Woman Wakes Up From Surgery Handcuffed and Unable to Speak (Exclusive)

• Kaitlyn Jenkins found herself on a fox fans after surgery of craniocarvical fusion, experiences called “living nightmare”
• Although being placed on a fan was a probable outcome of this operation, Jenkins says that she did not feel properly informed before the procedure
• Now she is an advocate for communicating with the patient and uses her social media to talk about her experiences

Waking up at the hospital after surgery is a disturbing experience in itself, but for Kaitlyn Jenkins, at the moment she returned consciousness after the brain and spinal cord surgery turned into an unexpected “nightmare”.

The 21-year-old suffers from chiara of type 1 malformation, craniocervical instability (CCI) and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, editor (s). These conditions, which affect its connective tissues, the brain and spine, have led to numerous operations and life -long chronic pain.

After years of searching for the answer, Jenkins finally found a neurosurgeon in New York, which specialized in its condition and recommended surgery with craniocarvical fusion. But no one prepared her for the scary experience that was waiting for her when she woke up from the procedure.

“I was absolutely terrified – I felt like I was trapped in the living nightmares. When I tried to speak and nothing went out, the wave of panic hit me. I couldn’t understand why I couldn’t talk, and I didn’t know what was happening was that everything was felt even more superior – as if I was stuck in a terrible dream,” Jenkins says exclusively.

“When I tried to move my hands and realize that they were restrained – what my hospital called” reminders of the bracelet ” – the fear intensified. I was foxes to bed and couldn’t move or speak.”

The medical team used soft limitations to prevent the fan from which it was set up for respiratory support purposes. But for Jenkins, who was only 20 at the time, the experience was rattling. “At that moment, I felt completely helpless, like a prisoner trapped in my own body,” she says.

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She even resorted to finding letters on her mother’s hand when she couldn’t speak, looking for her boyfriend.

“I needed him with me – he was with me through every step of this trip,” she says. Her immediate reaction was to write “r” on her mother’s hand, symbolizing his name.

“I couldn’t ask questions or know anyone hurt me, which just worsened panic. I tried to communicate with the letters on my mother’s hand, but it was exhausting and I felt like no one fully realized how scared I was,” Jenkins explains.

“I wish the hospital had a better system for patients to communicate when they were on the fan and restrained – because in those moments I could not express themselves, it made a terrifying experience even harder to endure.”

In the end, after the swelling has decreased and its ability to breathe is estimated, the medical team removed both the fan and soft restriction. However, the emotional impact of experience remained long after the removal of physical restrictions.

Kaitlyn Jenkins with her hands on her head due to pain caused by occipital neuralgia.

Kaitlyn Jenkins

“It’s not just a physical recovery; there is also a mental and emotional recovery takes time,” Jenkins says.

What hit her most was a lack of communication that led to surgery. “In PRE-OP, the anesthesiologist quickly mentioned that I could wake up with the fan, but they did not go into detail about what that really means,” Jenkins recalls.

Since two brain surgery has already passed without the need for a fan, she didn’t think much about it, leaving her unprepared for the reality of awakening restrained and unable to speak.

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“This experience has definitely changed my perspective on surgery and medical procedures. I always knew the operation was serious, but that realized me how important communication with patients is when you are already facing some change of life as well as brain or spine surgery,” People says.

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After surgery, complications and additional health issues have led to further defects. Jenkins endured problems such as osteolize (bone breakdown), nerve pain and difficulty in the gait – which made recovery slow and unpredictable.

“I spent six weeks in the hospital for complications – my whole left was completely stunned and I couldn’t move my left leg. The re -learning was already challenging, but frequent episodes of decay made it even more difficult and brought to more complications,” says Jenkins.

Kaitlyn Jenkins in pain as she tried to walk on December 6, 2024.

Kaitlyn Jenkins

“One particularly bad episode of passing during physical therapy, when PT did not catch me, resulted in the back of my head hit the table. That fall caused the damage that is now required to catheterize the daily-last consequence, which I never expected. The second episode of passing caused the occipital neuralgia, which now brings constant nerve pain.

On February 28, Jenkins started walking again, but because of the stunning in her left hand and leg, she struggles with a drop. Jenkins relies on AFO bras to maintain mobility and participate in physical and occupational therapy three times a week.

As a result of her osteolise, three screws used during the surgery were loosened, and she now carries a stimulator of bone growth for four hours a day, hoping her bones will grow and merge faster than the speed at which they are destroyed.

Still, her determination and support system helped to continue.

“This experience is physically exhausting and emotionally taxed. It’s hard not to think about how things could have been different without complications, but I’m trying to focus on the progress I achieve,” she says.

“Every step – literally – a reminder of how much I fought, and although the recovery was not easy, I am determined to move on. My family and my boyfriend were my rock through all that, and their support made the most tolerable days to belest.”

But for Jenkins, this trip is not just in physical treatment. Her experience changed her perspective on surgery and communication with patient. It is now advocating for more transparent conversations between medical teams and patients, especially when risks can be so overwhelming after the effects of surgery.

“I have learned that, although these experiences can be traumatized, they also discover how strong you are and how many people who love you are willing to fight for you,” she says. Despite the fear and relentless complications, Jenkins remains hope and determined to fight over time and take control of his health.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education