Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Disoriented

When Mom was extubated last week, she was mentally sharp, as you can see by the questions she asked at that time:

  • Where is your father?
  • How is he doing?
  • Cancel my beauty shop appointment at Plaza Beauty Shop. Me: Rosie already cancelled the appointment at Plaza Beauty School. She: No, it's not a beauty school!
  • Am I in ICU?
  • How long have I been here?
  • What did they do? (Arteriogram to solve the bleeding aneurysm problem - but no actual surgery)
  • That's amazing!
  • What are my dosages?

Since Mom's second extubation, on Sunday, she has been disoriented. She is not as attuned to her circumstances. They did a CT scan today. An initial read reveals no additional swelling in her brain, and no additional blood seepage into her subarachnoid cavity. There could be myriad reasons for her disorientation - ranging from drug reaction, on through a range of reasons, including simply being disoriented by the artificial atmosphere of ICU.

The disorientation is likely nothing serious, or lasting. They hope to figure out what's causing it in the interim. If it is disorientation from being in ICU, it should be cured when Mom leaves the ICU a few days hence, and moves into the more normalized environment of a hospital room.