Her husband was not taken seriously in the emergency ward

Mr. Ristova presented to the emergency ward with severe headaches and was sent home with a diagnosis of "nerve tension". He suffered from severe headaches, high blood pressure and nausea for a week. After collapsing unconscious, he was flown by Rega to the nearest central hospital.

Mr. Ristova has lost many skills

Ms. Ristova has to support her husband in everyday life. This is shown, for example, by the fact that she has to prepare the food very carefully. The school-age son does not get any support from his father with his homework.

Mr. Ristova is very sad that he is no longer allowed to work in construction

Mr. Ristova lives with severe cognitive impairments and is not allowed to lift weights to reduce the risk of bleeding. His wife is grateful that he found employment in the sheltered workshop, as he would become depressed at home.

Ms. Ristova keeps blaming herself

When Mr. Ristova showed first symptoms, he reluctantly went to the emergency ward where he was sent away again. Only when the bleeding was so severe that he lost consciousness that he received proper treatment. Ms. Ristova still blames herself for not insisting on treatment earlier, even though everyone tells her how well she responded.

"Daddy has a headache"

It was difficult for the son to understand why his father's life was hanging by a thread, since he "only" had headaches. Even though he found mental support in his football club, he was getting worse and worse at school.

"I can't do everything on my own"

Ms. Ristova had two jobs, took care of the children and contributed to the household. Ms. Ristova is now responsible for everything on her own and describes how stressful her everyday life is.

Probably her husband suffered the brain haemorrhage due to the family disposition

The father of the affected person also had a brain haemorrhage. Now Ms. Ristova wonders if her children are also at risk.

Ms. Ristova needs more time for herself

Ms. Ristova is still looking for strategies to cope with her everyday life. She wishes she could reduce work in order to regain her strength.

Perception/insight of illness: Mr. Ristova feels healthier than he is perceived to be by those around him

Ms. Ristova reports that her husband is no longer working in his old job due to neurological deficits. This puts a lot of strain on him. He himself rates his state of health as good. The family doctor and the SUVA counselling see that Mr. Ristova needs to recover further before he is able to work again. At the time of the interview, he was working in a sheltered workshop in order to live in a regular daily rhythm.

"No, you are not allowed to remove the tubes"

Ms. Ristova's husband became severely delirious while in the intensive care unit. While trying to remove tubes and leave the hospital, he was given protective gloves by the nursing staff that restricted his movement.

Mr. Ristova did not want to go to hospital

Mr. Ristova hesitated to contact the emergency services. In other interview passages, Ms. Ristova says that she was then able to take him to the nearest emergency ward after all, where he was sent home with a diagnosis of "tension". He was only hospitalised when he lost consciousness.

Mr. Ristova was predicted to live with very many disabilities

During the acute phase, Mr. Ristova's life was acutely threatened. The doctors predicted a life with many physical limitations. Today, Mr. Ristova lives with his family again and can move everything. However, his mental abilities are limited.

Mr. Ristova was confused

Mr. Ristova had been in a coma during the acute phase and needed a tracheotomy to support respiratory function. When he woke up again, he could not speak because of the tube in his throat. Days later, his wife noticed how confused he was. Medical staff call such a clinical picture a "delirium".

Mr. Ristova needed protective gloves

Mr. Ristova was very confused in the first weeks after the coma and was looking for reasons to leave the hospital. It happens that patients try to remove vital cables or drains. For their own protection, they are given protective gloves or have their hands fixed to the bed. Fixation measures are in the area of tension between autonomy and care. On the one hand, they make therapy possible in the first place, on the other hand, they strengthen the urge to free oneself and break off the therapy. For relatives, it is often terrible to visit their loved ones in this area of tension.