A.D.
Hugs to you. My thoughts and prayers will be with you and your mom.
What you are saying about her talking and her good movements is very reassuring! I only did a short rotation in ICU and we had a couple patients with brain injury/surgery and many with other conditions. What you are describing, the confusion and "dementia" type of talking is actually very common (to an extent) in the ICU in general for a couple reasons. First, she had a major trauma to her body/brain. Inflammation does tend to occur after any trauma/surgery and that can cause pressure and symptoms. Second, she is likely on fairly large doses of medication, whether to keep blood pressure under control, anti-inflammatories, and especially pain medications. They can all contribute to these symptoms. I am sure they are keeping a close watch on her for any infections (something that can contribute to it as well). Finally, there is a correlation to being in the ICU itself where your body has a really hard time adjusting to the lack of a true day/night due to all the lights, noise/ beeping, activity, etc. You might notice the symptoms get worse right around sundown.
Please don't be afraid to ask the doctors and nurses what to expect with your mom. They cannot tell you definitively if there will be any residual issues, but they can at least let you know if the things you are seeing are expected after her surgery and how long they might last. If you notice things changing, PLEASE tell her doctors/providers. You know your mom best and family members can be the first people to notice a change that might be an issue that needs to be addressed.
And now...a reminder to get some rest and take care of YOU TOO!
Hugs,
A.