experiences of care in the holiday irreplaceable

BY SVENJA HORN

In the news here in the Blog about me you may already know that I on the weekends often with the camper to the sea race in January in Cape town am. Where can my friend and I kite-surfing and wave riding. This year it went back down to South Africa – with 16 of my good friends from Hamburg.

The anticipation was of course huge! 22. January we have risen at last on to the plane and lifted in our personal Paradise. 30 degrees, summer, sun, Wind and waves were waiting located on us 13 hours of flight time. A few of our friends were already there, others arrived a few days later. A small group greeted us already on our arrival – with a shocking message: One of our friends who had arrived the day before with his girlfriend in Cape Town, was killed in an accident while kite-surfing.

He was brought down from a jump and by the impact on the surface of the water, immediately unconscious. By rescue helicopter, he was flown to a nearby hospital and intensive medical care. Many questions shot through the head: How is it really him? How well the health system is in Cape town? The Doctors and nurses know what they are doing? He is in good hands?

An international health insurance he had. A return transport to Hamburg, not to let his state of health. German Doctors over the phone with the South African colleagues. Nevertheless, the uncertainty remained whether he received the same health care, as it would be at home.

In the ICU in Cape town

I wanted to make an image of your own. Since I had worked for four years on the intensive care unit, I was able to develop on the basis of the narratives have a rough idea of his condition. The next day I went to see him in the clinic. His girlfriend had me already announced with the Docs and Nurses. I was very kindly received, all my questions were answered quickly and I was reassured. The condition of our friend was critical, but I knew, sister Betty, and the two Doctors had everything under control. The technical and medical features of this intensive care unit was as good as in Germany. On the set of Ventilation parameters, I was able to interpret, as it went to his lungs after the fall in the Atlantic ocean.

With the info in the Luggage that I had received in the clinic of the extremely empathic health team, I drove back to our Lodge. All were waiting eagerly – and my report could all calm down. In this frightening, for all of the other imponderable Situation, I was able to bring a little light into the darkness. Even if we all knew that he was really very sick, we were now sure, that awarded to him was taken care of.

Safety for the group

Now we had to give him and the recovery process. With a few highs and lows it went through the next three weeks. Again and again I was with his girlfriend with him in the hospital. We were super involved and all my questions were answered. After each visit I was able to give our friends an Update.

Second chance at life

In the meantime, our problem child is accompanied by a doctor by business class in Hamburg arrived. With a few kilos less, and the good feeling to have a second birthday to celebrate, it starts life now back to work.

To me have shown these experiences, how important is my professional experience in the Private can be. On the one hand, it was of course pretty exciting for me, an intensive care unit in Cape Town. I was glad to be able to, together with sister Betty and a nurse, Patric for our friend to be there and take care of him while he slept, sedated and ventilated. On the other hand, it was nice that I was able to give to our concerned friends and also the patient himself as a Form of security. The Knowledge and experience I’ve collected over the years in the nursing profession, at that time were actually irreplaceable.

Photos: Svenja Detjen