She maintains her breathing and will be off a ventilator. They inserted a PEG tube for feeding as well as the trach. She seemed to be responding better and then they had an “accident” at the hospital and her trach tube became dislodged and the air went subcutaneously into her head and upper torso and also caused a collapsed lung on the left. She was taken to emergency surgery and the trach was redone as well as a chest tube placed. Since that time the lung has reinflated and the chest tube removed. Her blood pressure is stabilized, liver and kidney function are normal, she did have a problem with severe sinusitis for which she is being treated. She has been 5 days since the problem and is just beginning to flutter her eyes but has more posturing movement than she had before. She is 70 years of age but everyone in the hospital thought she was 10-15 years younger,she has always been vibrant and youthful. I have maintained hope of recovery at least to the extent of being able to swallow, hold her head up, possible speech and maybe some regained use of limbs. All neuro have negative responses and feel my time is wasted, I am willing to do whatever is necessary to promote recovery. At present she is being moved from ICU to an LTAC and then hopefully to a rehab hospital. They basically can’t believe she is still alive, her EEG shows brain activity and more response to my voice, she has had subsequent CT scans showing no further problems and some reabsorption of blood. Is there anything further you can suggest?
Sincerely,
C.S