Post-ICU Syndrome: Why ICU Survivors Struggle Long After They Leave the Hospital

Most ICU survivors are sent home and told they're lucky to be alive. But for millions of people, that's where the real struggle begins.Kali Dayton, nurse practitioner and ICU consultant, joins me to talk about Post-ICU Syndrome (PICS): the physical, cognitive, and psychological aftermath of critical illness that almost no one is warned about. We talk about why medically induced comas cause more harm than most clinicians realize, what ICU delirium actually feels like for survivors, and why the "awake and walking ICU" model is changing outcomes and saving lives. We also talk about the deep power of peer support, of having a name for what you've been through, and of knowing you are not alone in your recovery.This one is for survivors, for families, and for anyone who has ever felt like something was terribly wrong after a hospital stay that everyone else called a success.Find more about Kali's work and podcast here. If you are looking for a peer support community who gets it, join us in the Medical Trauma Support Circle.