Struggling after emergency surgery

[dippy111]

Hi everyone I had emergency surgery in December for a blocked intestine I don’t remember much so assume i was in and out of consciousness I was in intensive care for 7 days then moved to a ward it was only then that I knew what had happened to me. I was on the ward for 3 days and then rushed back to Intensive care to this day i dont know why. My recovery is slow and I am finding it hard to come to terms with I hate the scar and i am having difficulty remembering things - i was also very abusive when i woke up in icu is this normal?

[Sepsur]

Hi dippy111

It very unsettling critical illness.

Not remember things around that time are normal as are forgetting things from before & since.

Some of the sedatives used in ICU cause retrograde & anterograde amnesia.

Many people are aggressive when coming around too - it goes hand in hand with hyperactive delirium

[Grant_za in reply to Sepsur]

I agree with Sepsur above.My mother underwent emergency admission to an ER two years ago.

As a direct result of a lack of timely surgical intervention, she went into cardiac arrest and died in the ER.

Intestinal obstruction does not really sound as serious as it actually is.

The obstruction usually results in swelling of the abdominal area. The swelling creates significant internal pressure on the lungs then heart.

Without wishing to diminish your current anguish and suffering, this is extensive and complicated surgery, usually including a stay in ICU, as well as breathing support via mechanical ventilation - and the risks that go with that.

I'm happy you got through this ordeal and survived - my own mother did not.

In fact my very first post on this forum is an account on the events of the day of my mother's death in the ER.

[TaIaV]

Hello Dippy111

Your unease is very understandable. You were too ill to be in control or even fully aware during the hospital stay. You are not feeling fully like yourself yet and the scar is an unwelcome addition.

I trust that reading the experience of others is helping you realize how normal all that is. that surely will not make it more pleasant, but at least you know that you are not alone and that time will heal much or all of this.

I'm sure that you are doing all the things that the doctors have said to do for recovery. The recovery will take its course. The only thing over which you have control is your expectations about it. Try to lower those expectations. Note the small incremental improvements with gratitude. Definitely have a vision of how great full recovery will feel but tap into whatever gives you serenity and patience day to day: Music, deep breathing, nature, a pet, etc.

Wishing you all the best,

Taia

[FamilyHistorian]

Like others have said what you have experienced is not unusual.To find out more, especially if you didn’t have an ICU diary, you can request your hospital records. Once you have them, and you are ready to read them, they should explain a lot and identify the care you had.

I suffered psychologically as well and had a course of CBT which helped me. There are other forms of help.

As to your scars …… we have to manage them not them manage us. I treat my trachy scar, which is most obvious, as a medal wear it with pride. I have loads of other scars some are more pronounced than others and obviously visibility depends on what I am wearing or not!!! I’m lucky whilst I am no adonis I don’t have body issues I am who I am and after time they do fade.

[Copse77]

Sorry to hear of your experience. You have been though a lot. Here is some information and advice that you might find helpful from other patients experiences. readingicusupport.co.uk/for...

Best wishes for your continued recovery.