Two women remembered their experiences from months in a coma. Once recovered, they had something to say.
What it Took for Me to Survive a Coma by scientist Rikke Schmidt Kjaergaard tells of her surviving a many-months-long coma due to meningitis. One of 5% who survive, she explains her recovery:
I was saved, in large measure, by modern medicine and excellent doctors, nurses and therapists…But fundamentally, I owe my recovery to the non-medical professional who was my proxy: my husband….”
It might take hours for her to blink her way through an alphabet board to complete one sentence. Her husband “had the time; the doctors and nurses didn’t.”
In Shock Dr. Rana Awdish, is a memoir by a critical care specialist who shares the pain and terror while comatose and the impact of caregivers’ kindness, caring, and encouragement.
While inspiring, I ask: Are loved ones supposed to stop their lives and stay by the bedside? What if they have young children or elderly parents at home? What if they are the only wage-earner? What if they cannot handle it?
I propose adding advocate-aides to the team: people who stay at the bedside to speak to and for such patients. While it wouldn’t guarantee recovery, it would facilitate care while helping patients and their caregivers find comfort and hope.
With today’s understaffing, advocate-aides sound like a pipedream. Articulating the problem and envisioning a solution are offered as first steps toward making things better.
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