Intensive Care Unit Psychosis –
ICU psychosis is a disorder in which patients in an intensive care unit (ICU) or a similar setting experience a cluster of serious psychiatric symptoms. Another term that may be used interchangeably for ICU psychosis is ICU syndrome. ICU psychosis is also a form of delirium, or acute brain failure.
Or..."take a trip and never leave the farm."
Had to go to emergency for the second time in a week in January 2015. The x-ray from the first trip didn't catch the pneumonia. The MRI from the second trip caught several spots of pneumonia. (I read where x-rays miss about 25% of what is being x-rayed. Huh!?)
Anyway, I was in private room in ER, until a private room in ICU could be readied. (Private rooms for those of us who have severely compromised immune systems.) ICU room was ready in about an hour. I was tired after all the effects of icing me down in the ER to lower my body temperature, a couple of IVs, one in each arm, filling me up with I don't know how many antibiotics. I decided to take a nap. When I awoke I began to check out the room. I started noticing a flower pattern on the ceiling and walls. Looked like a pencil had traced the same flower design everywhere. When the nurse came in to check on me I made a comment about the flowers. She said she didn't see them. So I let it go. The next day I was moved to a private room, with a great view of Mount Helix in La Mesa, on the 5th floor of the hospital. However, before I was moved another nurse came in the room to tell me I would be transferred to a private room in the hospital. Great. I still saw all the flowers and told the nurse it would take months to paint in the flowers. She said what flowers. I got out of bed and pointed to one. She said she didn't see any flower pattern anywhere. The ICU staff was ready to move me so I dropped the subject.
After about an hour in my room I started hearing a low, deep voice singing "Silent Night." But only about half of it. Then the song would start over again. When my wife and son came to visit I asked them if they heard it. They didn't. I didn't press the topic as I asked several questions about homeowner issues. But the singing continued.
After about a day and a half the music changed to a low bass beat. I had heard the beat before but couldn't place it. Now I'm starting to get the picture...I'm hallucinating, only it's with sound.
About a day and a half later the deep base beat stopped...and the silhouette of a tree appeared outside my window. Then two owl like birds flew to the tree from somewhere and landed on a branch. Very cool. In an instant they were transposed into two guys in full hunting gear, red plaid caps with bills. Hunting jackets. I couldn't hear what they were talking about. One guy dropped his beer can - the other fella said something like That's not cool, you're littering.
In another instant the two guys were transposed into two SDPD officers. Full uniform.
In another instant they were changed into two SDFD persons. Full yellow firefighting equipment.
In another instant they were changed into two Park Rangers. Complete Ranger outfit, badge and all.
Whoa! Now I know I'm hallucinating. With no recreational hallucinogens in my system. I decided to go along for the ride.
In an instant the tree and the two guys disappeared.
At the foot of my bed, about two feet from the bottom of my bed, was a white board, with nurse info on it about me. Then suddenly what appeared to be large post'em notes began scrolling from top to bottom of the white board. It went too fast for me to read them. This continued for about 15 minutes. Then attached to the white board on its frame was a clamp with a bunch of papers in it. It began to flutter and move up and down the frame. Really wild.
Above my sink there was a light fixture, brushed metal type. It stuck out from the wall about six inches. It was about twelve inches long and about two inches thick. As I looked at it, it started streaming words like the lights on Broadway in NYC. They went by so fast I couldn't read them. Then the streaming words stopped.
No more tree. No more two guys transposing into different uniforms. No more streaming post'em notes on the white board. No more streaming words on the light fixture. No more fluttering papers. Bummer. It's over.
My oncologist came to check me out. I told her what had transpired. She said it's called "ICU Psychosis," and it happens to some patients, and not to worry. Instantly my wife pulled out her cell and looked it up. Sure enough there was the definition.
I'm had a great time!
"Take a trip and never leave the farm."
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