Hi Everyone,
So, it's been a few weeks since I last posted about my brother being in the ICU from a drug overdose. I wanted to post my update for some support and to see if anyone has been in similar circumstances.
He was in a coma for 4 days. He aspirated his own vomit when he was unconscious and they think he was oxygen deprived for up to 12 hours before he was found, but the doctors don't really know. He was in the ICU for about 10 days and then moved to an Acute Rehab Unit (neurological, physical, occupational rehab, not drug rehab) to try and get him walking, talking, problem solving etc. again.
The good news is: he is out of the hospital. He has been moved to a full time residential neurological rehabilitation center for his brain and will be there for 2 weeks at a time. He is getting wonderful care and is in a top notch facility.
The bad news is: the brain damage is really bad. At least right now. They don't know yet how far he will come along. He can't do simple arithmetic, and he has been diagnosed with Aphasia where he can't get the words out to communicate at times. His hearing loss is at 50%, he is unable to move his right hand very well because of arterial thrombosis....I could go on. It is very likely he will never be the same. He is currently unable to take care of himself. The goal is to rehabilitate his brain to the point where he will be able to live alone again. As of right now it looks like working again is out of the question, so he will likely have to go on disability.
It's all such a mess. It's all so terrible and I'm so incredibly sad. I have hope that he will be able to function again, but what kind of a life is he going to have? And none of this has anything to do with the fact that he hasn't even addressed his drug problem...will this just make it worse once he gets out? I'm so sad, so scared. My stepdad told me that my brother doesn't really understand how impaired he really is yet. To quote what he said, "He doesn't have the same spark in his eye."
I just can't believe any of this. I need help from this forum. There is nothing that I can do about any of it, just like before, but now he has brain damage. And he put himself and all of us in this position.
Blows. Really.
