low mood pneumonia

[Frogzzz]

Hi,

My name is Adam I’m 35, I was taken by blue light ambulance to hospital mid November where they discovered I had very severe pneumonia, within one day I was fully sedated, and incubated with a tracheotomy in my throat, I finally woke up 3 weeks later after clearing the pneumonia, since then I’ve struggled with drop foot, shortness of breath and very low depressive moods, I’ve been out of hospital around 2 months now and am beating myself up for not being 100% work decided to sack me this week also as they couldn’t wait for me to get better! I was in probation period still, even though they loved me working there and praised me fully they said it’s best for the company.

my main question really is has anyone had similar to me, and does the depression and fatigue get better with time or is there something i should be doing? I do light exercise 3x a week and I’m waiting on talking therapy.

thank you all x

[Lux95]

Hi - yes, fatigue and depression do improve over time, but it does take time. You are younger than I am, so you may recover much more quickly, so don't let my story or anyone else's discourage you. However, it does take time. More than a couple of months. I too had severe pneumonia, ARDS, spent two weeks sedated, and had a tracheostomy. Sorry you had to go through it, and have lost your job. I did too. It really isn't fair, but that's the world we live in.

I and others here know what it is like, and how hard it is to explain to family and friends who have not been through it. It can be life changing, so the key is to make the most of what, if anything, has changed, be patient with yourself, and keep moving forward.

PICS is the clinical acronym for what you are experiencing: Post Intensive Care Syndrome, which includes the physical, cognitive, emotional and psychological impacts of an ICU stay, and any or all of these can be significant.

Exercise is definitely important, but it will take time and a lot of work to regain your previous strength and stamina. Eat healthy, and sleep as needed. Most of us found we needed a lot more sleep after an ICU stay. That too improves, but it has taken 3 years for me, but I am 60 now, so age makes a difference. Depression lasted most of the last 3 years, so it takes work to try to regain a general sense of happiness. For me, a new hobby has helped quite a bit.

Talking through your experience with a family member who was there with you, a counselor, or another ICU survivor can help quite a bit as well. You have been through an extremely traumatic event. Our bodies and minds take quite a while to cope with what has happened, on top of restoring previous abilities. There is no fast path to recovery, so be patient with yourself. Do you have family or friends that can help if needed?

[Sepsur]

it’s really early in your recovery - please be patient with yourself - we have all been to hell & back.

You are doing things that will aid your recovery - who knows how much & quickly you will improve - I am still improving - many years after ICU