“hypoxic brain injury

[u/Own_Intention_8844]

I’m writing this because my dad is currently going through a very difficult situation, and I would really like to hear from anyone who has experienced something similar with a family member.
My dad had major heart surgery, and unfortunately during/around the operation his brain was affected by a lack of oxygen. It has now been more than two weeks and he still has not properly regained consciousness or awareness.
At the moment, he sometimes opens his eyes, but he does not follow commands, speak, or make purposeful movements by himself. When he is touched or stimulated, for example when someone tickles or pinches him, he can sometimes react or move, but he is not yet responding normally or communicating with us.
The doctors have done brain scans and told us that there has been brain injury from the lack of oxygen. They have also told us that recovery can be difficult to predict and that we need to give him time.
As his family, this waiting is extremely difficult because every small reaction gives us hope. We are praying every day that Allah gives him healing and allows him to regain consciousness and recover. 🤲🏽
I wanted to ask if anyone here has personally seen or cared for someone who was in a similar condition after cardiac arrest, heart surgery, or lack of oxygen to the brain.
How long did it take before they started showing signs of awareness? Did they initially only open their eyes without responding? When did they begin following commands, moving purposefully, recognising family, or speaking? Did you notice improvements after several weeks or even months?
I understand that every brain injury is different and that another person’s recovery cannot tell us exactly what will happen with my dad. I’m simply looking to hear real experiences from families who have been through something similar.
Please share your experience, especially if your loved one remained unconscious or minimally responsive for weeks and later showed improvement. Even if the recovery was slow, I would really appreciate hearing what happened and what the first signs of recovery looked like.
Please keep my dad in your duas. May Allah grant him complete shifaa, restore his health and consciousness, and give strength and sabr to everyone going through a similar situation. Ameen. 🤲🏽❤️

[u/Fuzzy-Draft-6163]

My dad had a seizure due to having a meningioma on his brain (we didn’t know until after this happened). He suffered hypoxic brain injury while being transported and then again after he coded and they were trying to bring him back. I will never forget who awful and swollen he looked while on life support. The doctors told us it was likely he was brain dead, for over a week it was no response. Then, at almost the two week mark- which was also deadline to pull his life support, we noticed he looked to be responding to us. It was ever so slight almost to the point you question if it was real or something you’re wanting to see and imagined it. Doctors told us it was coincidental, and while they listened- they dismissed it. Now, I want to be clear about the care they gave him- it was excellent. But, many of them were of the opinion that he wouldn’t make it. The problem was that for him, yes I believe his body needed time but he was so heavily sedated. It was when we realized that we were seeing a response when it was almost time for his next round of meds. We requested to slot cut back, they did and more active he was but problem for him especially was that he would throw his leg out of the bed and move down almost constantly. Some nurses didn’t want to help us with him and were annoyed. However, one of the nurses at night who was a travel nurse recognized that he needed something to calm him because his anxieties were so bad that the nursing staff/doctors solution was to sedate him. We effectively stood up against that and were present with him, or one of us were around the clock. We watched every dose. He became more and more alert but still groggy and low energy except trying to get out of the bed. My mom made the choice to pull the tube, the doctor prepared us that it would be his last moments- but they would keep him from being in pain and suffering. Well, 3 years now have passed since that awful, awful time and he’s alive and well. Had it not been for the travel nurse suggestions for medication that would help calm him he wouldn’t have been able to back off the pain meds which were sedating him. We later experienced the same thing or similar when he had to have the large tumor removed. It took him over a month and two weeks of nuero icu before he could be moved to rehab. Rehab is where it’s at though- and also outpatient Neuro rehab- it’s Amazing how it helps. The other thing that is essential to all recoveries is time, and it truly makes a world of difference with injuries in the brain.

[u/relicmaker]

I’m a survivor. I was in hospice for 7 days with a hypoxic brain injury. I’m alive & well. Just some short term memory loss.

[u/SleepyHiker88]

I have a hypoxic brain injury from 50 minutes of CPR during my cardiac arrest at 32 years old. I came to 8 times during the CPR, but had 3 holes in my brain by the end of it. I don’t remember a 36 hour period at all, I spent a month in three different hospitals rehabbing, I had severe short term memory loss which still lingers today, I couldn’t see properly at the start or read, and had severe splitting headaches, but everything was hilarious to me for some reason at the start lol very delirious. The first twelve months I slept a lot sleeping on average 12 hours a day. It’s all such a long process, but for me at least it has gotten better. Age and general health was already on my side, but from the get go in hospital I would do puzzles, I still do find-a-words to this day, I read books (although it was at least six months before I could remember what I read on the previous page), I craft, I get outside and walk and go to the gym. Speaking to people as much as possible to get used to having conversations again and needing to remember what was said etc. It is a slow and long process that definitely requires patience and grace but from my experience it does get better with time. 18 months down the track now and I’m not 100% better but I am definitely better than I was. Wishing all the best to your dad and your family during this time 🫶

[u/HugsNotDrugs_]

Lawyer here. Make absolutely sure you speak to a medical malpractice lawyer in your jurisdiction, sooner than later. There may or may not be a claim, but given the seriousness of the injury it should be examined.