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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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How Can A Person Recognize When In Comatose?

A friend of mine has been told by a Radiologist that she has between 1 month to 2 months to live. She has had 24 chemotherapy treatments. She is 68 years old. She has had 5 radiation treatments. I am confused, she was practically in a comatose state for 4 or 5 days, but for the last 3 days, though disorientated, she recognizes myself and a couple of other friends. Is their an explanation for this change?
Wed, 28 May 2014
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General & Family Physician,  's  Response
Hi and thank you so much for this query

I am so sorry to hear about this rather difficult but probably honest information your friend's doctor communicated. A comatose patient would not be able to relate with the environment. However, a comatose patient may witness an improvement in the level of consciousness and be able to relate with the surrounding and enctourage. This is to say coma is not permanent but may alternate between less wakeful state and coma.

I hope this helps. I wish your friend a peaceful and pain free end of life. It must be difficult to witness but there seems to be no other way out of this.
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How Can A Person Recognize When In Comatose?

Hi and thank you so much for this query I am so sorry to hear about this rather difficult but probably honest information your friend s doctor communicated. A comatose patient would not be able to relate with the environment. However, a comatose patient may witness an improvement in the level of consciousness and be able to relate with the surrounding and enctourage. This is to say coma is not permanent but may alternate between less wakeful state and coma. I hope this helps. I wish your friend a peaceful and pain free end of life. It must be difficult to witness but there seems to be no other way out of this.