Individuals living with a condition are often experts on their own condition

Mrs Brunner thought she had food poisoning

Mrs Brunner had a stroke. She just wanted to go to sleep because she had a headache, felt tired and was feeling sick. She didn’t go to the medical centre until a few days later.

Pain, loss of control and helplessness during an epileptic seizure

Ms Brunner describes an epileptic seizure that she was fully conscious of during consciously experienced, following after her stroke. The seizure was a distressing complication for her, accompanied by intense pain, a feeling of losing control and a profound sense of helplessness. These subjective experiences highlight the emotional and physical dimensions of such neurological sequelae.

Treatment, doctor’s appointments and a fixed daily routine

At the start of her recovery, Mrs Brunner attended physiotherapy and occupational therapy sessions regularly. She also had to visit her GP frequently to have blood tests. To give her day a fixed routine, she set her alarm for eight o’clock every morning and got up on time.

Ms Brunner benefited particularly from neuropsychological therapy

To regain her ability to work, Ms Brunner mainly underwent physiotherapy and neuropsychological treatment. As part of her neuropsychological treatment, she specifically trained the cognitive skills she needs for her day-to-day work – for example, when drawing up duty rosters.

Respect for privacy

When inserting a urinary catheter, the nurse in charge took particular care to ensure the patient’s privacy. She asked the doctor present to leave the room in order to give the patient more privacy.

The smell of disinfectant brings back memories of the intensive care unit

Ms Brunner recalls various impressions from her stay in the intensive care unit – including mental images she perceived with her eyes closed. The smell of disinfectants remains particularly vivid in her memory to this day, immediately reminding her of that time. As a qualified nurse, she also perceived her surroundings from a professional perspective and observed her environment through the eyes of a nurse.

Individuals living with a condition are often experts on their own condition

Ms Brunner felt belittled by the doctors treating her, as they assumed that, as a nurse from a different specialism, she ‘had no idea’ anyway.

“She explained it to me in a plausible way”

During the haematology consultation, Ms Brunner received detailed advice. This advice helped her to gain confidence in the treatment, despite her fears about the possible side effects of the prescribed medication.

From suspected food poisoning to emergency care

Mrs Brunner initially went to a local GP’s surgery because she thought she had food poisoning (see ‘Event’). When her condition worsened, her husband called the emergency services. On the phone, he had to insist that an ambulance be sent to their home, after the operator had initially advised them to see their GP the following day.

Expectations from the surrounding environment

Mrs Brunner finds it uncomfortable when people around her ask about her husband’s career or financial situation. At the same time, she sees an advantage in the fact that she goes out to work and her husband takes care of the household thanks to his disability insurance.

When exhaustion leads to tension

After a day at work, Mrs Brunner often feels overwhelmed and just wants some peace and quiet at home. This means that her husband sometimes feels neglected.

Depression as an invisible disability

Ms Brunner explains that she has been less emotionally stable since her stroke. As it is important to her to always give her best at work, she finds it distressing that such an invisible impairment dictates her daily life.

A balance between career reorientation and time off

Following her stroke, Ms Brunner was offered the opportunity to work in a nursing coordination role. She later returned to frontline nursing. As she now needs more rest periods than before, she decided to reduce her working hours to 80 per cent in order to have an extra day off.

Transparency in the workplace

At her new job, it was important to Ms Brunner to inform her manager about her medical history. During staff appraisals, she regularly asks for feedback on whether any issues have been noticed. She consistently delivers high-quality work.