Life after ICU and corvid19 19

[SANDY2016]

I'm 40and work in care sector I've just come out of hospital after two weeks in intensive care with corvid19 and been on a coat machine terrible experience and was told I may die .
Has anybody had my experience?I've come home to have to find my own mental health support to no aftercare at all I got very basic physio in hospital and that's it told could take weeks to recover, I feel lost constantly tired struggling the mental health support is great but I'm disgusted I've had to sort this for myself and apart from GP signing me off work boomf that's it nothing I know and very grateful to NHS but feel let down no after support at all

CPAP machine

I hope someone comes along soon - I can't even imagine what you have been through.
Shocking that you have received such poor support. I think it goes without saying that you are suffering from trauma.
Do you have supportive people around you at home?

Hi Sandy2016 I can’t say that I have a shared experience but just wanted to say a huge well done for beating that nasty virus and that I hope you continue to recover well. So sorry to hear that you feel unsupported it must feel quite a lonely place after all you’ve been through. Hopefully someone will come along soon who may be able to share some wise words but sending you very warm wishes for your continued recovery

I do kind off but not many friends really and mum very much talk to your councilling person I'd love to speak to someone in similar position as only then can they understand what auful things I have heard and seen in hospital and I've got no underlying health issues apart from been ABIT chubby it came on so quickly and nearly dieing is so scary thanks for kind words

You’ve done brilliantly Hope you go from strength to strength every day.
Post ICU trauma is incredibly common so you are not alone. Sleep deprivation, monitoring, bright lights, strange noises 24/7 can really traumatise you so some of what you are experiencing is ‘normal’ -not minimising your experience but sometimes it helps to know that what you’re going through is not uncommon.
Add to that the PPE required by ICU staff and some of what was happening around you, being isolated from your family and it’s bound to have had an impact.
Depending on where you are in the country, it’s worth contacting the patient liaison team at the hospital to see if there’s anything they can signpost you to.
Now that the initial challenge of getting people safely treated for COVID is becoming more manageable, there are moves to address the trauma that patients and families have gone through. I really hope you feel supported going forward

Thanks I'm guessing u maybe a NHS worker there is no post corvid19 support nothing silch I know it takes time but I'm worried how long will I be ill for,should they be checking me for organ damage and is the headaches nausea on occasion s and breathlessness after activity normal I could cry

Sandy give your own GP a call again in the morning. They’ll give you a callback to chat through your symptoms. I’m a nurse so have had a number of friends and colleagues who’d had COVID. The recovery time can be weeks. Your body has had a huge trauma. Keep asking for help until you get it.

Maybe the lungs threads they have been similar but mostly not icu a couple hospitalised.
It sounds awful.
Everyone seems to want to ignore how awful covid can be for even young people. The focus is on ones dying so not worry people about hospitalization.
Try getting out in the garden if you have one. Maybe try vit d if you dont already take it? As there are links to getting covid more severely if you are deficient.

Hope you start to feel better soon.
Drs were taking about how supportwould be needed for those who have been in icu

U should have had a critical nurse outreach nurse come and see u xx

Hi, icu nurse here. Please get in touch with the U.K. sepsis trust. They provide post sepsis support usually and are extending this to post covid support as the problems after are very similar. They have a manned phone line 9-5 by ex icu nurses. They may also be able to point you in the direction of people in a similar position. Hope you're feeling better soon x

Sandy, I wasn't in hospital, but have had covid for 10 weeks now. As you mentioned breathlessness with activity, I can advise to take it one day at a time. Do only what is necessary, otherwise rest up. I am still in pain after doing the most basic of things. My lungs and back are continuing to burn, still have sore throat and headaches.

Take as much time to get back to normal. Good luck

Thank you all and I deffo will get in touch with sepsis UK thanks so much my GP doesn't seem to know who or what to do with me tbh although sympathetic

You poor thing Sandy😥
you've been through such a shocking and frightening experience, I really hope you can acess the help you need
I know there are breathing exercises recommended for after respiratory infection, have you been able to watch any of the YouTube videos where they walk you through them?

Also I wonder if you can do some very gentle yoga poses, I mean like the ones that you can do in/on your bed
Eg m.youtube.com/watch?v=7o4waoBbIZA

My goodness ten weeks I didn't know people could have it so long it's terrible illness I've never experienced been so I'll and so quickly it is the mental health tbh I've seen so many suffer and die and on a covid ward nothing is hidden so full and so stressed are the staff some can be brilliant others brutal I know they have to tell you but I didn't like been told the negative so harshly I wish you a speedy and good recovery I had diarrhea,sickness and lack of taste smell and felt like I'd been hot by a bus no cough no temp till very ill it frightening that they not updated 111symptoms

Sandy I am so sorry for what you went through and will still go through.
I'm had covid 19 but nothing in comparison with you.

Also Not covid 19 but I had a very scary hospital experience and was only in hospital
In a form of isolation for 10 days but it took my 2 years to recover. I have had some near death or close to death experiences.

I used to get graphic flash backs. They would happen in the weirdest of places.

All I can say is that is takes real time. I think it took time mentally and physically. I also was always thinking about what happened.

I found talking about it helped.

I don't know if this helps but I felt I was almost dealing with grief of someone.

Gosh and I don't want you to think it will take 2 years but that is what I did so that I could expect the roller coaster of emotions and deal with it.

Well done for beating covid. Take care and I hope you can take it a day at a time and get support.

And the staff they stayed with me .. thankfully I had brilliant staff but there were a few not so good to me in how they spoke and that really impacted me too. I don't know if that helps. Like I say I have not a comparable experience but hope you can continue to reach out either here and in real life to seek what you need.

I would strongly recommend you get in touch with the charity ICU Steps who provide support for ICU survivors. They are brilliant.
www.icusteps.org