Connect
← Return to Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS) - Let's talk
Discussion
Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS) - Let's talk
Intensive Care (ICU) | Last Active: Sep 16 7:52pm | Replies (609)Comment receiving replies
@kristap31 I am very glad you have found this group and thank you for sharing your story. You bring up such a powerful point. Families can suffer post-ICU difficulties - just as patients do. When this happens it is known as PICS-family (PICS-F). More about that can be found in this blog post I wrote a little while back: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/pics/newsfeed-post/breaking-it-down-post-intensive-care-syndrome-and-the-family/
You also bring to light something that isn't discussed as often as other topics - and that is dealing with and mourning the loss of those you become close with during the hospitalization. This may be especially true in the pediatric ICUs where lengths of stays can be very prolonged and families lean on each other heavily for support. I know that some ICUs have "reunions" where families come together once a year to reconnect - I wonder if something like that takes place at the hospital you were at? This can be very therapeutic for many people.
It is also so true that finding people who "get it" in regards to the trauma that you all experienced can be very difficult. Sites like this or even face to face support groups can be tremendously helpful. Talking through the experience, working it out with others who have been there, is incredibly important. I am not sure where you are geographically, but here is a link to hospitals around the nation and the world that host such groups in case you may be close to any: https://sccm.org/MyICUCare/THRIVE/Connect-With-Patients-and-Families
Replies to "@kristap31 I am very glad you have found this group and thank you for sharing your..."
I just read your blog post and thought those words were excellent! I was wondering if there is any written booklet or handbook for PICU families that could be given during long stays? EVERY point/piece of advice that you mentioned my husband and I learned just by going through it. My son's hospital did have excellent social workers and nurses who verbalized many of the points you wrote about, but it would be even more helpful to in addition have a hard copy to remind PICU families to care for themselves and recognize the stresses of being so involved in your loved one's care. It would also be helpful to know what to expect as far as the emotional and physical strain on family members. We were in the PICU five weeks, so it was a long time to be in that environment.
Connect
Thank you for responding! I will read the blog post you wrote. We live in a mountain town which is four hours from the nearest hospital that offers the post ICU support. However, my son's PICU is hosting a retreat for the staff and are inviting PICU families to participate and share their stories. They invited us to come and share a video of our experience! That will be very helpful for us in processing, sharing, and also hopefully connecting with some other PICU families. (Maybe not the same families we became close with during his PICU stay but it will still be nice to connect with people who "get it."
The hard things I am dealing with are multi-layered. I talked about our son's 2 month hospital stay, but a year prior we lost a baby boy to stillbirth at 35 weeks from unknown cause. Then after a healthy delivery for our second son, one week later I experienced a massive postpartum hemorrhage and almost lost my life. I was on the verge of DIC and they had to perform an emergency hysterectomy to save my life. That was incredibly traumatic. We wanted more children, and to wake up from surgery without a womb has been devastating. So I was also in our rural hospital's version of an ICU and left without the ability to have another baby. There is no support for that ICU stay for me or the loss of my womb. I even went to a large Denver hospital seeking support for emergency hysterectomy and there is nothing offered. That has also been a lonely and difficult journey.
So we are simultaneously dealing with grief from the death of our first son, grief over the hysterectomy, and the trauma and ongoing medical issues with our toddler. Before all of this, we were a healthy and active family with no history of any medical conditions. It is all shocking and difficult! Living in a small town (the we are well supported by loving family and friends) has been challenging because there are few support groups or licensed trauma counselors, etc. Thank you for offering a space to discuss these things! My toddler is coming to Mayo Clinic next month to be evaluated there. We are grateful to now be a part of this neat community.