Thanks for the update, SK. This has been a harrowing week for you and your family. Let's hope that your brother is able to come off of ecmo tomorrow, and every day brings improvement. I'm a big believer in the body's ability to heal itself (with some assistance from doctors of course).

Sending all positive thoughts and good wishes your way. Feel free to put on an unbrave face here at WTF.

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I'm a big believer in the body's ability to heal itself

Me too. I hope we start seeing this in action.

My mother said no real updates from this afternoon. It's very worrying that he's not waking up. She said he didn't respond when my sister-in-law squeezed his hand, but then another time he moved his foot and it seemed intentional.

I don't want to say out loud what the greatest fear is right now.

Tomorrow they talk with the doctor again. I hope we get some good news then, and that he starts waking up.

I told my mother to ask the doctor what they recommend family do when someone isn't waking up after sedation. Like, do they recommend a lot of talking? Also, my brother is a musician, so I told her to ask if they would recommend playing some music for him to listen to.

My mom is there now, and will play music. I told her to play him one of his own videos.

That's a great idea, SK. I can't imagine it would hurt, and it might be very helpful. Even just a radio, perhaps.

I also think music is a great idea.



Is there anything you already have recorded that your mom could get access to and play for him?

Oh yeah, he has all kinds of recordings, CDs, YT videos.

Maybe she should start with when he played the Star Spangled Banner, Jimi Hendrix style... (he's a guitarist)

Good place to start!

But I was thinking of your piano recordings….

Oh, you meant me! I'll mention it.

I feel like if he heard himself playing, he might think "oh I need to get up and get ready for work"

I also think that music is a great idea.

I do believe people can hear and can feel touch while unconscious or in a coma or sedated. (I'm not sure of his condition right now, so I'm defining it expansively.)

My sister arrived at the hospital from far away after my father had gone into a coma, but he turned his head when she spoke, so it seemed that he knew she was there.

I'm not sure what mental state would describe Muffin's Sister's condition when she was born so early and was so sick, but she would sometimes turn her head to the sound of our voices. Because of that, I spent a lot of time just talking to her and singing to her. I got a stuffed animal with a music box in its belly and had the hospital sterilize it in the autoclave, crossing my fingers that the music box would still play afterward. And it did! So I played it for her a lot. I was allowed to touch her, so I did that often. When it seemed that she was starting to focus her eyes to look at things, I taped a picture of my husband, me, and her brother where she could see it.

Over time, she grew more alert. (And now she's really, really alert. LOL) There wasn't much I could do for her in those days, but I do think the things I could do may have helped.

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I'm not sure of his condition right now

He's been off of the sedation for three days now but still isn't waking up. It's making us all feel very scared. But I keep going back to the stories of people taking forever to wake up after being sedated during covid and using that to keep from panicking.

Re Muffin's Sister

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I do think the things I could do may have helped

I have no doubt it did!!

All of you are in my prayers, SK.

So mixed news today... He's slowly waking up. He can blink when asked and is responding more. And it seems like the infection in his lungs continues to improve, the concern about the damage to his airway is also decreasing and the doc doesn't think it needs intervention, they think it will heal on its own. They are going to try to get him off of the ecmo in the next few days.

But there's concern that he may have some paralysis on his left side from the stroke. I feel like it's too soon to conclude this, and then doctor has said as much.

But my sister-in-law is beside herself, saying that when he responds to her, nothing on his left side moves at all.

I mentioned that he's not just a working musician, but that he's a guitar player, right? He really needs both of his arms.

So, yeah, the possibilities here are terrifying to even think about.

My heart is breaking but I'm trying to tell myself that it's still too soon to conclude the worst, or even to conclude mildly bad....

One day at a time. Glad to hear he’s waking up.

Oh my. I can’t imagine.

Hang in there SK, and think positive thoughts.

I wish I could offer more.