UCF professor utilizing virtual reality to ICU survivors with Post Intensive Care Syndrome

ORLANDO, Fla. — The sound of a leaf blower or even a home alarm can be a trigger for those living with Post Intensive Care Syndrome.

▶ WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS

Millions of people are admitted into intensive care units every year, and the mental impacts of surviving can stay with them for a lifetime.

For Cheryl Thompson, an outpatient procedure to remove a cyst led to sepsis, sudden cardiac arrest, and nine days of sedation and intubation in an ICU in Orlando.

“My body was trying to heal from the sepsis, cardiac arrest, double pneumonia, two collapsed lungs, I was struggling to survive,” Thompson said.

Read: UCF launches new program meant to help low-income students seeking education in AI

She thought fighting for her life would be the hardest part of her journey, but it wasn’t She said it was actually the mental battle she faced when she returned home.

“I struggled with nightmares, I couldn’t sleep, I was terrified that I would fall asleep and have a cardiac arrest or just not wake up at all,” Thompson said.

Dr. Brian Peach is an Assistant Professor in UCF’s College of Nursing. He explained those symptoms are recognized as Post Intensive Care Syndrome, or PICS.

Read: Developer wants to swap hotel permissions for student housing near UCF

His current study focuses on critical illness survivors like Thompson, who he puts through exposure therapy.

“We can hopefully desensitize them so they’re no longer reacting in an unhealthy way, they’re not having huge panic attacks,” Dr. Peach said.

Thompson underwent this 10-day study and credits it to her now being able to embrace life and live it to its fullest. For her, that means finishing Disney 10k’s with her husband, hiking, and spending every moment with family and friends.

Read: UCF Rosen College’s new dean to shake up hospitality education

“I am so happy to say I am on a great road to recovery,” Thompson said. “I am feeling so much better. I’m very excited to say I’m on my way back.”

Organizers will be hosting a WALK4PICS event at Lake Eola on September 29th at 9 a.m. Event details can be found here Walk4PICS Orlando 2024 Registration (google.com)

If you’d like to find out if you qualify for Dr. Peach’s study through UCF Restore, you can email him at brian.peach@ucf.edu.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

©2024 Cox Media Group