Clau C.
Experiences in Intensive Care
Age 80
The 80-year-old husband accompanied his wife over many months and various ICUs and hospital stays. Every day he has taken the road to support her in her difficult time and to be there for her as her friend and partner.
Other experiences
Oskar O.
Mr. Oskar O., a pensioner, was admitted to the intensive care unit and had to be put on artificial respiration for a short time. After this experience, he became aware once again of the importance of being able to live his life in an autonomous way.
Petra P.
For more than 6 months, Mrs. Petra P. was treated in different intensive care units and in rehabilitation. She somewhat forgot about these stays. With a lot of effort and patience, she was able to return home and lead an independent life. She found great support from her husband and family.
Quentin Q.
Mr. Quentin Q was in ICU for a week, including 3 days on mechanical ventilation and in an induced coma. He remembers the care team but also moments of hallucinations where he saw different people when it was not possible. The COVID environment only allowed him to communicate with his wife by phone. He understood later that the situation had been very distressing for her.
Anonymus 1
This person wishes to remain anonymous.
Anonymus 2
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Tabea T.
Tabea T. remembers little of her 2 ½ week stay in intensive care. Dream and reality mix up her memories. Perhaps a visit to the intensive care unit would help her to deal with the time she spent there.
Anonymus 3
This person wishes to remain anonymous.
Anonymus 4
This person wishes to remain anonymous.
Anonymus 5
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Yvonne Y.
Yvonne Y. spent many hours in the intensive care unit to accompany her father during the weeks of serious illness. She vividly describes the emotional ups and downs of the time. She would have liked to see professional support from the team or a psychologist for patients and relatives during this critical time in an intensive care unit.
Zaccharia Z.
Mr. Zaccharia Z. was intubated and placed in an induced coma immediately upon arrival at the hospital. When he woke up, it took him a while to understand what was going on. He thought for a moment that he had been kidnapped. The care in the ICU for him seemed very professional. He notes, however, that his discharge from the hospital could have been better accompanied.
Anna A.
Ms Anna A. never thought that her elective surgery would go so badly that she would have to go through another emergency operation and end up intubated in an artificial coma in ICU. She could have died. She also felt a discomfort in using all these sophisticated and expensive ICU health services when the surgical procedure she had agreed to do was originally a simple intervention.
Alain A.
Mr. Alain A. does not remember his transfer to the hospital. During the two weeks of artificial coma, he remembers that he could hear the doctors and nurses but was unable to speak himself. His awakening was long and restless. It was reported that when he heard his family's voices over the phone, he moved his hands and his heart rate slowed.
Béatrice B.
Ms Beatrice B. remained in intensive care for 1 month, including 3 weeks in an induced coma following postoperative complications. In the patient’s perspective the postoperative complications were the cause for near-bankruptcy of her business but she is grateful to the ICU team for her survival.
Dante D.
Mr. Dante D.'s worsening health condition required his hospitalization for mechanical ventilation and artificial coma. He says that his professional experience was helpful in understanding and managing his experiences in the ICU. The fact that contact with loved ones was severely limited during the pandemic was an additional stressor for him in this critical situation.
Charles C.
Mr. Charles C. had a short stay in the intensive care unit (3 days). He was sedated with morphine for pain management and relief of shortness of breath but was not in a comatose state. He compared this stay to a previous one-month hospitalization in the ICU in 2012.
Deborah D.
When Mrs. Deborah D. learned that her mother had been admitted to the intensive care unit as an emergency case after resuscitation, she was shocked. She and her brother knew that their mother did not want to be intubated and kept artificially in a vegetative state. They were unsure if they had made the right decision. Mrs. D also wondered what her mother might be feeling. Her mother then explained that she had never said that she did not want to be resuscitated, but only that she did not want to be kept alive artificially in case of a vegetative state.
Evelyne E.
Ms. Evelyn E. can no longer remember exactly when she was admitted to the intensive care unit. It all happened very quickly. When she woke up after the two weeks in the coma, she was very confused. She reports feelings of anger, questions or apologies, and the importance of communication in the ICU.
Fabio F.
Mr. Fabio F. lives alone and has his fragile health well under control. He tries to avoid hospitalization as much as possible. He came to the intensive care unit because he had lost control. He was sedated but not put into an induced coma. He compares those three days in the ICU to an earlier stay of one month in 2012. The stories are intertwined.
Georges G.
Mr. Georges G. was admitted to the intensive care unit due to an accident. The diagnosis was difficult, with many twists and turns. In the end, he stayed in the ICU for only 4 days without being intubated or going into a coma. The memories of what he experienced, the ICU and the hospital team are precise.
Henri H.
Mr. Henri H. was admitted to the intensive care unit for an acute illness requiring that he be placed in an induced coma and artificially ventilated. He recalls nightmares and a confused state that were distressing to him. The ICU stay was long, difficult. However, when he was able to draw again, a big step towards recovery was made. Two months of treatment in the intensive care unite was followed by six months of rehabilitation, which allowed the patient to resume his daily life.
Igor I.
White light and unclear memories accompany Mr. Igor I.. After a serious traffic accident he was treated in the intensive care unit for 3 weeks. Various operations were performed. To share these experiences in the intensive care unit with the need for ventilation, strong medication and restrictions in individuality he would like to make a film.
Johanna J.
Mrs. Johanna J., a single mother, had to be admitted to the intensive care unit as an emergency case. With acute shortness of breath, she was dependent on ventilation and intensive medical treatment for many weeks. A lot of patience was needed to cope with this long time on equipment, helplessness and subsequent rehabilitation. She found great support in her family and children.
Klaus K.
Due to his life-threatening illness and the multiple surgeries that were required, Mr. Klaus K. had to be put on long-term ICU ventilation. He still remains impatient and saddened by the little progress he has made. The road back to independent living is exhausting and long.
Lena L.
Ms. Lena L. accompanied her partner through a serious neurological illness that resulted in a stay in an intensive care unit and rehabilitation. She recorded her partner's time in an induced coma and the many unusual experiences that followed in a diary.
Markus M.
A great trust in God and the support of his wife and friends helped Mr. Markus M. while he had to be treated in the intensive care unit. One thing that particularly impressed him was the excellent teamwork in the clinic and rehabilitation. That's why he wants to share his ICU experience with others and the team.
Nikola N.
Mrs. Nikola N. was treated in the intensive care unit after a major surgery. What bothered her most were the many "tubes" and "drains" which caused her pain. She also remembered a great feeling of thirst and phases of inner restlessness.
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