Wow - very glad you're still with us! Wishing you the best!

Glad you make it back.
What was it like on the other side ?

glad you're posting

my dad was president and CEO of six amalgamated hospitals before he retired and he said this might be work

Write a nice note to the staff, include a few names of the most notables that helped you. Have it framed. They will hang it up.

Let’s see. You started living healthy then next thing you know, you died. Coincidence? I don’t think so.

But in any case, i’m Glad for you you’re still with us.

Check your email, please.

I had a "near death" back in the early 70's. Worked (alone) at night playing taped TV shows for a local cable company, while going to college. Middle of a big empty field just outside of town, before satellite TV, in a small windowless concrete block building at the foot of a 525 foot tall antenna tower.

Electrical storm came up while I was talking to my girlfriend on the telephone between the hour and half hour when I needed to swap out tapes.

Lightening hit the tower. The cable company's chief engineer lived in town but had a distant and clear view of the tower. When lightening struck the tower, the engineer later explained that it was the largest bolt of lightening he'd EVER seen strike that tower as he and his wife watched. He said his wife exclaimed, "Oh my god, that boy is dead. Go check on him NOW, Gilbert !!!"

Gilbert left so fast, he forgot his keys to the metal door on the concrete block building. I awoke to Gilbert furiously beating on the metal door. I awoke and wondered why I went to sleep talking on the telephone and why was my head tingling? My girlfriend and her mom showed up a few minutes later. Jan said she just KNEW something was wrong. Although it wasn't uncommon in those days to lose phone service during a thunderstorm.

It was a couple of years before I could talk to anyone about the "dream" I had while unconscious for about 10 minutes. Finally my sister confronted me about it. She said, "Something happened to you that night and I want you to tell me about it." I broke down as I tried to explain something I've never fully understood.

What happened to me and what I perceived, was of such a profound and unfamiliar nature that it was beyond human comprehension. My feeble human mind simply tried to make sense of it and my brain put it in a form and context to try to explain and understand.

I floated down a long dark tunnel toward a bright light. Dark at first and then a faint light I somehow knew I needed to get to. Vignettes of random and seemingly insignificant events in my life played out like a movie hovering just above the wall of the tunnel and to the left of me. Nearing the light, formless, nonhuman, unknown entities surrounded, calmed and comforted me. I didn't know any of "them" and they had no faces and dressed in flowing robes, heads covered, as they effortlessly approached.

At some point, when I was "ready", a supreme being appeared from the light and beckoned me to follow and we ended up in a space with a podium on which a hugely immense book lay open and the supreme being referenced it for some time as we had a none verbal communication. I have no idea what "we" discussed and I only remember HIM asking me one question, "Do you want to go forth or do you want to go back". For what I thought was a completely unselfish reason, I said I wanted to go back ... she (my girlfriend) needs me. It was all I could come up with I guess.

I went away from the bright light and back down the tunnel. Again, random life events flashed by, as the light became dimmer and I awoke to furious beating on the buildings metal door.

Was it all a dream? Maybe. Certainly the perception of what actually took place was formed in my mind. But my mind only told me in a way I might understand or make sense of something so profound that I don't think mankind will ever understand until they individually walk that walk toward the light.

So why did HE send me back? I don't know. Maybe my purpose here on earth hadn't been served or fulfilled yet.Dunno.

My head felt as though there were an imaginary line going down the middle of my head and everything on the side of my head that the telephone was up against, was tingling. That sensation went away by the end of the next day. As days followed, my ear reddened, welted up and welts in the shape of a lightening bolt came up and coursed from my ear, down my neck and onto my chest and back of my shoulder. As electricity had attempted to reach ground. The night of the near death experience, I drove myself to the hospital at the chief engineers insistence, to get checked out at the emergency room. Doc could find nothing wrong. My hearing, visions and "competence" appeared fine to him. Beyond the exam, nothing else was done.

Next day, the phone company came out and dug up and verified the integrity of the phone system to the building. Phone company lawyers took a deposition from me in the presence of the cable company president. Both the chief engineer and company president advised me to lock up and get away from the tower and building if another big thunderstorm came up and I would be paid anyway. I asked my parents if they thought I should sue the cable company and/or phone company. Since "nothing" happened to me, my parents didn't feel legal action was justified. Besides, folks just weren't as "sue happy" in those days ... not without good reason.

Enough of me babbling on. This isn't about me.

Welcome back "Nickelsig229". You'll find a way to thank those who helped you and you'll know it's right when you do. I suspect you'll also find a way to play it forward when you have an opportunity to do so.

I'm glad you are still with us!

Glad the angels you needed were with you!!

Welcome Back !

Seriously that's amazing and inspirational.

I think the best gift to share with those who contributed is for you to write it out and distribute as needed. You articulate yourself well and people will understand your message well.

Cheers~

Glad you’re back with us!

Wow, that's quite a ...a story. Welcome back, continued growth towards good health.

Love love LOVE the dog tag idea...thanks!!!

quote:

Originally posted by ArtieS:
I would do "I'm Alive Because of You [Your Name] [Date]" dogtags and go distribute them. People can pin them to their bulletin boards, put them on a key ring, wear them on a chain, or even put them in a desk drawer, and touch them and remember them from time to time.

I'd also wear one myself just to remind myself to stay on the straight and narrow.

This is an excellent idea!I'd also suggest you personally deliver them to the units. You will miss caregivers, but the personal visit will mean something. Just make sure you leave tags for those off shift, etc.

What a story!
Glad you are better now.
I really like the dog tag idea. It is something you can hand out to many without having to know their names. They will apreciate being thought of.

Though it was very emotional for me, I thanked my neurosurgeon when he made his rounds for saving mine. I'll never ever forget that moment, it still gets to me just reflecting. I thanked as many as I could as it was a team that worked together. My neurosurgeon was a very humble person, but amazingly skilled..

My story is not as awesome as yours.

However My Neice had bad asthma and states shewent to the same sort of thing you described.

My personal story is nothing dramatic at all but I’m thankful for what happened. I was taking a routine physical doc visit. I was feeling just fine, not a thing wrong, good health. However they gave me an EKG and said it didn’t look right, and to take it in my hand and drive over to the cardiologists office. I did. Walked in, handed that EKC to him, he said looks fine to him, why am I here?

I’m feeling fine, no issues, but the cardiologist said let him give me another EKG right now. He said it looked fine too. Then he asked if I’d ever had a stress and nuclear scan? I’d hadn’t so they gave me one. He said didn’t really see anything wrong but was beginning to see something not quite right. He said he wanted to take a “look see” up through my groin.

So we did that. When I woke up he said my “widow maker” was 80% clogged so he put a stent in me.

I’ve never had a heart attack or anything but was lucky that it was caught in time.

I firmly believe those 2 Docs suspected something was wrong, even though I’m feeling fine, and what happened was my life was saved.

Apparently many many many people feel fine, feel no issue at all, yet have clogged arteries, and if they’re lucky it gets fixed in time before it’s too late.

We’re men, we’re stubborn, well most of us are, and we don’t like to go see the doc. Maybe you should go get that physical and work up.

quote:

Originally posted by Nickelsig229:
...what token can I give them so they can feel like they are thanked, and acknowledged for the part they played?

Best thing you can give them is your time. If you aren't that close with them, the dog tag idea is better than anything I've had in mind.

I've 'died' twice (2001 & 2009) among other things. It really gave me a different perspective in life than what I had originally. Things that I thought were important at the time where what I realized were very insignificant and trivial.

Your gift is life.

Thank you notes, hugs when and where appropriate and quiet words.

Thank you for sharing, what a read.

Wow! Adding our prayers for a better future for you.

Welcome back...