Hi
I was wondering if anyone had been in a similar situation to me, my mum is 58 with COPD on Thursday (22/3/18) she went in to respiratory failure which she was on a NIV for as she went in with an ordinary chrst infection (Drs said the usual just need antibiotics and steroids, home tomorrow this was on Monday 19/3/19 ) but picked up flu on the Wednesday unfortunately when the mask was removed for a drink she had a respiratory arrest and her heart stopped. It only took them around 5 minutes to bring her around and she didn't need the defib (which they said is a good sign) the Drs then separated and paralysed her and took her to icu where She started treatment for the flu and she was put on a ventilator. Yesterday (Sunday) we had a some what positive day her paralyzing medication was stopped and her profonol (sedation) was reduced to 10mls and they changed her ventilator settings to SPONS (where she initiates her own breathing) the nurse said her bloods were slowly improving and her blood gases were ok sometimes went higher then they wanted but then would dropped again. After around 7 hours on the new setting her blood pressure kept going up and they had to increase the profonol to 12mls but she still managed to stay on the new ventilator settings.
Prior to this admission my mum was fine, she didn't show signs of infection Sunday night and even on Monday in a&e she was walking around, laughing and joking etc. Normally on a day to day my mum would have 4 or less nebulizers and take her inhaler if needed inbetween, she was mobile self caring and I lived with her just to help around the house with cleaning etc and I would help her bath purely because the stem made her breathless as did bending so I did things to reduce that. But other then her lungs she is fit and healthy, often looking after mine and my brothers children (which she loves) and going shopping etc.
I just want to know if anyone has been through similar and what their outcome was. The Drs are very bleak and keep talking about her COPD and how people can't recover etc. But my mum is strong and a fighter her COPD only changed her life when the weather was bad or she had an infection then she would take it easy but still managed to potter around the house and do things. I just wish the Drs knew her before and had an idea of her rather then going off statistics etc because she had a great quality if life even with COPD (sure she couldn't go out as much but she had an active life still and she coped really well and we still went out and about depending in weather etc)
I'm just so scared and worried they will give up on her purely because she has COPD. I hope this all makes sense.