Near Death Experience

Near death experiences are all over the internet and for good reason- they are real!

I have worked in the operating room as a nurse anesthetist for the past 30 years where death is a real possibility. My profession also enables me a birds eye view of the power of my prayers when I see unplanned situations causing critical events. I have had the humbling opportunity to witness a patient have a near death experience and would like to share the story.

The story begins when I introduced myself to my patient in the preoperative area. I noticed that she was not nervous about her surgery but truly sad. As I started her I.V. she relayed to me that she was depressed and that she didn’t want to live. Now, as a medical professional, we are taught that if someone tells you that they don’t want to live, there is a strong chance that they won’t! The will to live is that strong.

I immediately tried to convince her that she was a healthy lady and that this surgery is routine- I tried to reassure her that she had nothing to worry about. I then decided to ask her about her depression. She told me that she had just given birth to twins not too long ago and they recently died of sudden infant death syndrome. She was now left with all of the reminders of her twins- the cribs, clothes, toys etc and no babies to love.

Needless to say, I was devastated to hear this. I told her that she had every right to cancel her surgery as she heals from this traumatic experience. I mentioned that her thyroidectomy could wait – it wasn’t urgent surgery in her case.

I told her that recovering from surgery is a trying time without the added stress of a devastating circumstance like the death of two babies. I told her that I thought it would be best if she waited until she had gone through some self healing, grieving and bonding with her remaining family. She declined my suggestion.

The anesthetic started off with the knowledge that due to her neck anatomy, she might be slightly difficult to intubate (placing a breathing tube into her trachea). The anesthesiologist and I were prepared to accommodate that situation. After she was put to sleep the prediction was correct- placing the breathing tube took several attempts, but it was placed without sequela.

At the end of the surgery the patient was brought to full consciousness before the breathing tube was removed. My patient was alert enough to tell me that she was comfortable and without pain. I began to roll her cart down the hallway towards the recovery room. Upon entering the recovery room she grabbed her neck and stated that she was having a hard time breathing, that her neck felt big and tight and it was “choking’ her. Upon examination of her neck I noticed that it appeared she was bleeding from her surgical site under the skin and it was in fact cutting off her breathing.

I quickly called for help from my partner anesthesiologist and we began to attempt to place the breathing tube back into her trachea to protect her oxygen supply. Since placing the breathing tube was a difficult maneuver when things were stable, it was even more tenuous with blood encroaching on the trachea. It took several attempts and a call to an ENT surgeon to be at bedside to perform an emergency tracheostomy in the event of an unsuccessful intubation.

As we worked on placing the breathing tube, her oxygen level dropped significantly, to the point the reading was below the capability of the machine to analyze it. The patent never cardiac arrested but her heart rate dropped quickly. I vividly remember my prayer. “Lord if you don’t help us this lady will die right before my eyes, please help!” Not long after my prayer- the patients breathing tube was successfully placed and she stabilized.

I took the patient to the operating room to have her thyroid artery cauterized and to evacuate the hematoma (collection of blood) in her neck. After the completion of this emergency surgery, I left the breathing tube in place and transferred her to the intensive care unit where she would be sedated and remain on a ventilator (breathing machine) until the surgeon was sure no further bleeding was occurring.

In the morning I went to visit her. Her neck bleeding had stopped and she was breathing on her own without the tube. I asked her if she remembered anything about the incident. She said that she had, and this is what she said…

“I was floating behind you and I was watching everything that you were doing to me. I saw you stuffing things in my mouth, It looked like you were suffocating me.” “I also saw Dr. X, he wasn’t my surgeon, why was he there?”

I explained to her that what she remembered was somewhat correct; we were trying to help her not suffocate her, by placing the breathing tube in through her mouth. I also assured her that we did in fact call Dr. X to be at the bedside in case an emergency tracheostomy needed to take place to give her adequate oxygen. I then asked her if she saw anything else. She told me that she saw her mother who had passed away several years ago. She mentioned that her mother looked absolutely beautiful and that she was holding the twins who had died. Her mother was saying to her “go back, we don’t need you now.” My patient said that she felt incredible peace and she didn’t want to return to her body.

I concluded my conversation with her by telling her that she accurately described everything that happened to her when she was losing oxygen. I also informed her that what she encountered was a near death experience and to never let anyone tell her that she imagined it, because everything she recalled clinically, was accurate. I concluded my conversation by conveying that she was lucky to have had this experience and the knowledge of her mom holding and taking care of her two babies. She can feel confident now that her children are cared for in heaven and she can concentrate on being a mom to her children here on earth. Lastly I told her that God keeps us on earth because we still have a job to do . I wished her well and hoped that she would get some grieving support due to the death of her twins.

This experience was quite humbling. Because the outcome was good and entirely for the benefit of the patient, I am so glad that I was a part of this woman’s ordeal. Her experience has given me a story to share with others who may be on the fence wondering if God and heaven are real, and that we will indeed see our christian family members again.

If you are reading this, you are still on earth, therefore God still has a job for you to do. Pick up the Bible and learn about our amazing Father in heaven. As you draw closer to Him through a constant relationship through His Word, He will reveal your mission in this world. Mine is to share stories like this as well as the wisdom I have learned through years of Bible study.

We truly have nothing to fear if we are Christians. The only fear we should have is a healthy fear of the Lord. Following our own feelings and desires is NOT the way to eternal life- it is the way to suffering. Following what the Lord teaches leads to peace, happiness, contentment, protection, power and the assurance of eternal life with the Lord in heaven.

Let’s all continue to learn about the Lord and teach our children to do the same. This relationship we develop by reading, will give us the assurance that God is real, His promise to protect us and never leave us is real and His guiding power is available if we desire enough to ask for it.

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”(Jeremiah 29:13)

Food For thought,

Lisa