Coma survivors answer the question: “What was it like to wake up again?”
Perhaps many of us have seen people on TV waking up from a years-long coma, but quite a few have experienced it first hand. So, one curious Reddit user decided to ask the community an interesting question:
“Redditors who have been in coma for a long time (>1 yr) what was it like to “wake up” again? And how did you adjust to literally a long fast forward?”
As Unilad notes, there is much more to the unique experience of waking up after a long coma than just rehabilitation.
One person, who struggled immensely after regaining consciousness, said:
“I had no idea where I was. I had no idea what happened. Months later I was still learning about who did (or didn’t) visit, pray, call, ask. Finances were a total mess (trust me, companies DO NOT CARE). Massive debt and financial penalties. And took over 18 months to get a job after painful physical rehabilitation and explaining over and over and over that I was in a coma, not just not working. Then COVID.”
Replying to the abovementioned comment, another Redditor said:
“I feel ya. It’s been a financial nightmare for me too, I don’t think I’ll ever recover from this. There is no forgiveness for us. Recently, I totally lost it on a debt collector, I was screaming through the phone at him ‘Do you f*cking think I planned this! What part of zero dollars do you not understand!’
Fortunately I was given Social Security Disability so the working thing has a little relief but it is a penance of what I used to earn.”
While many users shared their personal struggles following waking up from a coma, one criticized “Hollywood’s depiction” of the experience.
“Hollywood’s depiction of waking from a coma is shockingly wrong. I was really stunned when my friend was in one for about a month and had to relearn virtually every basic function.”
One of the many who agreed with this user’s statement said:
“I can confirm this. I was in a coma for 6 weeks. It took me about 3 days to come around and about 3 months to regain strength and walk properly etc.”
Others shared going through a coma severely affected their memory.
Opening up about their experience, one Redditor wrote:
“Does it count if you can’t remember a single thing for 6-8 weeks? I was technically ‘out’, but my wife says she had a conversation with me every day.
I don’t remember anything but was medically sedated for almost 2 months after getting hit by a car cycling.”
Another added:
“I was in a drug-induced coma for between 2 and 3 weeks. Don’t ask me how long, I can’t tell you. That was years ago and I still can’t make a timeline for it work. I was ‘awake’ for a day or two and realized my vision was really fuzzy. I finally remembered that I wore glasses. I wasn’t able to put them on myself or take them off. Putting my hands to my face was completely exhausting.”
Have you ever been in a coma? Do you know someone else who has experienced it? Let us know in the comment section!
