Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
Hi, it’s Patrik Hutzel from INTENSIVECAREHOTLINE.COM , where we instantly improve the lives of Families of critically ill Patients in Intensive Care, so that you can have PEACE OF MIND, real power, real control and so that you can influence decision making fast, even if you’re not a doctor or a nurse in Intensive Care!
This is another episode of “YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED” and in last week’s episode I answered another question from our readers and the question last week was PART 2 of
”MY AUNTY IS IN INTENSIVE CARE ON ECMO FOR ARDS, WE’RE VERY WORRIED SHE MAY DIE! HELP!” (PART2)
You can check out the answer to last week’s question by clicking on the link here.
In this week’s episode of “YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED” I want to answer another question from one of our readers and the question this week is PART 3 of
“MY AUNTY IS IN INTENSIVE CARE ON ECMO FOR ARDS, WE’RE VERY WORRIED SHE MAY DIE! HELP!” (PART3)
Lee from the UK writes
Hi Patrik,
today I went to the hospital and my auntie has been put back asleep in an induced coma.
The doctors said she was fighting against the ventilator and she is also back on dialysis as she can’t get rid of her fluids. She’s not making enough urine.
She is very swollen again and mu aunty needed sedating more.
Her oxygen levels had increased as well! They say that her lungs are really wet and they are considering ECMO again.
This is quite a set back from yesterday
They also said if this 3 days lifespan on the Haemofilter/ Dialysis doesn’t work they will flip her on to the ECMO again as a last chance.
They did also mention that they can only put her back on ECMO again if it’s available.
What are your thoughts?
Thanks Lee
Hi Lee,
OK I hear you.
I am sorry to hear that your aunty is currently going backwards.
Setbacks can happen during critical illness in Intensive Care, especially after ECMO and ARDS.
Whilst it doesn’t sound good what you are describing, let’s put some perspective around it.
Your auntie’s lungs are wet, therefore they have put her back on the Haemofilter/ Dialysis Machine.
It’s hard to tell from here why your aunty is breathing against the ventilator and as I said yesterday on Skype, this can happen.
Waking up from an induced coma can be a big challenge, especially when you are attached to a ventilator and you can’t communicate properly. Therefore fear may be a huge factor for your aunty!
One way out of the dilemma might be to optimise your auntie’s sedation, which may be challenging with her mental health issues, however it’s doable.
Also, ask for your auntie’s chest x-ray and what the results of her latest chest x-ray was.
And always, keep in mind that Intensive Care teams tend to be very quick in pointing out the negative and they can be very quick in painting a “doom and gloom” picture!
Recommended resources:
You shouldn’t buy into the mindset of the Intensive Care team.
I also don’t like when they say that they may put your aunty back on ECMO “if it’s available”, almost implying that you and your family will not have any control who is making this decision…
You should always read between the lines what the Intensive Care team is saying or not saying.
Also, as I mentioned yesterday on Skype, try and get a feel whether the people in the Intensive Care unit tend to be overly negative. If that’s the case you and your family need to challenge that and you need to make up your own, more positive reality.
Don’t let this difficult situation wear you down or become negative!
Once again, being on ECMO for 6 days is not very long and some Patients may have to go back on it so that their lungs can heal and improve.
Related articles:
So, whilst there are some setbacks, they do happen and stay strong and optimistic and keep challenging the Intensive Care team and their assumptions. Only by doing so you will get to the truth of the matter.
Also, because the Intensive Care team appears to be negative and because they are trying to already limit the resources in your and in their mind, by telling you “if ECMO is available” you need to keep asking whether they don’t want to spend the resources(time, effort, money, staff and also emotional resources) to get your aunty out of ICU alive.
Let me know how things go and I can help you.
Let me know if you need to go on Skype again and we can have another chat there.
Thank you
Your friend
Patrik
How can you get PEACE OF MIND, control, power and influence fast whilst your loved one is critically ill in Intensive Care?
You get to that all important feeling of PEACE OF MIND, CONTROL, POWER AND INFLUENCE when you download your FREE “INSTANT IMPACT” report NOW by entering your email below!
In Your FREE “INSTANT IMPACT” report you’ll learn quickly how to get PEACE OF MIND, real power and real control and how you can influence decision making fast, whilst your loved one is critically ill in Intensive Care! Your FREE “INSTANT IMPACT” Report gives you in-depth insight that you must know whilst your loved one is critically ill or is even dying in Intensive Care!
Sign up and download your FREE “INSTANT IMPACT” REPORT now by entering your email below! In your FREE “INSTANT IMPACT” REPORT you’ll learn how to speak the “secret” Intensive Care language so that the doctors and the nurses know straight away that you are an insider and that you know and understand what’s really happening in Intensive Care! In your FREE report you’ll also discover
- How to ask the doctors and the nurses the right questions
- Discover the many competing interests in Intensive Care and how your critically ill loved one’s treatment may depend on those competing interests
- How to eliminate fear, frustration, stress, struggle and vulnerability even if your loved one is dying
- 5 “killer” tips& strategies helping you to get on the right path to PEACE OF MIND, control, power and influence in your situation
- You’ll get real world examples that you can easily adapt to your and your critically ill loved one’s situation
- How to stop being intimidated by the Intensive Care team and how you will be seen as equals
- You’ll get crucial ‘behind the scenes’ insight so that you know and understand what is really happening in Intensive Care
- How you need to manage doctors and nurses in Intensive Care(it’s not what you think)
Thank you for tuning into this week’s “YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED” and I’ll see you again in another update next week! Make sure you also check out our BLOG section for more tips and strategies or send me an email to [email protected] with your questions!
Also check out our Products section where you get more Ebooks, Videos and Audio recordings and where you can also get 1:1 consulting with me!
This is Patrik Hutzel from INTENSIVECAREHOTLINE.COM and I’ll see you again next week with another update!
Related Articles: