I was in 2 grade 3 (there is no grade 1 or 2, grade 3 usually ends in a vegetive state or death) Comas with Sepsis, pneumonia, Mrsa and kidney failure. I was given a 1-2% survival rate, my family were told I was going to die. It’s now 4 months since I came home and I’m slowly recovering. I’ve been left with short term memory loss, which I’ve been told will most likely be permanent, but that’s a small price to pay. I have just been diagnosed with PTSD, with severe depression and severe anxiety. I can’t take any medication, that’s part of the PTSD. However I will be starting cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) soon so I’m hoping that helps the PTSD. I’ve also joined various groups on Facebook for Sepsis and ITU. Sometimes it helps to talk to others that have been through similar experiences. Sepsis really is the gift that keeps on giving.....unfortunately! However it’s all a small price to pay, considering. I wish everyone well in their continued recoveries x
2 grade 3 Comas with Sepsis, pneumonia, Mrsa and ... - ICUsteps
2 grade 3 Comas with Sepsis, pneumonia, Mrsa and kidney failure and now PTSD.
Hi Tessa, I believe most of us who've spent a long time in ICU suffer from PTSD to some degree. There are probably many ways of dealing with it on an individual basis. I wasn't officially diagnosed with PTSD, but I'm pretty sure I was suffering from it. I worked my way through it by writing down the dreams I remembered, turning them into a story.
Happy New Year to you, and here's to continued health and improvement!
I totally agree with you. I think all of us suffer from PTSD after such trauma. That’s a great idea about writing the dreams down. I have to admit, I’ll be glad to forget my Coma dreams, they were terrifying. Happy new year to you too 😊
I hope what I say you won't take offence too. But I have seen you about obviously and you mention on most posts I have seen, most details of why you ended up in a coma. I think you have to try and move forward and not concentrate on why you ended up so poorly and celebrate surviving and what you can do on a daily basis and once you are physically and mentally on an even keel then you won't feel so entrapped by what you went through. Others in our lives will never have an inclining what we have been through (thank god) but at the moment you seem to be letting it take control of your daily life ... I am not having a go here just hoping I can make you realise this experience will make you stronger and appreciate the smallest of things in a way we are the lucky ones to go through it as we makes the most of life 😀
Thank you for the comment. I should have explained that I was terminally ill BEFORE the Comas. For me there are definitely significant positives that came out of my Comas, most importantly I’m alive and Please God I stay that way. I am so incredibly grateful that I survived Sepsis, unfortunately my sister wasn’t so lucky. She was just 33.
Aww that's awful so sorry for your loss. Are you still having treatment then for what was happening before the coma, and if so I hope it's working x I hope I can give you some faith by telling you this but I had liver failure for 2 and half years after my coma I did have before it as well I had a transplant just over a year ago the NHS will not give up on you if you are not giving up I know it's so traumatic everything we go through and it will stay with you for the rest of your life I really hope the cognitive therapy treatment works for you I do know a few who it has 😁
Hi Tessa,
I hope all your treatment goes well, thankfully, up until today, I have shown no signs of PTSD( and I’m not wishing to experience it so that I can join the gang either 🤣🤣) It is 16mon since I left hospital. The staff told me that it would be 3yrs before I was back to normal. With the gift of 20/20 hindsight - I’ll know for sure - but at present I can understand what they meant. 12 days to recover from everyday in ICU.
The things I have learnt, the life lessons - critical illness is a humbler.
Cognitive processes are complex too, I had no idea that the brain stored trauma in a different way to other memories. That ‘talking them out’ isn’t necessarily the answer because all I do is relive the episode - never managing to release myself.
I hope your CBT works for you, I believe a therapy that uses light is very effective too.
Good health for 2018.
Hi Tessa, I hope you get through this. PTSD hit me nearly two years later after coma. 4 months into therapy and I feel so much better. If you are strong enough please find a ICU steps group as they are amazing. The nurses are so good to talk to and sharing experiences with other patients helped my recovery so much. Good luck and please stay positive as it does get better.
Liver And kidney failure and pneumonia
can’t get this out of my head 
What Helped You?
I am scared of going back to hospital. 
