David Richards
@ICU_Diaries
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2009 H1N1-ARDS survivor and ECMO patient at @GHFT_DCC (GRH) and @glenfield_aicu #Delirium | #PICS | #ICUdiary | #PTSD I Single parent and former Athlete.
Lamphey, Pembrokeshire, Wales.
Joined March 2024
In the dark Welsh valley On the mountain side Lay the little children Close to where they died. Their little lives are ended Before they reach their goal Tender little children Have paid the price of coal. Never forget – Aberfan, 21 October 1966 🙏🏴
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As a 2009 ECMO survivor, quite simply, I owe my life to Dr Bartlett’s pioneering work. He leaves an incredible legacy to the world of intensive care medicine that will continue to grow. RIP Dr Robert H. Bartlett, MD 1939-2025 🙏
◾️In Memoriam of Robert H. Bartlett, MD 1939-2025 Without Dr. Bartlett, there is no ECMO: he saved more than 100,000 patients through his life’s work. He changed the world. He will forever be the Father of ECMO. Vale, Dr B 🔗 https://t.co/RyDvDyXIsw 🎥 https://t.co/Vd4zvjI319
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A unit tuned in to the post-ICU quality of life for their patients, recognising the difference between giving us back life and giving us back life worth living. Great work @MTW_TWICU Transitioning to reality, the diary of an ARDS survivor: https://t.co/NL00jmvrWJ
#delirium #PICS
Amazing presentation from Senior Sr Lucy showcasing our HU-CI accreditation. This is a testament to the hard work and dedication she and the rehab team have provided to improve the lives for our patients during and after critical illness. #baccnconf2025
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🚨Mental health doesn’t take a day off. Not on World Mental Health Day and not on any other day of the year. This World Mental Health Day we’re supporting Mind to fight for mental health today, and every day. 💪🌟 🔗For more information visit: https://t.co/kFeADacNxS
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I conveyed my absence of memories to family and staff through written notes, while still a patient in the ICU and unable to communicate verbally. Transitioning to reality, the diary of an #ARDS survivor: https://t.co/NL00jmvZMh
#delirium #PICS #ICUdiary #Walk4PICS
"I can't remember" – Patients who have had #delirium often experience a feeling of 'lost time'. You can help by clearly explaining what delirium is & answering their questions. Give them a narrative of what has happened to them.
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My #ICUdiary, along with a return visit to the ICU to see my bed-space and the wider view of the unit, allowed me to dispel many delusional memories and in turn, anchor my experience in reality. Transitioning to reality, the diary of an #ARDS survivor:
In 426 ICU survivors, delusional memories were common and associated with the development and persistence of PTSD symptoms ICU Diaries and other interventions might help Congratulations @MarkBoogaard and team https://t.co/OipIm9NBwl
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Following my ICU/ARDS event in 2009-10, the term #PICS had yet to be coined so I had no hook to hang my residual health issues on. Unable to return to work, I was looked upon as a malingerer. It is time for PICS to come out of the shadows. https://t.co/7LZ4gIgzvE
#Walk4PICS
walk4pics.com
We have organized a simple walk of any number of miles to challenge our bodies while raising awareness of this complicated syndrome. Individuals can walk anywhere in the world, either on their own or...
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PICS has been impacting the lives of ICU survivors for decades, long before the term was coined to describe the collective residual health issues. My ICU event was in 2009 and there is no area of my life that has not been touched by #PICS. PICS changed my life beyond recognition.
🧠💙 Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS) remains a serious challenge for ICU survivors. A new study followed patients for 3 months after ICU discharge and found that over 60% experienced some form of PICS. 📖 https://t.co/dP17pkaMls
#CriticalCareNursing
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“What is date today?” This question appears repeatedly in my written notes from when I was unable to communicate verbally, that were saved in my #ICUdiary. Transitioning to reality, the diary of an ARDS survivor: https://t.co/NL00jmvrWJ
#delirium #PICS #PatientDiary
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An interesting trial to be involved in, looking forward to the results. 🏴
Our protocol paper has just been published. Keep an eye out for the results coming soon…VR READY!
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"Solitude, isolation and loneliness". Words I used to describe my delirium experience in this e-book (Perception versus Reality) by @DaytonICU - https://t.co/Mu1EUYkCM3 Transitioning to reality, the diary of an ARDS survivor: https://t.co/NL00jmvrWJ
#delirium #PICS #ICUdiary
A feeling of loneliness or isolation is commonly reported in people experiencing #delirium. Don't leave them feeling like this. Speak kindly, explain what is happening, involve family.
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“I cant remember anything.” As written by my hand in real-time, while still a patient in the ICU and unable to communicate verbally. I relied on my #ICUdiary to reclaim the lost time. Transitioning to reality, the diary of an ARDS survivor: https://t.co/NL00jmvrWJ
#delirium
"I can't remember" – Patients who have had #delirium often experience a feeling of 'lost time'. You can help by clearly explaining what delirium is & answering their questions. Give them a narrative of what has happened to them.
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An important aspect of rehab that I neglected because I was too focused on my end goals of returning to work and competitive sport (I failed), that I didn’t see the need for intermediate goals. Looking back, that was a mistake. Goals need to be sustainable, as well as achievable.
#MyRehabGoals for #ICURehabDay25 Recovery from critical illness can take up to 18 months. People need support and rehabilitation to enable them to thrive after critical illness, not just survive. Goal setting is crucial in rehabilitation. https://t.co/lJ5ZSQFKP4
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Very proud of my 15-year-old son, William, who has been selected to receive his first international vest for Wales in discus.🏴
✨Team Announcement - Pickering Throws International ✨ 1️⃣4️⃣ Welsh athletes have been selected to compete for Wales at the Pickering Throws International! Congratulations to all athletes!👏 📆June 3 2025 📍Loughborough 🔗Read the full announcement ➡️
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This arm belongs to my cousin and he is pictured making his 100th #blooddonation earlier today. I received multiple transfusions during my time on #ECMO, which was beset by bleeding complications so I have many reasons to be grateful and proud of this achievement. #blooddonor
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My handwritten notes provide a unique real-time perspective of my ICU experience, while I was in the grip of #delirium. I expressed my fears to my partner by telling her, “I'm frightened” and the impact this had upon her can be seen in the response, “This upset me very much.”
“She would lie in her bed really quietly. . . but she always had this frightened look on her face and when her family came to visit . . . they told us that . . . she felt really scared because she was seeing someone in the room with her.” #Delirium
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The format of the book may not appeal to everyone but I enjoy comic art. Beautifully paced and illustrated, with much I recognise in my own #delirium experience and each time I read it, I am led down a different path of reflection. The author describes her #ICU event wonderfully.
In May 2013, Zara Slattery's persistent sore throat turned into a deadly bacterial infection, leading to a 15-day drug-induced coma, which she describes as 'being trapped in a nightmare state that you can't wake up from'. A graphic memoir. https://t.co/Utt0gWmDN6
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I had a dreadful time with #delirium, driven by auditory and visual hallucinations. It is evidenced repeatedly through my real-time handwritten responses, from when I was unable to communicate verbally, that were saved and incorporated in my #ICUdiary ( https://t.co/NL00jmvZMh)
Direct yet gentle questioning on hallucinations for people with #delirium: "Have you noticed anything odd recently, like seeing unusual or unexpected things?"
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My written response to a senior nurse at @GHFT_DCC when asked that very question: #delirium #ICUdiary
In #delirium, patients rarely volunteer that they are hallucinating. Here's one useful way of asking about hallucinations: "Have you recently experienced anything strange, like visions or voices that seem very real but others don't notice?"
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Fantastic! Seeing my bed-space and the layout of the unit, provided an additional layer to my psychological healing that complemented my #ICUdiary. Transitioning to reality - the diary of an ARDS survivor: https://t.co/NL00jmvrWJ
#PICS #PTSD #delirium #ICUdiary
Thrilled to have secured funding to deliver our "ICU Virtual Tour" to help patients and families make sense of their experience after discharge. Watch this space for more.... A huge thank you to @AdelaideHealthF for funding this worthy project 🙏
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