Patient's experience

doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7536.277

BMJ 2006;332:277 (4 February), doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7536.277

Commentary

Patient's experience

Colin John Rees, consultant gastroenterologist¹

¹ Department of Gastroenterology, South Tyneside Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, South Shields NE34 0PL

Correspondence to: C J Rees Colin.rees@sthct.nhs.uk

A Bond with the support of Colin Rees

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

It was terrifying waking up in intensive care.¹ I didn't knowwhere I was or what had been done. In particular, having theballoon in my mouth was terrifying. This frightened me intodischarging myself. I was so frightened at the thought I mightdie, and I wanted to be in familiar surroundings and hoped Iwould be OK.

I know alcohol is harming me, but I like to drink and enjoythe feeling it gives me. It's also escapism, particularly asI am a worrier. I feel well after a spell in hospital and thinkI'm OK to go back to drinking again. I don't think professionalscould do more to help me stop drinking. It's down to me. Theycan't make me do what I don't want to do.

I feel that I can stop if I want to. I did stop for a year aftermy first . . . [Full text of this article]

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