Spatial disorientation

[muncii]

I was in an ICU for 3 weeks in December 2010 following a Boerhaave spontaneous rupture of the oesophagus. My lungs packed up so was on a ventilator; nil by mouth and liquid/tube fed; also had tracheotomy. I have only recently discovered this website having read about it in the Sunday Times. It has been a revelation that I am not the only one to have suffered delirium in ICU. I still get flashbacks of some of the more frightening aspects of my confusion. At the time, I was particularly upset by the spatial disorientation I was experiencing: I just could not 'read' the space around my bed and -only being able to look directly in front of me - the space between the end of my bed and the nursing station/rest of the ward. I'm not sure the staff were aware of these psychological problems, although they did look after my physical needs very well. I thought I was going mad.

[Offcut]

I was different, things seemed in proportion however people and places were all mixed up I had a session were I was thanked for helping out at a club and mixing the decks. But what really made me get confused was the fact that I questioned the fact and said "I cannot do that?" and I still cannot, also one of the hospitals I was in was next to the sea? But I was in Coventry and you cannot get much further away? It was not until I left ICU I thought about the fact I could not walk but was sure that some of my experiences had happened at some point as they were so real to me.