Introduction

This chapter presents a frank and personal story of a consultant in cardiac anaesthesia and intensive care, who became a patient in his own critical care unit.

Preoperatively

While cutting an already fallen tree, a heavy branch crashed down on my left shoulder, crushing my back and leading to an unstable fracture of the 12th thoracic vertebra. The next day, I found myself in orthopaedic theatres in my own institution undergoing urgent spinal stabilization. A haemangioma identified at the fracture site meant that a further thoracoabdominal procedure was required through a left thoracotomy and laparotomy, with the eighth rib used to replace the body of fractured T12.

Preoperative concerns

Loss of dignity and control

Had I been asked before the accident, I would have preferred admission if required to any critical care unit other than the one in which I worked, due to a sense of embarrassment at loss of privacy before my colleagues. Nevertheless, faced with the harsh reality of making such a decision, I opted for my own unit where I knew the nurses and doctors so well. Knowing that I was not going to be there as a stranger was reassuring.

Concerns regarding my loved ones

I was worried about my elderly parents coming in and out of the critical care unit and arranged in advance for a family friend to accompany them. I later discovered that this is a significant concern, experienced by 71% of patients.