The program consisted of an information part, there was music and plenty of space to talk to each other. Jolente: ‘So contact with fellow sufferers. We saw this especially with relatives of patients who had been in intensive care with corona. Especially when it comes to first wave patients. At the time we knew little about the corona virus and patients were not allowed to have visits. It was very tough. For everyone.’
Very impressed
The information part consisted of presentations by an intensivist, a rehabilitation specialist and a social worker. Jolente: ‘They explained what a recording does to you. What kind of complaints can you get from it. But also how it affects your family. During the afternoon for former corona patients, intensive care doctor Karel Zuur told what it was like for us as ICU care workers. We have seen the images of Italy… would we have experienced it too? He also showed the images we made at the time. This made a big impression on both the nurses and the guests.”
No visitors
“Absolutely,” confirms Gerdien Zandink. Her partner Frank was admitted to intensive care during the first wave in March 2020. “I haven’t seen him in eight weeks,” Gerdien continues. ‘During the meeting, the doctor said very frankly that it was not good not to allow visits at that time. I was glad he said it. I spoke to a woman who then, in the second wave, was able to visit her husband in intensive care. I noticed that I was faced with the hard fact that I couldn’t do it at the time.’ Her husband Frank hasn’t gotten much out of his time in the ICU. ‘When I was awake again and quite stable, I first went to the Corona nursing department and then to IJsselheem for rehabilitation. No visitors were allowed there either. Due to the lack of (physical) contact, I felt lonely. Eventually my daughter was allowed to come on a very exceptional basis. Gerdien and I still talk a lot about that period. This return day she has given us acknowledgment and acknowledgment. Substantial presentations also attracted us’
Last call
Former patients wore a blue sticker with their name, and the next of kin an orange. Gerdien: ‘I found it extremely practical. It was so easy to get into conversation with each other and half a word was enough. For example, about Frank’s last phone call just before falling asleep. The message was that I had to say goodbye and that they didn’t know if he would wake up again. The ground sank under my feet, it came so unexpectedly. I still tell friends or family about it, but it was also nice to talk to people who have been through the same thing.
Respect
Gerdien and Frank: ‘We thought it was a wonderful and touching day. We saw the people behind the carers. I think they also learned a lot from the shared experiences of the participants. The doctor’s story about how the cure had experienced it touched us. We already had a lot of respect for healthcare, but this has only grown.’
Big black hole
Ramona and Peter Veldman were guests at the meeting for intensive care patients who were in intensive care for a reason other than corona. Peter: ‘I was in a serious car accident with a colleague and my son. We were driving with a trailer and ended up on the wrong side of the road. We were hit by a full truck.” Ramona: ‘She spent nine days in intensive care. He was kept asleep. When he woke up, two more days of MC, then the trauma ward and a long rehab process.’ Peter: ‘I don’t remember anything about the IC and the MC. He is a big black hole. When we received the invitation for this meeting, I saw that we also received an explanation from a doctor about what a stay in intensive care means for your body. I wanted to hear it. He said that for many patients it is a dark tunnel. So I’m not the only one who feels this way. I also suffered a brain injury. So it happens more often. I liked that recognition. In your environment you feel that you should be happy to still be here, meanwhile you ghost all those questions in my head. Luckily I had answers.’
Bizarre
When Peter was in intensive care, Ramona and her daughter often sat by his bedside. His son, also involved in the accident, was taken from the pediatric ward by Ramona. They took pictures and kept a diary. Ramona: ‘Sometimes he would give a reaction, he would react to voices or a touch. Odd, really, because he wasn’t awake. I spent a lot of time in the NICU and also called regularly to ask how things were going. I’m glad it was possible.’
Consequences
Ramona and Peter shared a table with other couples during the meeting. Ramona: ‘We were by far the youngest. At our table were people who ended up in intensive care after heart surgery or a brain hemorrhage. This is different.’ Peter: ‘I recognized what people have been saying about consequences. Others don’t always see something in you, the fact remains that you can still complain. So more former patients had it. What I also liked is that you could tell your own story. In your own environment it sometimes happens that people start bidding against each other… who has experienced the worst? That was not the case here at all.’
IC chamber
At the end of the evening, those who wished could visit an IC room. This used to be a unit where there are no patients now. However, an entire patient environment was built with all equipment connected to a manikin. Peter: ‘It was very unreal to see him. So that’s how I was there. I could hardly imagine it. It didn’t really affect me being in the department. I found the photos Ramona had taken of me in bed much more intense.’ Ramona: ‘I noticed that I was feeling sick when I returned to an IC room. I had seen enough. Strange, I’ve worked in healthcare too… but when it comes to your husband it’s very different.’
