Blog your way to recovery

Imagine the scenario. You have survived a serious car accident. You are in hospital for an extended stay – surgeries, physio, medication and extensive healing required.

Amidst your pain and treatment, your hospital carer sets you up with a patient blog site.

If it was me in the body brace and bandages, I suspect the last thing I would be thinking about is sharing my thoughts on a blog.

Well this is the reality for a dear friend, Michelle in a hospital in Fargo North Dakota, USA

Clever people these hospital carers. One way or another, Michelle gets her “story” out and so begins the Internet element of her healing.

A not-for-profit organisation called CaringBridge, inspired by personal tragedy, has made it possible for 38,000 hospital patients to receive five million guest book messages and 235 million virtual visits. Who knows how significant millions of expressions of love and support for people at one of their lowest points of their life could be?

Instant virtual community of friends and family are connected via her site, and all are able to keep up-to-date and in some way participate in her recovery.

My friend Michelle has received hundreds of messages. She has a long way to go in her recovery, and her CaringBridge site will be part of it via her individual journal, guestbook, photos, tributes and links.