Ms. Anna A. learns that she has been intubated when the physician tells her in an explanatory conversation 6 months after her discharge from the intensive care unit.

La signora Anna A. viene a sapere di essere stata intubata quando il medico glielo dice in una conversazione esplicativa 6 mesi dopo la sua dimissione dal reparto di terapia intensiva.

E: Per fortuna ho un ottimo ricordo del soggiorno in terapia intensiva anche se/anche se io avrei preferito non doverci andare. Considerando tutto quello che è successo dopo, sì, un ottimo ricordo. E poi direi che sono stata ricevuta dal professore responsabile della terapia intensiva sei mesi dopo per una piccola valutazione e lì sono andata con mio fratello che mi era molto vicino // beh che mi è ancora molto vicino // e lì ci ha spiegato cosa era successo. E lì ho scoperto cose che non ricordavo o di cui forse non ero consapevole in quel momento. Sono stata sorpresa di apprenderle.
I: Per esempio?
E: Ti ricordi che sei stata intubata? E no, non ricordavo affatto di essere stato intubata. Ora non ricordo. Ancora non mi ricordo. Beh, ora posso dirlo perché la gente me lo dice, ma non me lo ricordo. Questo è tutto.

La signora Anna A scopre dopo con il suo medico che è stata intubata.

Frau Anna A. erfährt, dass sie intubiert wurde, als der Arzt ihr dies 6 Monate nach ihrer Entlassung aus der Intensivstation in einem erklärenden Gespräch mitteilt.

E: Zum Glück habe ich den Aufenthalt auf der Intensivstation in sehr guter Erinnerung, obwohl auch ich es vorgezogen hätte, nicht dorthin zu müssen. Wenn man bedenkt, was danach alles passiert ist, ja, eine sehr gute Erinnerung. Und dann, würde ich sagen, wurde ich sechs Monate später von der Professorin, die für die Intensivstation zuständig war, zu einer kleinen Untersuchung empfangen, und dort ging ich mit meinem Bruder hin, der mir sehr nahe stand // nun, der mir immer noch sehr nahe steht // und dort erklärte sie uns, was passiert war. Dabei entdeckte ich Dinge, an die ich mich nicht erinnerte oder die mir damals vielleicht nicht bewusst waren. Ich war überrascht, das zu erfahren.
I: Zum Beispiel?
E: Können Sie sich daran erinnern, dass Sie intubiert wurden? Und nein, ich konnte mich nicht daran erinnern, dass ich überhaupt intubiert war. Jetzt weiß ich es nicht mehr. Ich weiß es immer noch nicht. Nun, jetzt kann ich es sagen, weil die Leute es mir sagen, aber ich kann mich nicht daran erinnern. Das war's.

Frau Anna A. erfährt später von ihrem Arzt, dass sie intubiert worden ist.

Mme Anna A. découvre qu'elle a été intubée lorsque le médecin le lui dit lors de la visite des six mois suivant sa sortie de l'unité de soins intensifs.

E: Par bonheur je garde un excellent souvenir du séjour aux soins intensifs bien que / même que j’aurais préféré ne pas avoir à y aller. Compte tenu de tout ce qui s’est passé après, oui un très bon souvenir. Et alors je dirais, j’ai été reçue par la professeur en charge des soins intensifs six mois après pour un petit bilan et là j’y suis allé avec mon frère qui était très proche de moi // enfin qui est toujours d’ailleurs très proche de moi // et là elle nous a expliqué ce qui c’était passé. Et là j’ai quand même découvert des choses dont je me souvenais pas ou j’étais peut-être pas consciente à ce moment-là. Ça, ça m’a étonnée de l'apprendre.
I: Par exemple?
E: Est-ce que vous vous souvenez que vous étiez intubée? Et non je me souvenais pas du tout que j’étais intubée. Là j’ai pas de souvenir. J’ai toujours pas le souvenir. Bon maintenant je peux le dire parce qu’on me la dit, mais je me souvenais pas de ça. Voilà.

Mme Anna A découvre après-coup avec son médecin qu'elle a été intubée.

E: Luckily I have a great memory of the ICU stay although / even I wish I hadn't had to go. Considering everything that happened afterwards, yes a very good memory. And then I would say, I was received by the professor in charge of the intensive care six months later for a small assessment and there I went with my brother who was very close to me // well who is still very close to me // and there she explained to us what had happened. And there I discovered things that I didn't remember or maybe I wasn't aware of at the time. I was surprised to learn that.
I: For example?
E: Do you remember that you were intubated? And no, I didn't remember that I was intubated at all. Now I don't remember. I still don't remember. Well, now I can say it because they tell me, but I didn't remember that. That's it.

Ms. Anna A. later learns from her doctor that she has been intubated.

Our interviewees often have to deal with memory gaps. Their descriptions are a mixture of what they experienced themselves,what is added afterwards by relatives or team members, or feelings/emotions to which they give words afterwards. Regardless of these limitations, it is important to note that these memories represent real experiences for the patient.

Forgetting: remembering with the help of other people.

With the technical and medical possibilities on intensive care a patient can be able to survive life-threatening illnesses. These experiences of critical illness and intensive care medicine are challenging for patients and families. Often experiences made on intensive care unit (ICU) can be life changing.
In small video- or audio-sequences we would like to illustrate the experiences made by patients on ICU and how they handled their stay in this critical situation.
Many patients share their experiences on intensive care unit and show how these experiences influenced their life.

Grazie alle possibilità mediche e tecniche offerte dalla terapia intensiva, oggi un paziente può sopravvivere a malattie gravi e precedentemente mortali. L’esperienza di queste gravi condizioni di salute e l’esperienza della terapia intensiva possono cambiare la vita in modo radicale, sia ai pazienti che ai loro cari.

In questa sezione potete scoprire come altre persone hanno vissuto il loro tempo in un’unità di terapia intensiva. In brevi video o estratti di testo, i pazienti raccontano la loro permanenza in terapia intensiva, il modo in cui hanno gestito questo periodo delle loro vite, ed il modo in cui questa esperienza li ha cambiati.

Esperienze in terapia intensiva

Les possibilités médicales et techniques permettent de plus en plus souvent aux patients de survivre à des maladies graves et autrefois mortelles. L’expérience par les patients de ces maladies graves et de leur prise en charge médicale en soins intensifs peuvent changer la vie d’une manière très mémorable.

Dans cette section, vous découvrirez comment d’autres personnes ont vécu leur séjour dans une unité de soins intensifs. Dans de courts extraits vidéo ou textuels, les patients rendent compte de leur séjour à l’unité de soins intensifs. Ils témoignent également des changements qui peuvent se produire dans la vie d’une personne après les soins intensifs.

Expérience en médecine de soins intensifs

Die heutigen medizinischen und technischen Möglichkeiten lassen Patient*innen schwere und lebensbedrohliche Erkrankungen überstehen. Die Erfahrung einer so schweren Erkrankung, die eine intensivmedizinischen Behandlung benötigt, kann das Leben sehr einprägsam verändern.

Wie andere Menschen die Zeit auf einer Intensivstation erlebt haben, können Sie in dieser Sektion erfahren. In kurzen Video- oder Textausschnitten berichten Patient*innen und Angehörige,  über die Erfahrungen einer schweren oft lebensbedrohlichen Erkrankung und einer Behandlung auf einer Intensivstation. Ebenso können Sie erfahren, mit welchen Veränderungen die Betroffenen sich nach der Zeit auf der Intensivstation auseinandersetzen.

Erfahrungen Intensivmedizin

Experiences in Intensive Care

Mrs. Anna A was aware that she was hallucinating and was trying to maintain a sense of reality.

Hallucinations, I saw myself in a dark cave, yes, images like that.  Sometimes yes, caves with branches, earth, dark and suddenly a yellow or bright red fluorescent light.  And then I had to close my eyes and open them again to tell myself no, there's nothing like that, you're just in the hospital in intensive care, you're getting your ceiling back. That's it...

Mrs. Anna A talks about her hallucinations.

Many patients report experiences that can be associated with hallucinations and confusion. These  memories are often present for months after hospitalization.

Delusion/hallucination/ dreams/anxiety.

Ms Anna A. was very tired during her stay in the intensive care unit. She was particularly disturbed by the noise and the light, but she also received a lot of care from the nursing staff.

So I remember the time that passed at first very slowly, an immense tiredness, the impression of not understanding what was happening to me. And then the noise, the light that was very strong. And at the beginning, too, when I was under morphine, well, that was unpleasant for me because I started having hallucinations and I couldn't stand that.And then the fact of lying in bed all the time and then (almost) not being able to move, that was difficult.  

I: Do you have a more specific, practical example where you felt that way? 

E:Yes, already the fact that I had to be washed, for example, completely, or, that's it, I couldn't get up. So I was in bed and the nurses had to wash me. That was a bit difficult; well, they did it very well, it was admirable and they really did everything to not make me feel indebted or whatever; well, very well, but for me it was difficult. And the other thing that was also difficult was the heat and the thirst. So I couldn't drink, I was thirsty, that was difficult. And the heat, I was always hot.

Mrs. Anna A. remembers the noise, the lights, the fatigue and her helplessness.

Patients generally have a good impression of the clinical team, which they consider professional and very active. They are often confused about what is going on, and tired because of the severity of their illness. Noise and lights may bother them, but they usually feel safe in this intensive care unit.

Anna A.

Ms. Anna A. later learns from her doctor that she has been intubated.

Video Interview

Related experiences

Other experiences by Anna A.

Anna A.