I thought I had shared my husband's whole NDE here but I guess I didn't. I only mentioned parts of it. So I feel like sharing it now. He had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure and given five years to live previous to this.
My husband was 42 years old at this time. He did not believe that NDEs were real experiences but I did although I also had some doubts. He had gone to a Weight Watchers meeting one evening and he called me and said that he wasn't feeling well so he went to the ER. I told him that I would be there as soon as possible.
Upon arriving at the ER, the doctors were saying that all the tests were normal and that they were going to release him. That's when I became a little irritated and upset and disagreeing with the doctors. I said that my husband doesn't go to the ER for no reason and that he had to be feeling really bad and that they were not going to release him and to at least keep him overnight and to keep him under observation. I knew my husband very well and I knew something was going on and that he needed medical attention.
After more disagreement with the doctors, they saw that I wasn't going to change my mind for him to be released under any circumstances. .I was very adamant about that and I didn't care if they even called security on me. They had a very upset woman on their hands.
So they decided to admit him. I stayed up all night sitting by his hospital bed watching him closely. He finally went to sleep. The next day he had no appetite and wouldn't eat. That was very unusual for my husband because he always ate big meals.
Later in the day I was exhausted and he told me to go home for awhile and get some rest. I was so tired and exhausted that I didn't think I could even drive home. And I didn't want to leave him but he told me he would be alright and the nurse told me that she would call me immediately if there was a change.
I hesitantly decided to leave feeling like it wasn't the right thing to do and what if something happened and I wasn't there. But I was just so tired that I didn't have the strength to disagree so I left and began to drive home. It was dark and I almost ran off the road because I was so tired. I realize now what a big mistake it was to leave the hospital.
I went to sleep that night at home feeling very uneasy keeping the phone close by the bed. Early that morning, I was awakened by the phone ringing about 6;30. In a daze I heard the nurse say that he had gone into cardiac arrest and that the doctors were working on him trying to revive him, that his heart had stopped beating, and that I should come to the hospital right away.
My oldest son had to drive me there because I was too upset and shaky. When we arrived at the hospital, the doctor told me that he had gone into cardiac arrest earlier that morning and that it took thirty minutes to revive him. I was sort of surprised that they worked to revive him for that long. The doctor told me that there was this one petite nurse who refused to give up until his heart was beating again.
I was also told by the doctor that he may have short term and long term memory loss and to expect that. The first time we saw him after that, he had this big tube down his throat and he was strapped down. He was very agitated and wanted to talk to us and was jerking on the straps. I asked if one of his hands could be unstrapped and gave him some paper and a pen but he couldn't write what he wanted to say to us.
After a few days, the tube was removed and they took off the straps. The first thing he did was to start crying really hard as he was trying to speak to us but he couldn't stop crying long enough. Such huge tears. Finally he managed to say three words. The words he said were, "I saw Terry". Terry was his younger brother who had passed a few years earlier. After he said those three words, he broke down and cried again uncontrollably.
His sisters were in the room with us and we all tried to calm him down because he wanted to say more and we knew that. But we just let him take his time, crying as much as he needed to.
Then when he was ready, he told us that he went to this beautiful place filled with brilliant white light as far as you could see in all directions. He said he was so overwhelmed with the feeling of such powerful love, peace, happiness,, joy. He said it was beyond words to describe.
He said then he saw someone coming toward him and that it was Terry. He was so overjoyed to see his brother and that they talked about so many things that he couldn't remember all of it. He said that time seemed to go on forever. He said that his brother looked young and in perfect health and that he was smiling and happy.
Then he said that he had what is called a "life review" but he wasn't familiar with that term because he never took an interest in reading about NDEs so he didn't know what to call that. I knew what it was because I had read so many NDE stories and that is what those people call a "life review" but he didn't call it that. He just described what he saw.
He said that he saw all the people in his life who he had hurt through words and actions. And not only did he see them but he actually felt the hurt himself inside him that they felt when he hurt them. Then after that he said he wanted to go further into the light but his brother prevented him from doing that somehow. He said he didn't want to leave that place and return to his body that he knew would be filled with pain and that he would suffer. His brother told him that it wasn't the time for him yet that he still had things to do but that when he did return to that place that he would be there waiting for him. And so he returned.
And he was in pain and suffered. He later went to people and apologized for hurting them, even me. He told me many things that I am hesitant to mention because it may not go over well with certain beliefs and doctrines taught in churches. So I won't mention those things..But he did say that the churches had it all wrong.
His NDE had a major effect on him, such a change it was amazing. I saw that in so many ways, good ways.
During the next year his condition worsened and hospice had to help me. He didn't want to be in the hospital during his final weeks. He wanted to be home with his family around him. Then the time came and he slipped into a coma. I called all the family to come over because the hospice nurse said this was it. But before he slipped into the coma he was lucid and he told me that I had been a good wife and mother and that he couldn't have asked for a better wife and mother to our children. He also told me who he wanted his belongings to go.
We were all around his bed and suddenly he opened his eyes and took his last breath.....The thing that brought me the most comfort was knowing that he had retuned to that place of light that he didn't want to leave before and I knew he was happy and in total peace. And this time he went beyond the light and I knew that his brother was there to greet him. I can't describe the comfort and peace that brought me. If he hadn't had that NDE, I would have been devastated and grief stricken and wondering what happened to him after he passed.. I was sad and grieving but knowing that he was so happy and in peace and in that place again lessened my sadness and grief. He was 43 years old when he passed.
Home
Search
Calendar
Login
Register