Have you had a brush with death and then learned something meaningful from it?

[Shibito]

Yes i crashed my car into a mountain wall at 70 km/h and now that im still alive i drive safely

[Aeluron Lightsong]

I just got out of the the hospital after having a series of serious heart attacks and was told how rare my chances of survival up to this point was by many doctors and have learned a lot about both myself and what I want out of life from this new perspective.

For those that know me, I'm mostly alright now. Stress and my own family genes were the majority of the cause of everything (which my parents actually kept that vital information from me until after my procedures -.-'' ), peppered with some bad habits like my social smoking, liking of coffee, taste for red meat, and having a high-energy/high-starch diet to get everything that I do in a day done...

Currently, I can't walk but am relearning how to, and I'm permanently disabled now with extreme levels of heart disease (parts of the heart that are dead from either the strain of the attack, being resuscitated, or from the time it took to get my major heart arteries functional again (which was five days, since they had to deal with a small brain hemorrhage and couldn't work on my heart until my brain was taken care since the heart procedures require a large amount of blood thinners)). I also wear a "defibrillator bra" called a "Lifevest" pretty much 24/7, except when I shower, in case I have a dangerous arrhythmia or another heart attack. It's temporary, though, until a more permanent solution is found from my team of doctors over the next few months.



Anyways, I also lost a lot of money from whole ordeal between the expenses and all of the work that I do having suddenly being missed out on in a liquid market economy. I've realized that I don't live for myself enough and that there are many things that I want to do instead of being tied to working (even from home) and being tied to an extremely tight schedule that never let me travel or visit places and people that I wanted to, or spend time with my beloved like I want to, having adventures out in the world and doing considerably more of what we like without being confined to work and other things that tie us down.

So, I learned that I need to consider myself more and not-so-much my plethora or jobs and responsibilities. I also learned that I simply cannot handle tremendous loads of stress anymore (especially now >.< ) and I need to make managing stress and easing my stresses a significantly greater priority.

Have you had a serious encounter with your own mortality that gave you a new view of yourself and/or the world?

Dear lord I hope you're doing ok

[Lady Dragonheart]

I'm glad you're still with us Lady Dragonheart.

Thanks. Trust me, I'm glad to still be here.

I've had near misses a time or two driving on the highway which would've killed me, but I never gave those instances a second thought.

I've had many of those as well, especially in the state that I live currently... a lot of people are very poor drivers here. :|

- - - Updated - - -

Oh no! I am so sorry to hear about that! You're so young to have to undergo such an ordeal like that, too...we don't talk about heart disease in young to middle aged people enough, nor in women. It's often depicted as a gendered disorder when it's not.

I'm glad you're still with us.

Actually, I understand that a lot of doctors simply gave up on my case... I was out for many days after it happened, so I only know it through nurses, family, and a few of the doctors that came to my room after the procedures. A specialist doctor that takes on incredibly high-risk cases was flown in and took over my case, but before that my husband said that all of the doctors where I was flown to (I was helicoptered in from my local hospital), were attempting to convince him and the the family that I wasn't savable. He pushed them to call every doctor in the state (and nearby states) for any doctor with the proper qualifications that would take it on.

After that there were several more scary incidents that happens as well, while I was sedated... I'm surprised that I made it out alive and as well as I am with several extremely low chance operations that went on. >.<

[Laerrus]

Aw girl that sucks, good to hear that you pulled through.

About two years ago I had an anxiety attack that made me think I was having a heart attack. At the time I was 270lbs and a pack a day smoker for 20 years. I did quit smoking but continued to eat a high carb, high sodium, and high processed food diet. Late last year I maxed out at 285 lbs (about 100 over where I should be), had frequent bouts of shortness of breath, I had almost no energy to do anything outside of work, my extremities were retaining water, I had a lot of chest pain with some of it radiating into my left shoulder, my sys/dys blood pressure was averaging 160/100 and Triglycerides and other bad cholesterol were through the roof. Going to sleep was difficult for me, as I feared that each time that I laid down it would be my last. This woke me up and helped me to realize that if I continued on this path, I would not be able to grow old and see my Daughters grow up, (we just had Daughter number four on Friday btw ).

A guildmate recommended that I watch Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead and try doing a juice cleanse. Since the holidays, I have lost nearly 40 lbs, I weighed just over 245 this morning. I've modified a few things to fit my work needs, by incorporating a couple of whey protein shakes daily. I am a Licensed Massage Therapist by trade so any form of muscle atrophy that comes with dieting would be a bad thing. I no longer drink sodas and I try to avoid fast food as much as possible. My blood pressure has been averaging in the 120/70 range and my limbs am no longer swelling. Current goal is to begin some HIIT soon and lose another 45lbs by Summer.

Probably about the closest I have come to death was in the barracks over at my unit in Korea. Over there, I once drank a 1000ml of Jagermeister in one sitting. I woke up in the bottom of the shower, waterlogged, next morning and 8 hours later. I have no memory of anything that happened that night. I guess I am pretty lucky that I didn't die of alcohol poisoning. It left me with a healthier respect for alcohol. I still drink, but not to get completely smashed.

[Lady Dragonheart]

Dear lord I hope you're doing ok

As much as I can be... It's a lot of pain, extremely limited mobility, many restless nights, and a creeping fear that it can happen again at any time (even though I have a defibrillator bra that can potentially save me from it). It will slowly get better, and it's better than being dead, and it could have been a lot worse, but it is very hard to deal with.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

As much as I can be... It's a lot of pain, extremely limited mobility, many restless nights, and a creeping fear that it can happen again at any time (even though I have a defibrillator bra that can potentially save me from it). It will slowly get better, and it's better than being dead, and it could have been a lot worse, but it is very hard to deal with.

Well, glad you're alive. You suddenly disappearing would be very jarring... and sad.


OT: No near death experiences.......yet

[Minaah]

Yep, Back in 2001, my modified gas/brake system in my handicap-accessible mini-van failed, lost my brakes going downhill at rush hour thru a busy intersection. Luckily me & my sis were ok when I finally got car stopped--- only minor cuts & bruises; van was a loss tho; 85k worth of equipment, shot.

I don't drive anymore & am a rather anxious passenger when out with others, /sadface

Happy to still be alive & kickin.

[Deleted]

I actually did, twice.

Once I almost got electrocuted by an old, unsafe electrical outlet. It taught me to always take care when handling electrical appliances.
Another time, when I was 5 or 6 or so, I almost choked to death on a large gobstopper. My dad had to fish it out of my throat. If he wasn't there I would've likely choked to death. Ever since then I'm always careful about chewing my food and I've never touched a gobstopper/unchewable foods ever again.

Stupid examples, but they did impact my behavior beyond what is reasonable or normal.

[Chinese Bootlickers]

Back around early 2011 I was feeling more depressed than usual and tried to kill myself, took about 15 10mg pills of Ambien. Didn't work, but I learned that if I ever do attempt to kill myself, make sure the method is instant, or near instantaneous.

[Dellis0991]

What I learned was a lack of gun maintenance saved my life.

[Exeris]

Was 17 on a modified moped doing 90kmh around a corner and a car had stopped with it's blinkers on ready to turn off the road, the way I was leaning I couldn't break much, maybe down to 80kmh.

With the speed I couldn't turn and drive on the right side of the car either, my only option was to use the other lane that had a lot of traffic from people coming out of town but there was a small gap almost like it was made for me.

When I had a chance to stop I felt so lucky and happy and I almost threw up, been much more responsible after that and still feel uneasy thinking about it, I don't like thinking about how it would be driving into the back of a car at 80-90kmh protected by a helmet. The helmet wasn't ment to be used at those speeds either, it wasn't a motorcycle helmet.

[Skulltaker]

I always wonder if hospital staff manage to tell someone directly or indirectly that their drug use caused their child's death. Does the mother ask or care?

You are highly advised against it if she doesn't ask. Most of them do, though. You cannot say it in general, because each case is different.

My first lived 26 minutes. Mother decided late term pregnancy was a good time to do heavy drugs, and came to the hospital when baby stopped turning or responding; numerous blood clots forming that the unborn child couldn't clear away, and emergency c-section followed by ACLS, but well.. the take away point basically came down to how little our physical lives are worth as the world turns.

Damn. I hate this kind of cases. Sorry, as a first that must've been rough.

[Jtbrig7390]

Was in a 4 car pile up last September. Woman hit my (my gf's) car (in her company van) doing about 80MPH and shoved us into a car, that got got shoved into another and that into one more.

Walk out of it with nothing wrong, Just had breathing issues due to asthma. So I went out on a stretcher and ambulance. Bounced around the car a bit on impact but nothing major.

Same day while getting checked out at the hospital, The first thing I saw on tv was the news reporting another (4 or 5 car) pile up where one person died.

Only thing that crossed my mind was wow I should have been injured more then what I was. Sometimes to this day I think about it and think that.

Our car was totaled and we just got it like 2 months before.

[Exeris]

I actually did, twice.

Once I almost got electrocuted by an old, unsafe electrical outlet. It taught me to always take care when handling electrical appliances.
Another time, when I was 5 or 6 or so, I almost choked to death on a large gobstopper. My dad had to fish it out of my throat. If he wasn't there I would've likely choked to death. Ever since then I'm always careful about chewing my food and I've never touched a gobstopper/unchewable foods ever again.

Stupid examples, but they did impact my behavior beyond what is reasonable or normal.

Ooooo I forgot about that, was about 6 or 7 and the psu on my nintendo broke, I put the wires directly into the wall socket, there was loud bang and I fell on my ass and was blind for a short time.

[Aoyi]

I had a couple incidents last year that brought me pretty close. I've been fighting cancer since 2015. I had one somewhat risky surgery for the tumor removal (major thoracic) that resulted in the removal of the top half of my left lung, portion of my diaphragm, the sac around my heart, and various other snips to remove the tumor. Two and a half weeks later, I collapsed with horrific pain in my chest and very labored breathing. I was bleeding internally and had to be rushed in for emergency surgery. I had a few other incidents during the year (4 surgeries) and another tumor appear that's inoperable. I went through 111 days of cancer treatment/hospital stay and several more months of recovery involving throwing up 1-5 times a day from the medicines. I lost 62 pounds and wasn't that big to begin with. 28 of that was lost in a 15 day period. I have several life long health issues now, though the cancer seems to be in remission. I'm disabled, but I'm alive.

One of the strangest feeling during it was the holidays/my birthday. I remember thinking, "This is it. My last Christmas (birthday, etc.)." It put a new perspective on my life. I don't drive as much now, so my wife drives most places. I find that I stopped looking at my phone and started just staring at life around me. I take everything in. I appreciate life and how precious it is. I know I'll never be old self again, but I'm here. I want to make the most of it and live as long as I can. I don't believe in any afterlife, so I want to just appreciate the time I do have. This summer, I'm planning on getting together with a bunch of other cancer fighters and go kayaking. I've never done anything like that before, but I'll take in the experience and enjoy as much as I can.

[Molis]

Never had a near death experience myself. When I was 10 my brother and I were playing at a park next to our community pool. A small girl ,maybe 5, walked by the pool to pick up something she left there (she wasnt supposed to be there) she fell in and my brother and I fished her out.

Always wondered what happened to her. She did not start WW3 yet so I guess we were supposed to save her.


PS Take care of yourself LD. We do not need anyone dying on MMOC.
Start with something simple like finding a piece of fish you might enjoy instead of the Ribeye.

[Torgent]

As much as I can be... It's a lot of pain, extremely limited mobility, many restless nights, and a creeping fear that it can happen again at any time (even though I have a defibrillator bra that can potentially save me from it). It will slowly get better, and it's better than being dead, and it could have been a lot worse, but it is very hard to deal with.

Damn, after reading this, my eyes are a little sweaty. Take care of yourself and take it easy. I can't imagine what you're going through, but I know that if you stay strong and commit to it, you will improve. Keep strong and you know MMOC is here behind you.

[Lex Icon]

only thing i've learned is that my being aware of my mortality sucks.

[Chinese Bootlickers]

Was 17 on a modified moped doing 90kmh around a corner and a car had stopped with it's blinkers on ready to turn off the road, the way I was leaning I couldn't break much, maybe down to 80kmh.

With the speed I couldn't turn and drive on the right side of the car either, my only option was to use the other lane that had a lot of traffic from people coming out of town but there was a small gap almost like it was made for me.

When I had a chance to stop I felt so lucky and happy and I almost threw up, been much more responsible after that and still feel uneasy thinking about it, I don't like thinking about how it would be driving into the back of a car at 80-90kmh protected by a helmet. The helmet wasn't ment to be used at those speeds either, it wasn't a motorcycle helmet.

My mom had a similar experience when she was learning to ride motorcycles in '09. There was(At least then) a lot of rarely traversed 2 lane roads near our neighborhood, so it was kinda ideal for getting used to riding, 'cept for one part. One of these roads has a ridiculously sharp turn(Around 80 degrees or so) after a long stretch of road with 50-60 mph speed limit.
She was on my dad's Ninja 250 and he was following her on his Harley Sportster(First mistake) and they get to the corner she's going a bit too fast and there was a car coming in the other lane, so it was either ditch the bike in the shoulder or become a hood ornament on a Buick, she went with the former. Fucked up her right shoulder pretty bad, but it's mostly healed now. Had my dad been leading and setting the pace it probably would've never happened
They recently redid that part of road and now the turn is an ever "safer" 75 degree turn with 4 lanes*facepalm*.

[Deleted]

Almost drowned thrice as a kid, was also born late with lungs full of slime so I wouldn't be here without the ol' iron lungs.

Managed to not get myself into anything stupid later on despite some rough times.