Who wrote in your patient diary and how did it he... - ICUsteps
Who wrote in your patient diary and how did it help you fill the missing time from your critical illness?
My family and friends who visited me when I was in Intensive Care. I have read through their posts so many times and put together a timeline which was missing from my memory.
I have absolutely no memory of my critical illness but only what was written and spoken to me. I have felt guilty about what my illnesses put my close family through especially after reading what had been put down in my Patient Diary. But, I am so pleased that everyone allowed to visit me wrote something. That made me feel so wanted and cherished.
I was in ICU after giving birth. It was a midwife that started a little diary for my daughter, but unfortunately my poor husband was far too busy with me, the little one and all the stress, to find the time to complete it. I was in ICU for 4 days, but only unconscious for 3 of them, so I didn't miss out on too much!
My wife & daughter wrote a diary for me in the hope I would survive and be able to read it, I have read it many times, it covers the 53 days I have no memory of pieceing together what must have been the worst time in my families lives, I spent a total of 88 days in ICU from 18th December 2010 to 15th March 2011 and still feel guilty of what they went through.
88 days??? That's incredible! I'm so glad your family kept a diary for you, it must be an incredibly difficult but touching thing to read!
It was very emotional reading the diary but it helped piece together the missing weeks and made me realise how close It came to me not being here, the nurses encouraged my wife to keep the diary which not only focused on me but also the thoughts of my family and how they felt during that traumatic time in all our lives.
I didn't have a diary as such but the nurses wrote personal things in my notes and it helped to know who had visited me and how I had been cared for. I would have really liked a diary to help me piece the days together and make sense of my experience.
My family didn't keep a diary of my time in ICU and I'm not sure that this was something that was mentioned to them at the time. I wish they had , but understand it would have been difficult for them at such a distressing time. My husband was trying to keep our two little boys lives as normal as possible which he knew was what I would have wanted, I think he would have struggled to fit in the time to write a diary..
I have one - thanks to my partner. I still read it a year on, and it was invaluable in piecing together that missing month.
I had a diary while I was in one hospital ICU which was started by my nurses and family added notes. I have read it many times as it was a time I was in a coma for 12 days. The extra 20 days I was concious of sorts and in a different hospital ICU no diary was made or offered. However I did request my medical notes which I found allowed me to see my path and realise how ill I was.
I wish someone had written a diary for me. I want to know everything. It helps my anxiety to know.
