This has bugged me before I even started writing which was like 3 years ago. Why doesn't anyone know that if you're in a coma for a number of months or years like so many authors make their characters, that you're not going to just wake up and be perfectly fine and dandy?
Do people know how rare it is for someone's coma to last even 5 weeks (35 days) or over, let alone years? When you come out of a coma that lasts as long as comas in books do, you're not gonna be the exact same physically nor mentally, not for a long time at least, or ever.
Since authors are too lazy to do research on things they write, I went ahead and did it for you. Here is a list of types of comas and the recovery that follows from an article.
You're welcome, see, even though this book is me being a cunt and ranting I can be nice.
Types of coma can include:
Toxic-metabolic encephalopathy. This is an acute condition of brain dysfunction with symptoms of confusion and/or delirium. The condition is usually reversible. The causes of toxic-metabolic encephalopathy are varied. They include systemic illness, infection, organ failure, and other conditions.
Anoxic brain injury. This is a brain condition caused by total lack of oxygen to the brain. Lack of oxygen for a few minutes causes cell death to brain tissues. Anoxic brain injury may result from cardiac arrest, head injury or trauma, drowning, drug overdose, or poisoning.
Persistent vegetative state. This is a state of severe unconsciousness. The person is unaware of his or her surroundings and incapable of voluntary movement. With a persistent vegetative state, someone may progress to wakefulness but with no higher brain function. With persistent vegetative state, there is breathing, circulation, and wake cycles.
Locked-in syndrome. This is a rare neurological condition. The person is totally paralyzed except for the muscles, but remains awake and alert and with a normal mind.
Brain death. This is an irreversible cessation of all brain function. Brain death may result from any lasting or widespread injury to the brain.
Medically induced. This type of temporary coma, or deep state of unconsciousness, is used to protect the brain from swelling after an injury. The patient receives a controlled dose of an anesthetic, which causes lack of feeling or awareness. Doctors then closely watch the person's vitals. This happens only in hospital intensive care units
Treatment for the type of coma may vary depending on what caused the coma, how bad their TBI (traumatic brain injury) is, and how bad their brain swelling is.
There is no doubt that people who experience severe TBI need rehabilitation after their hospital stay. And chances are good that further recovery will occur.
Choices of where to go next could be a rehabilitation facility, a skilled nursing facility, or home with 24-hour family/caregiver assistance.
In some instances, a person who is VS (Vegetative State) or MCS (Minimally Conscious State, basically non-vegetative state to put it simply) may be admitted to a rehab hospital for a short stay (2-4 weeks) for family teaching and the development of needed rehab equipment.
Rehabilitation for persons at this stage of recovery takes into consideration their unconsciousness and/or memory problems.
Rehabilitation and nursing goals can include:
▪ To establish a normal pattern of being up and out of bed with the right wheelchair
▪ To start sitting on the edge of the bed or matt and using a tilt table or standing table to put weight on feet
▪ To get good nutrition for healing through a tube
▪ To move and position the injured person regularly so that skin stays healthy
▪ To establish a "yes"/"no" system through movement of eyes or mouth or hands or feet
▪ To work on swallowing, a prerequisite of eating, and to keep lungs clear and healthy
▪ To combat abnormal muscle spasticity that can occur when the brain is injured which can cause joints to get tight
▪ To use medications and therapy that could improve wakefulness/arousal
Even though I saved you a lot of time researching (not really that was easy as hell), I suggest you still research more. You cannot wake up from a coma and be fine right away, do your research on what you're writing rather that be comas or disorders/addiction or other medical conditions.