Recovery from pneumonia and being in intensive care

[Samcork230471]

Hi everyone back in the beginning of March I was very poorly, I am a brittle asthmatic so do not have the best of health anyway, my day was a normal day and in the afternoon I began to feel quite wheezy and breathless it resulted in me having to be blue lighted to hospital and 3 days later I remembered feeling very strange and thinking what sort of dream is this, and then there was my mum!! Telling me how very very ill I had been, I had pneumonia and had no symptoms until that day when my chest was bad, my husband said that the Drs kept asking him how long had I had the flu and he had replied she hasn't had the flu!! He also said that just didn't know how to treat it as medication they were giving me was not working.

I was discharged from hospital a few days later and suffered such anxiety and worry about coming home and 4 months on I just cannot get my head around things, I spoke with a hospital physologist who was very supportive and made a difference, but I still get very very tired, my memory is not the best ( and it used to be sharp) and although I am much better still do not feel well if that makes sense, I am normally a confident person and my husband said that he could see how I had lost my confidence slightly, I feel quite depressed about life at times not all the time but would just like to try and put this all behind me and enjoy life as I am not feeling it at the moment.

Please help!!

Thank you for reading. Hope it wasn't too boring!!!

Sam.

[Luckyone]

Hi Sam,

What you're describing is quite normal for someone who has been through such a traumatic experience, being admitted to ICU is something you can never prepare yourself for, having spent 3 months in ICU four and half years ago I can understand your feelings of anxiety after discharge, the memories of ICU, the noises, smells, bad dreams and the fears we often have of the illness returning.

It's still very early days for you and I can say things do get better with time but you must allow yourself time to recover.

I was never an over confident person but now I've spoken at conferences and to healthcare professionals about my time in ICU and subsequent recover post ICU, it's my way of giving something back.

ICUsteps have a number of local support groups around the country run by ex-patients & healthcare professionals which can offer great support as they understand what you've been through as they've been through it to, all details are available on the website at icusteps.org.

Best wishes on your continued recover from a community that's always here to support you.

Bill

[Samcork230471 in reply to Luckyone]

Bill

Thank you for taking the time to reply to me, it is very comforting to read your words and know that it is early days, I guess as I have children and being a brittle asthmatic when I have been ill before with my asthma I would.cone out of hospital virtually a new person, with huge energy, happiness and excitement almost, but this has not been the case but this has not just been asthma, although very happy to be alive I struggle with life, I know exactly what you mean about icu I visited the staff not long after being discharged and looked at the bed I was in and wanted desperately to see the nurses who looked after me but they were all on different shifts so i was unable to thank them personally.

I will have a look on the website, thank you again.

Sam

[eddie1968]

All very normal experiences of ICU treatment. I spent a month in a coma whilst being ventilated for Acute Respiratory Failure. It took me a year to recover physically and about 2 years for the psychological effects to wear off. I took the positives out of my life threatening experiences like I am still alive, less anxious and more empathetic towards people and enjoy life in general. I am sure given time you will move on from your illness but you have to put it behind you or you will never move on. I am not saying forget it as I never will but you have to be positive and treat it as a learning experience. Best wishes, Edward.