father-in-law is going to have a craniotomy...I take it that the hemicraniectomy isn't going to be done. If that's the case I'm glad for you all because that consists of removing part of the skull so swelling can go down and replacing it months later.
My husbands craniotomy was very successful. The neurosurgeon drilled a small hole in his skull and put a catheter in it to drain out the fluid. The incision cut in his scalp looked like it was only a couple of inches long and it healed up very nicely. There are risks (of course) with this surgery. It could cause more brain damage like double vision, loss of memory and paralysis.
It's best if your partner can ask the neurosurgeon about the risks of the surgery. Sometimes the doctors give bleak answers because they really don't know what is going to happen...again, it's all up to the patient and how his brain rewires itself.
Some questions I would be asking the doctor are what side of the brain was hit, what functions of the body does that part of the brain control, how large was the bleed and what kind of stroke was it. Since you mentioned bleeding I take it that it wasn't an ishemic stroke stemming from a clot but instead a hemorrhage which happens to about 20 percent of stroke victims. Also, was the hemorrhage subarachnoid, happening outside of the brain (between the skull and brain), or was it an intracerebral hemorrhage (bleeding within the brain). Don't even bother to ask how long it will take for your father-in-law to heal or will he have any paralysis or anything like that because I'm sure they'll say they don't know. It's way to early to tell and they don't know how the brain is going to heal. It's all up to the brain itself. If your father-in-law was healthy before the stroke he has a good chance of having an excellent recovery. That's what helped my husband. His only problem was he had high blood pressure and that's what caused the stroke. My husbands age was also a plus...he is only 56...too young for a stroke (although strokes can strike any age).
Hopefully, it won't take long for the fluid to be drained from your father-in-laws brain. It was 5 days for my husbands. After that the doctors may start weaning your father-in-law off some of the machines. The ventilator was the last to go in my husbands case. I do have faith everything will work out for you. Even though the doctors didn't think my husband would pull through, I had faith that he would and he did...with flying colors!
Just remember, surviving the stroke is only the beginning. It's a long road ahead and it has its ups and downs. Although I'm not an expert on strokes I'm an expert on dealing with my husband and the effects of his stroke. My husband had confusion, hallucinations, a bit of paranoia and some personality changes. Most of those have cleared up quite a bit and I'm seeing more and more improvements along the way. Thanks for sharing your story and I'm looking forward to seeing how well your father-in-law improves...
God bless!
My husbands craniotomy was very successful. The neurosurgeon drilled a small hole in his skull and put a catheter in it to drain out the fluid. The incision cut in his scalp looked like it was only a couple of inches long and it healed up very nicely. There are risks (of course) with this surgery. It could cause more brain damage like double vision, loss of memory and paralysis.
It's best if your partner can ask the neurosurgeon about the risks of the surgery. Sometimes the doctors give bleak answers because they really don't know what is going to happen...again, it's all up to the patient and how his brain rewires itself.
Some questions I would be asking the doctor are what side of the brain was hit, what functions of the body does that part of the brain control, how large was the bleed and what kind of stroke was it. Since you mentioned bleeding I take it that it wasn't an ishemic stroke stemming from a clot but instead a hemorrhage which happens to about 20 percent of stroke victims. Also, was the hemorrhage subarachnoid, happening outside of the brain (between the skull and brain), or was it an intracerebral hemorrhage (bleeding within the brain). Don't even bother to ask how long it will take for your father-in-law to heal or will he have any paralysis or anything like that because I'm sure they'll say they don't know. It's way to early to tell and they don't know how the brain is going to heal. It's all up to the brain itself. If your father-in-law was healthy before the stroke he has a good chance of having an excellent recovery. That's what helped my husband. His only problem was he had high blood pressure and that's what caused the stroke. My husbands age was also a plus...he is only 56...too young for a stroke (although strokes can strike any age).
Hopefully, it won't take long for the fluid to be drained from your father-in-laws brain. It was 5 days for my husbands. After that the doctors may start weaning your father-in-law off some of the machines. The ventilator was the last to go in my husbands case. I do have faith everything will work out for you. Even though the doctors didn't think my husband would pull through, I had faith that he would and he did...with flying colors!
Just remember, surviving the stroke is only the beginning. It's a long road ahead and it has its ups and downs. Although I'm not an expert on strokes I'm an expert on dealing with my husband and the effects of his stroke. My husband had confusion, hallucinations, a bit of paranoia and some personality changes. Most of those have cleared up quite a bit and I'm seeing more and more improvements along the way. Thanks for sharing your story and I'm looking forward to seeing how well your father-in-law improves...
God bless!
Hello PamRam, I just spoke to my partner, a trach tube has just been placed and another CT scan done. It seems that they may be doing the operation today. Please please take some time to pray. Thank you. I will let you know how things go.
Thank you so much.
I am about to relay this to my partner but what he keeps asking me are, what are the risks and the safety.. can you help answer this??
I am about to relay this to my partner but what he keeps asking me are, what are the risks and the safety.. can you help answer this??
Hi, my name is Pam. My husband suffered an intracerecral hemorrhage on July 12. I knew nothing at all about a stroke. Nearly everything your father-in-law is going through my husband went through. He was coma-induced. From what I gather, it was so his brain could rest so it can heal itself. There was also talk of putting a trach on him but thank goodness that didn't have to be done. I was told his bleed was a very large bleed (12cc) and the doctors didn't think he'd survive. He also developed a fever which went away after a few days and also got a urinary tract infection which they were able to clear up. A craniotomy was done to draw fluid off his brain. Everything looked so hopeless and I wasn't getting any answers to my 101 questions but now I see why...the docs really DIDN'T know if my husband would survive and if he did they didn't know what his defects would be.
To make a long story short, my husband came out of ICU in about 2 1/2 weeks and spent another 2 1/2 weeks in the neuro-science department. My husband is a miracle from God. He is very functionable. He can walk, talk, take care of himself while I'm at work and do just about everything. He can't drive because of the double vision he has acquired from the stroke but he is getting prism glasses and hopefully that will help. He has some short term memory but that's getting better everyday.
You're scared, you're confused and you want answers. As far as the surgery, no one can tell you whether to do it or not. I opted for it because the surgeon told me it would help with the swelling. Swelling can cause too much pressure on the skull and that can be fatal. My husbands insurance paid for everything so money wasn't the issue...I did feel like that particular surgery (although somewhat different from the one you described) was necessary for my husband.
Talk to your father-in-law, let him know that you all are there for him and you're doing all you can for him....console him.
Please let us know how things are going and remember that no two strokes are alike. I can only tell you the experience that my husband went through. I pray God pulls your loved one through this and give you and your family strength to hold on.
To make a long story short, my husband came out of ICU in about 2 1/2 weeks and spent another 2 1/2 weeks in the neuro-science department. My husband is a miracle from God. He is very functionable. He can walk, talk, take care of himself while I'm at work and do just about everything. He can't drive because of the double vision he has acquired from the stroke but he is getting prism glasses and hopefully that will help. He has some short term memory but that's getting better everyday.
You're scared, you're confused and you want answers. As far as the surgery, no one can tell you whether to do it or not. I opted for it because the surgeon told me it would help with the swelling. Swelling can cause too much pressure on the skull and that can be fatal. My husbands insurance paid for everything so money wasn't the issue...I did feel like that particular surgery (although somewhat different from the one you described) was necessary for my husband.
Talk to your father-in-law, let him know that you all are there for him and you're doing all you can for him....console him.
Please let us know how things are going and remember that no two strokes are alike. I can only tell you the experience that my husband went through. I pray God pulls your loved one through this and give you and your family strength to hold on.
We were just told that he is going to need an operation to remove some of the cranium to relieve the swelling "Hemicraniectomy" I think it is called after just doing 6 hours of research online. The swelling in his brain is increasing.The decision has been put on the family whether or not to do this, after reading all about it, it seems, although a last resort, a very effective way of increasing survival. He is in one of the top hospitals in Bombay but one problem is the fear that money is a motivating factor when surgeons suggest surgery. This is where the uncertainty is... does he really need the surg? or is it just recomended so they can get more money from the family. MONEY is NOT an issue, if this surg is needed then any price will be paid, but I am sure you can understand the fear and uncertainties. The only advice I can give him is trust the doctors, I hope this advice is correct. It seems prognosis is very poor but we are holding on to every ounce of hope. So I dont really know what I am asking you. Have you or Do you know of anyone who has had a craniectomy done? what do you know about it? once again what questions to ask doctor etc...
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