Insights of ICU

A question I often get ask about is my experience of ICU , having had conversions with others who have been in ICU, hope this gives an insight ❤️

Being in the ICU is an experience that fundamentally changes a person. It's not just about the body battling to survive; it's a journey that touches the deepest parts of the mind and soul. Lying in a bed, surrounded by machines and monitors, life becomes incredibly fragile and quiet. Time feels different—days blur into nights, and the sounds of beeping machines become the background music to your thoughts. You begin to notice how thin the line between life and death really is.

During those moments, survival isn't just physical—it's emotional and psychological. You face fear like you've never known, but also a strange clarity. The world outside seems distant, almost irrelevant. Your only focus is to keep breathing, to keep going. But with that comes a new weight—uncertainty. You start to question your own body, which once felt strong and reliable. Will it ever fully heal? Will you ever return to the person you were before?

And then, when you finally leave the ICU, the journey is far from over. Physically, you may feel like a shell of yourself. The simplest tasks—walking, eating, even sitting up—require immense effort. Your body aches in ways you never thought possible, and the fatigue is overwhelming. But it’s the emotional and psychological scars that often take the longest to heal. Anxiety lingers like an unwelcome guest, with the fear that you could end up back there. Sleep can be elusive, interrupted by vivid memories or nightmares. You might find yourself withdrawing from others, unable to explain the weight of what you've experienced, the heaviness that hangs over you.

Surviving the ICU doesn’t mean you've left the fight behind. It means you’re learning to live with the aftershocks—both in your body and in your mind. Healing isn’t linear, and it takes patience, resilience, and grace. But there’s something else too—an appreciation for life that’s deeper, more profound. You understand how fleeting and precious it is. Every small victory in recovery is monumental. You realise that even in the most vulnerable, darkest moments, there's still hope.

The scars, both seen and unseen, become a reminder not just of what you’ve been through, but of your strength in overcoming it. And while you may not feel like the same person, perhaps that’s the point. You’ve faced your mortality and come out on the other side—wounded, yes, but alive, and forever changed ❤️