Sudden Unexplained Coma

MissMolly, I am so sorry about this. I cannot imagine how stressful and terrible this is for everyone involved. I hope there is a diagnosis soon. I am not sure how big/excellent the bigger hospital is where she is now, or whether she is strong enough to be moved elsewhere, but is there a better hospital she could be transferred to that might be able to make a difference? It must be very frustrating waiting for a diagnosis, and not having a treatment plan. Take care.
 
Prayers. Please keep us posted.
 
I hope they have sent PCR tests on the spinal fluid, not just cultures. A PCR test is very sensitive and results can be returned rapidly. One can test for herpes and other viruses. Last year we had a number of children with unexplained fever and headache that had enterovirus infections in their spinal fluid. These aren't serious infections, unlike herpes. Just because the spinal fluid didn't have WBCs doesn't mean it isn't herpes. Sending thoughts for her improvement and recovery.
 
Scuba said:
MissMolly, I am so sorry about this. I cannot imagine how stressful and terrible this is for everyone involved. I hope there is a diagnosis soon. I am not sure how big/excellent the bigger hospital is where she is now, or whether she is strong enough to be moved elsewhere, but is there a better hospital she could be transferred to that might be able to make a difference? It must be very frustrating waiting for a diagnosis, and not having a treatment plan. Take care.
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She's at Jewish Hospital in Louisville. It is a truly fine hospital. The only other comparable/better hospital in town would be University Hospital, but the same doctors practice at both, so...

They are keeping her on the antibiotics until further results are received on the spinal tap. They hooked her back up to the EEG for a longer duration hoping to get more data on what's happening in her brain. They apparently now are focusing on the "sparking" in her temporal lobes.

The nurse says they have run hundreds of test at this point and have pretty much reached a wait and see attitude. The doctors are stymied.

Late last night she opened her eyes several times and became combative. If you knew her, you would smile at this. I doubt she weighs 98 lbs soaking wet. She is short and stick thin. I haven't yet heard this morning how things stand.

I appreciate everyone's good thoughts.
 
EastWest Gal said:
I hope they have sent PCR tests on the spinal fluid, not just cultures. A PCR test is very sensitive and results can be returned rapidly. One can test for herpes and other viruses. Last year we had a number of children with unexplained fever and headache that had enterovirus infections in their spinal fluid. These aren't serious infections, unlike herpes. Just because the spinal fluid didn't have WBCs doesn't mean it isn't herpes. Sending thoughts for her improvement and recovery.
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Preliminary results from the spinal tap ruled out herpes, but other tests take several days so that's what we are waiting on now. They say it could still be herpes encephalitis and show up in the other tests.
 
I hate ticks.

It seems every year something new is reported from ticks. The latest is this allergy to mammal meat.

I try to avoid them, but sometimes they sneak up on you. If you are active outside, you are among ticks. Lately, the deer have moved into my city and now ticks are getting thick in the city too.

So, when I get a tick, I let DW know and take my temperature every day at the same time for 30 days. I also check for rashes. Any change would warrant a trip to the doctor ASAP.
 
All lumbar puncture tests have come back negative for encephalitis, so they are taking her off the antibiotic. She is still hooked up to the EEG. She has opened her eyes a little and moved her arms a little. She is still on anti-seizure meds. They are running a bunch more lab tests today.
 
Prayers and healing good thoughts for her and hoping the diagnosis is made soon and she recovers with minimal long term impacts.
 
timo2 said:
What my mom got from the tick was Ehrlichiosis. I'm assuming they checked for that?
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I don't know, but in reading about this, the symptoms don't seem to fit. At no time throughout this whole ordeal has she run a fever.
 
Miss Molly, so sorry to read this. How difficult for your entire family and such a shock to have such a sudden onset.
 
MissMolly said:
Yesterday morning my sister-in-law who will be 65 in a couple of months woke up, ate breakfast, made the bed then laid down on the couch because she didn't feel well. Told her husband she was going to throw up, which she did. She then collapsed and fell unconscious. She was rushed to a small regional hospital where they suspected a stroke. They ran blood tests, MRI, cat scan etc and could find nothing wrong. After remaining in a coma all day she was transferred to a large metropolitan hospital as the small hospital did not have the equipment to run an EEG.


She arrived at the large hospital last night still in a coma. Additional tests will be performed today. She does not respond to any stimulation at all. Her breathing was shallow so she has been intubated. Her vitals otherwise appear to be fine.



She has not been ill. She has no on-going medical problems. She has low blood pressure, but has had low blood pressure all her life. She is stick thin, little more than a bone, but has been that way all her life. She has not hit her head. She is not diabetic. MRI and cat scan show absolutely nothing wrong.


No change this morning. Still in a coma. Still not responding to any stimulation.



Has anybody ever heard of such a thing?
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At first it sounded like an episode where I got light-headed presumably from some bad seafood I ate earlier in that day. Then I hit my head...twice and had what seemed like a small seizure. After throwing up I actually felt incredibly better, but up to the point of throwing up, I was more tired than I had ever been in my life, and had to try my damndest to stay awake...until I threw up.
 
She squeezed the doctor's hand on command! Still not alert. Still "sleeping" but :dance: what progress a hand squeeze is! And has tried to pull out the tubing for the respirator. But, we still don't know what's going on with her.
 
kgtest said:
At first it sounded like an episode where I got light-headed presumably from some bad seafood I ate earlier in that day. Then I hit my head...twice and had what seemed like a small seizure. After throwing up I actually felt incredibly better, but up to the point of throwing up, I was more tired than I had ever been in my life, and had to try my damndest to stay awake...until I threw up.
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This sounds like a concussion. She didn't hit her head. Nothing leading up to the coma other than she threw up immediately before. Otherwise, normal night of sleeping, ate normal breakfast, made the bed, then fell unconscious.
 
What have the cardiologists said? Neurologists? Yeah my episode was definitely a concussion with the blow to my head.
 
MissMolly said:
She squeezed the doctor's hand on command! Still not alert. Still "sleeping" but :dance: what progress a hand squeeze is! And has tried to pull out the tubing for the respirator. But, we still don't know what's going on with her.
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YAY!!!! This is SO encouraging. I'm so much more hopeful for her now, and doing the happy dance for you and your family. :dance:

P.S. - - I don't have a clue as to what could be causing this, or I'd suggest something. I am just really glad she is in the hospital getting the best care possible from those who know how to figure out something like this.
 
Sounds like she is strong willed. That can make a huge difference. :)
 
No idea if this is a possibility but a similar thing happened to a co-worker last week except she reported a terrible headache first


It turned out to be an (I assume undiagnosed) brain tumor -- no idea how they check for those.

Sadly she passed away so I really hope this is not what it is
 
limeyx said:
No idea if this is a possibility but a similar thing happened to a co-worker last week except she reported a terrible headache first


It turned out to be an (I assume undiagnosed) brain tumor -- no idea how they check for those.

Sadly she passed away so I really hope this is not what it is
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2 MRI's (maybe 3) and 2 cat scans. Nothing shows up in the brain. Nothing at all.
 
kgtest said:
What have the cardiologists said? Neurologists? Yeah my episode was definitely a concussion with the blow to my head.
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Nothing wrong with her heart. A neurologist is who we've been working with. He's in the dark still. All tests/scans/etc are coming back negative. The only thing that has shown up so far is "sparking" in the temporal lobes which indicates seizures. She is on anti-seizures meds for this starting yesterday.
 
Sending good thoughts your way MissMolly. This is a tough situation. The hand squeeze seems like an encouraging development though!
 
Neurologist was just in and said according to the EEG she should be awake and talking, but of course she is not. They are running some more auto-immune tests and waiting....
 
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