From Dusk ‘Til Dawn: Lived Experiences from Being in Coma

Abstract

The study aimed to explore and characterize the experiences of patients who woke up from coma. This phenomenon would be in terms of this individual feeling and experiences before falling under the state of coma, while in the state of come, after walking up from the same, and how the whole experiences change the lives. Comatose states are caused by an injury to the brain. Brain injury can be due to increase intra cranial pressure, bleeding, loses of oxygen or buildup of toxins. The injury can earthier be temporary, reversible or permanent. The chances of someone recovery from a coma largely depend on the severity and cause of the brain injury, person’s age, duration of the coma. To facilitate the data gathering process through unstructured face to face and telephone interview, we formulated an interview guide that encompasses open ended questions relatives to the experience of the coma patients. The data collect thought interviews where transcribed and a verbatim manner, and was process using colaizzi’s 7-steps method of data analysis. A total of three (3) participants were chosen through per passive sampling. Respondent’s validation and constant comparison were done to establish the consistency of the data collected. We were able to extract four categories that made up the lived experiences former categories were surrendering to dusk” which encompasses the events that transpired before the participants fell unconscious. The said categories and has two themes: “end of shift” and “signing-off”, where the former entails two sub-themes, the realm of past” and palm as my company”. The second category, “sleeping in the dead of the night”, contains the details of events during unconsciousness sate, and bear four themes: “silent screams”, “voices in my head”, “sleeps paralysis, and “journey to dreamland”, the third categories talks about what happened after their state of unconsciousness; therefore labeled as “walking up to the dawn” that has three themes: “awakening”, “morning exercise”, and “the breakfast club”. Awakening embraces five sub themes namely: “zephyr”, “flight to never land”, Ursula’s spell”, trapped in s labyrinth” and “flashbacks”. The last category identified was “carpe diem”, which covers the participants’ recovery process. Based on the findings of the study, the following inferences were drawn: 1. coma chooses no one. It can occur to any one, any time in any situation regardless of sex, age, and socio-economic status though causes vary. 2. Recovery is painful and slow process and takes a toll on physical, psychological and emotional balance. 3. Coma does not always coincide with death or end, and 4.coma is a life changing events and an eye opener for patients. 5. Coma patients in their unconscious state still grasp conversations and sounds around them. Considering the conclusions and findings of the study, the following recommendations are hereby proposed: 1. Clients should then seek immediate medical assistance when something erroneous is suspected. 2. Families together with the health care team, to remain hopeful when caring for a comatose and should not directly conclude death. 3. Families, friends and healthcare team, should prepare, encourage and motivate clients who woke up from coma to engage in physical therapy and recovery process. 4. The health care team to extend necessary assistance preparing clients in accepting the probable impact of coma and rehabilitation process. 5. Telling blissful stories can generate better dreams and may even help in recovery and stay connected through constant communication. 6. Researchers who wish to duplicate the study may do so and conduct it with revised inclusion and exclusion criteria. 7. Researchers who wish to delve on the topic in the future may explore the other side of the story, the future may explore the other side of the story, the experiences of the families and significant others in the life of patients who underwent coma can also be studied.