well, that was different

I was going to write a new entry today to try and clarify my last post a bit, but since I had written that last post, a rather significant event happened that I really must write about.  It's one of those rare, once-in-a-lifetime events, too, and it really can't be ignored.  What happened, you ask?

I died.

Last Wednesday, December 13, 2023 at 8AM I went into the hospital for a pretty routine procedure- a kidney biopsy.  Supposed to be in and out in 3 hours.  Supposed to be 3 hours......

Instead, what happened was that the surgeon made a mistake, and unknowingly severed an artery near my left lung, and for 5 hours after the procedure, I quietly bled out internally in the recovery room while my wife and daughter watched.  During this episode, my blood pressure went down to 0/47 and my body temperature went down to 74 degrees.  I was without respiration for 8 minutes.  That's dead, folks.  The hospital called a full Code Blue on me, the Rapid Response Team took over my care, ushered my family out and resuscitated me thru 2 different CT scans, 2 surgeries, a chest tube to remove 2+ liters of blood in my chest, re-inflation of a deflated lung, 3 separate blood transfusions and intubation.  I was placed on a ventilator and in the ICU for recovery.   

When sedation medication was lifted and I began to wake up, I thought it was still Wednesday, but it was in fact Thursday evening.  I had no idea what had transpired.  Oh, wait.....yes I did.  It started coming back to me.........oh, boy.  Did it ever.

I will be writing much, much more about this- I promise.  I'm still collecting my thoughts, but suffice it to say that yes, I did leave my body.  And yes, I did see things.  And, yes I will describe them.  There is much to tell here, but for now, I am still healing and still pretty weak from all of it.  I am also home now, and it's Christmas Day as I write this, and that is a very, very good thing.  For now, this is really all I have to say, as this experience is a little bigger than a breadbox and I want to take the time to describe all that happened as accurately as I can and that is going to take time for me to do properly.

In meantime, I covet anyone and everyone's prayers and good thoughts as I try to heal, so if you are in the mood, please feel to send those my way.  I can really use them.

More to come.