Beth
My father had a brain stem bleed in February 2001, was on a ventilator for 3 weeks and was not expected to live. When he was taken off the ventilator he was able to breathe on his own but could not swallow and was paralyzed on his right side and his talking was a little jumbled and hard to understand. The doctors said he would not ever walk again or eat, etc. He passed the swallow test and had the feeding tube taken out and can now eat all normal foods. His talking is much better and you can understand him better but it is not completely back to normal. He also had some problems with his eyes and double vision but with glasses he doesn't have a problem. His right arm is still paralyzed and doesn't have any real function but his right leg is doing better. He wears a brace and needs a cane but he can get around the house by himself and can get up and down the steps to his bedroom. It seems that every day he gets stronger and improves, if it is only a minor improvement. He was in ICU for about a month, then went to a rehab facility for about 7 weeks and then went to another rehab facility for 4-6 weeks. He has had physical, occupational and speech therapy and now goes to the pool three times a week for therapy and walks outside with assistance and has now gotten up to walking a mile. He has improved wonderfully and I hope that your husband continues to do the same. Good Luck!!