In Which a Zombie Is Conceived
Some people call it their re-birthday. This is more fun. A year ago today the seeds of my becoming a zombie were sown. Well, truth be told they were probably sown a few days to a week before that. If we are going to stay in this metaphor, a year ago today was the moment…
Medical PTSD and Long-Term Effects of Ventilator and Tracheostomy
Updated April, 2020 Rheumatologist: “how are you feeling? ICU PTSD can happen after such an experience.” Me: “I’m fine.” This conversation occurred two weeks after I’d been discharged from the hospital after my medical adventure. And the very next day, my GP brandished a pneumonia vaccine and I burst into tears, terrified that it would…
What It Is Like To Wean Off a Tracheostomy
Updated December 6, 2020 Trigger warning: medical trauma. A quick recap: In March 2016, I got a bad flu, which developed into pneumonia. I ended up in the ICU in an induced coma and on a ventilator. Due to a bit of a mishap (understatement of the year) when being extubated, I had an emergency…
10 Things about What It Is Like To Be On a Ventilator
Updated December 6, 2020 Trigger warning: this post is about medical trauma. This post is a look at the experience of being on a ventilator from the point of view of the person on the receiving end of the tube. This happened when I had complications to the flu and ended up in the ICU.(side…
I Survived the ICU
Trigger warning: Medical trauma So, where was I? The last time I posted, I had the flu and was pretty miserable. It was the precursor to a roller coaster ride into a very dark place. The flu turned into pneumonia, which sent me to the hospital in the middle of March. There was a trip…