What it is like being admitted in an ICU?

I was shifted to the ICU at 6 pm post the angioplasty. It was an 18 bedded ICU well equipped with the latest medical equipment. But whatever an ICU may be like it does not give a good feeling being there. What added to the gloomy feeling was that I was not allowed to anything on my own and no relation was being allowed to visit.

48 hours in ICU….

I spent 48 hours in the ICU and throughout my stay all 18 beds were occupied. Lot of gadgets were attached to my body to constantly monitor the vital parameters. Medicine was being administered through an IV in my left hand. Fortunately, I did not require oxygen support.

Since two incisions had been made in my groin region for insertion of the catheter (a thin tube), I could not move my legs the first night. It was not easy to keep the legs straight and sleep. Within two hours I was stiff and itching to move the legs. But somehow managed to keep them straight sacrificing my sleep in the bargain. The beeps from the machines gave me company through the night. To add to my woes my body did not take kindly to the iodine injected inside my body for angiography. I got fever past midnight. The nurse on attendance was kind enough to explain to me that there was nothing to worry, and it can be easily managed with a paracetamol.

Throughout the night the nurses on duty were constantly in action. I could hear them moving to some patient or the other taking care of emergencies. Every now and then one of them would visit me also to see that everything was alright. What might seem a disturbance under normal circumstances gave such a reassuring feeling in the hospital.

Added Stress….

I was allowed to move from the bed only in the morning after the cardiologist had checked all the parameters and gave a clearance. It was only after getting up from the bed I realised that I was the only patient in the ICU who could move on his own. Out of the other 17 patients most were not in senses and were totally dependent on the nursing staff. Most patients were just breathing and there was no other movement in the body.

Equally stressful is the condition of the relatives of the patients as they are not allowed entry inside the ICU for reasons of hygiene and causing disturbance. Sight of so many serious patients around may also add to their stress.

Lessons from ICU….

I would never in my life want to be admitted in an ICU of any hospital. But then the 48 hours I spent there reinforced some very important life lessons.

Life is a gift, do not waste it. Live it, enjoy it and be thankful that you have it.

Take good care of your health. Eat well, workout and exercise control over your mind. Not worth getting sick or meeting with an accident and getting admitted in a hospital.

Do not wait for an adverse situation to develop to understand the realities of life.

In the ICU most serious patients are pulled back from the jaws of death back to life.

Respect the doctors and the other medical staff. They have a tremendous job at hand. I can say that the staff on duty that night were the best of the best. They dealt with the critical patients and emergencies without showing even a hint of emotional drain.

Patients as well as the people accompanying them got to exercise utmost patient and thrust the medical staff attending them.

Lessons the heart attack taught me….

Stress …. What is the cause?