Thank you for my second life!
There are moments when I have tears in my eyes. They are rare, because I would describe myself as being very controlled people.
A few months ago was one of those moments. On my Station, I was greeted by a colleague with the sentence: “We have received a letter from Mr Schulze*.” (*Name changed) Mr. Schulze was one of our young patients, previously healthy, and in the midst of life, then after a Sport accident-he had to be ventilated reanimated, and was for a while in treatment.
Some patients visit us after the completion of your treatment, or send a card, letter or photos. There are not many, but it happens on a regular basis.
Encounters in the worst Phase of life
For us, in the ICU, this feedback is very important. It shows us the success of our work. Just patients were several months with us, we know. We will teach you in a bad phase of life, through illness, change, autonomy and self-determination robbed.
The human body and the Psyche change in the case of a critical illness, often in a frightening way. If members need to bring photos of patients, it is sometimes difficult to recognize the person in the bed on the pictures. It is really shocking! Long-lasting Disorientation and confusional States, in part, to aggressive behavior are, unfortunately, often unavoidable complications of disease or therapy.
Usually we see our patients lying in bed, in the course of then in the chair, sitting down, often rather pendulous. Usually, the patients are provided with various inlets and outlets and are surrounded by technical devices. To outsiders, these images are often disturbing. And the state, in the us, the patients then leave sometime on the following stations, most of them are still far from normal. So we get to know our patients, so they remain in our memory.
The Reunion
When you come to your recovery to visit us, then self-certain people stand there again in front of us. Upright, speaking, oriented. Not in the patient’s shirt, but in normal clothes. It is an incredible feeling, when this Person is and says: “I can’t remember you, but I thank you for everything you have done…”.
I have in these moments, then, suddenly, all the critical situations in her head. The events between life and death, between hope and despair. I remember the conversations with the relatives, colleagues and Doctors, and my view of the case. Then I see the Person and think: this is Exactly why I do my Job. It is an extremely nice feeling, somewhere between Pride in one’s work and gratitude that it came in this case.
A certificate as an award
The letter from Mr Schulze was a very special greeting. The former Patient had made a really effort and a certificate for building us. It said:
“Certificate for extraordinary care
Special advice, supply and
Address of the Patient and the relatives“
Enclosed is a long letter:
“…You have taken me in, deep-frozen, thawed and brought back to life. By the way, you have my wife and my daughter to perseverance and patience inspired by and found in every new Situation, the right words…
…I’m connected for my own part, as I have the opportunity to start anew. Without you this would not be possible! I am grateful for the unwavering care…“
These are only brief excerpts from it. Me shot the tears in the eyes! I was incredibly stirred. I had cared for the patient very much, and in the first days of many conversations with his wife. When you read all of these situations came up again in my consciousness.
My thanks for the thanks
Mr. Schulze, I thank you! Thank you for making me and my colleagues have shown that our work has changed their lives. To me there is strength to see with all the frustrating experiences we make every day, the sense, and to continue to work.
Photo: Fotolia / ipopba