Recovering from the ICU: A Survivor's Story

[@marissabronowski3789]

Wow what a powerful presentation. As an ICU survivor more health professionals need to listen to this.

[@funzosupport6922]

-< nearly 7 weeks on life support in ICU -> sepsis -> still recovering 2 years later

[@marybethleaton9105]

Every person that has any contact with an ICU patient should hear this!!!! Thank you for sharing it is very powerful!!!!!!

[@ke3wh]

I spent 20+ days in ICU. I had delirium and metabolic encephalopathy going at the same time. Hallucinations were constant. Sleep was difficult due to noise, paranoia, and the visions. In some of the vision, my wife had been contributing to my demise. I still have triggers that will make me think of the hallucinations.

[@peterd440]

I've been trying to cope with what happened to me and have been looking at videos about people's experience in ICU. I posted the following on another video. I still don't know how to cope. "I was in critical care in the UK. I was intubated because of status epilepticus. During my stay in hospital I had what I thought was a trial for murder, tortured and assaulted by medical staff. Everything seemed so real and I created whole worlds of delusion which seemed so real. Members of the government committed suicide in my mind. For so long afterwards I couldn't separate what was real from what wasn't. Afterwards I would say things to people thinking they had happened when they hadn't and I couldn't explain the immense distress this continued to cause me. I totally understand this man. I am still haunted by the havoc wreaked in my mind."

[@ke3wh]

Peter D after 8 months I can finally say it’s not in my daily thinking any longer. I wrote down everything I seen, and let my wife read it. This seemed to help her understand what I went though. Get help to cope if you need to. Don’t exclude your family, they need to understand too

[@shannonturner5994]

Thanks so much. I though I was alone in having ptsd from my icu stay. I had a pe and lost bloodflow to my brain. I was intubated and woke up on a vent. This was a result of previous health care professional's misdiagnosis. I was terrified and delirious and didn't trust my team. I thought they were tryingto hurt me. Nobody explained the delirium or paranoia extensively and I thought I was being punished. I was and still am paralyzed on the right arm and this made it so much more difficult. This really helped me in my healing. I was 27 when I went through this. Its bee 2 years and I am still healing from the injury, illness and icu delirium. I really thought I was alone. Thank you so much.

[@hahna77]

You were. Modern medicine is clueless on true healing. They do more harm than good. No one should be fed through intubation, EVER! It's counterproductive. Fasting is key to healing.

[@SoniCido]

This is very helpful in my research for a book I'm writing. I've never been in ICU but I have been in many horrible hospital situations. No health issue is ever positive, but striving for balance between good experiences, and bad experiences, is so important. We all know, as long as humans are in charge, there will never be an overall positive experience for a critically ill patient, but there can be more positive ones that in the past and education is key.

[@maritsaltrones4298]

I had to discover ICU PTSD on my own after two stays. I kept the delirium to myself because I feared institutionalization. I was crazy and I knew it. Fortunately my PCP understood when I began talking about it. She reached out to colleagues and one sent an excellent letter of encouragement and reality. Along with print materials explaining what was going on in my head. I believe all ICU patients should be interviewed to identify therapy needs. I lost over a year of my life to delirium that continues to this day, though moderated by understanding. Thank you for this talk!

[@WindTurbineSyndrome]

Horrifying. So sorry you had to experience this.

[@JanetMurphy-qv7rs]

I was in icu after an operation I had bad post op delirium I was hallucinating I thought all of the Dr and nurse were killing me x

[@johnalbers6422]

Christ, considering the torture done to her I think I'm going to get a directive to deny ICU admittance. Death isn't so bad by comparison.

[@kmoorer74]

+John Albers You may have a point however, the reason we are here is to learn lessons. We don't know joy until we endure pain. This situation is very traumatic for those that experience it. Im 41 and had an unexpected ruptured AAA. I glad to have survived, as most patients don't, but the flashbacks I have from the experience is dreadful. The medicine doesn't help and it seems to be something I have to live with. I also wonder, are there people out there that are experiencing memory problems?

[@johnalbers6422]

If you're talking about the reason we are here on this planet, we'll have to agree to disagree. Pain can be a teacher in those of us not bright enough to learn from the plights of others, but chronic pain, trauma, and the vast array of things we are told to just live with are ultimately greater hindrances than help. Nevertheless, you have my sympathies for having gone through things no one should have to go through. It is a hellish spot to be in: knowing you'll likely die if you don't agree to the treatment, and that if you do agree you still might die, but this time a bit slower, thoroughly violated, and saddled with a debt that will bankrupt loved ones. Should you live, the debt is still there, as is a headful of nightmares to deal with for the rest of your life, sometimes making you wish you'd just said no and kicked the bucket before anyone got to you to contradict your wishes the instant you lost consciousness.

[@kmoorer74]

+John Albers I understandably see your point. I understand that many people don't have the best insurance (if they have insurance at all) and most don't save up for rainy days but in all honesty, being that I have gone through a trauma I had absolutely no control over, there are lessons that I've learned and still learning. The grief of loosing control over things once took for granted gives you a totally different outlook on the meaning of life. But I truely understand your point. I once thought the same thing. Anyway, thanks for your well wishes and best wishes to you.

[@shellyscorner]

I don't know how many times I've been intubated now, fortunately I haven't had the delirium, but YES, I too have had memory related issues!

[@dmorgan6503]

i totally agree with you. i had an ER doctor send me away from the emergency room late evening on a friday, sunday afternoon at an after hout clinic they said i had advance pnmonia said to go back to hospital and demand to be admited, well i was septic at that point they took me right in. 38 days later i came out of hospital spent 2 weeks in coma on ventilator had to learn to walk and eat again have cogantive issues, muscle and joint issues. icu was a nightmare. there are good people working in the hospitals but there are alot of bad ones if i ever get sick like that again i will stay home and die in my own bed that hospital shit broke me mentally

[@fromme93]

occupational therapy are skilled in providing assitive devices and preparing the client for home

[@fromme93]

as well as addressing sleep and psychosocial implications of being in the icu

[@alysagramlich4087]

@@fromme93 my mother has been in hospital for 25 days now due to P.R.E.S ....she was put on vent due to seizures and now has Trach...her mental status changes by the hour....not one Dr has spoken to us about delirium...now she has had no pain meds sedation or anything for about 2 weeks besides when they trach and peg her.. she is also horrible insomniac and in pain management for 15 yrs...they just started pt and ot the other day and taught us how to do it (3x a day) and haven't been back since...I keep asking them what they do to address her fears and emotional state, they said they will cut back on seizure meds...she's so sad and just shut down, ignore me drs and nurses...when we ask her if she is ignoring us she will shake her head yes...she's confused...not one dr has mentioned delirium once. But hearing icu patient testimony makes a lot more sense...I kept feeling at one moment she was calm , lucid, after a nurse did suction and she finished coughing her head off , all of a sudden she wouldn't look at me ,tried to pretend to be asleep, even got the strength to pull her arm and hand away from mine ...she looked terrified..the more I tried to soothe her the higher her BP went , respiration, etc...so I left for an hour...I certainly don't want to do anything but get her the hell out of there!! Thank you for all this info ..Any advice welcome

[@anonymous678]

The ICU can be a place to do a murder. See my youtube item - "Medical Murder clip - final added note". On this day a year ago I buried my wife and chanced upon this youtube item today, about what a person could go through in an ICU setting even if one is being handled by caring and skilled professionals. What is it that makes humans do harm to others?

[@WindTurbineSyndrome]

So scary, who knew this was a thing? Oh we saved your life but you will have PTSD and not be the same after but who cares long as the bill was paid. Eek