Abstract
There is an extensive literature addressing patients’ experiences of becoming ill, seeking help, of the illness itself and treatment offered. A notable absence, with few exceptions, within this canon is the patient’s experience of recovery. A further group of patients whose experience has been overlooked are those who have spent time in an intensive care unit (ICU). Rier’s (2000) exploration of his own experience remains one of the few papers to look at this group. This paper presents a secondary analysis of interview data collected by the Health Experiences Research Group, University of Oxford. A total of 37 former patients who had each spent time in an ICU in the UK were interviewed in depth about their recollections and subsequent recovery. A notable feature of the accounts was the role played by family and friends both during and after hospital stay. This paper explores the social relations of recovery especially the role of family and friends throughout the trajectory of illness and recovery.