Has a patient ever described a Near Death Experience to you?

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Sep 22, 2004

Wow, Jan. That's awesome. Can't deny the existence of God by stories like these, can we.

No, I think we've gotta accept that there's a higher power out there pulling the strings. I've been asked to take part in a project on spirituality in nursing, and this is one of the stories I plan to relate. But you know, I think I'm still gonna be very reluctant to go when it's my turn...

Shotzie · Sep 23, 2004

Wow!

This stuff is wonderful to read. Thanks Fran and all the rest of you.

merricat · Sep 23, 2004

that is a really nice story. sometimes i pray for people (and myself) and it does make me feel God must be listening.

FranEMTnurse, CNA, LPN, EMT-I · Sep 23, 2004

No, I think we've gotta accept that there's a higher power out there pulling the strings. I've been asked to take part in a project on spirituality in nursing, and this is one of the stories I plan to relate. But you know, I think I'm still gonna be very reluctant to go when it's my turn...

Why Jan? You should be eager to tell a story like that. How could even the most skeptical individual deny the existence of a higher power after hearing that?

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Sep 23, 2004

Fran, part of me is still terrified of dying, even though I've got such a powerful example of why not to be. I can't put my finger on the reason, I just know that feeling is there. It has nothing to do with faith; believe me, I've got a truckload of that! I've seen God's hand in so many events over the years not to know that He's listening and that whatever happens is His plan. Quite some time after Adam had his strokes and was in PICU in multi-organ failure, I stopped asking for a miracle and starting asking for a decision... either take him to Heaven or leave him with me, however he was going to be. The following day, he started getting better and in less than two weeks was out of PICU. I got my answer, and every day I thank God for it. Every day.

But I'm still scared to die.

FranEMTnurse, CNA, LPN, EMT-I · Sep 23, 2004

Wow. I guess you have to have had the experience yourself in order to understand the feeling of peace that exists. Trust me, Jan. There's nothing like it. But I also understand your feeling as you do. I would probably feel the same way too if I had not had my own NDE.

jad2 · Sep 24, 2004

I lost my dad in May. Mother's Day. Sunday the 9th.

Last year, when my Dad was in CICU, he was near death. Somehow he survived that time.

Anyway, he told me that he was "taken" to another place. He found himself sitting on a bench. Like a park bench. He noticed an older man, sitting next to him and this man told him that it was not his time.

A couple of weeks ago, I was missing him a lot. I was praying that God would let him talk to me. I wish I could pick up the phone, dial my parents old phone number and by some miracle he would answer and I could hear him again and I could ask him how he is doing.

I miss that my old man so much.

Anyway, that night I had a dream. He ( my dad) came to me and said that he was fine. I was trying to ask as many questions as I could...one after the other. The only question I recall the answer to was this one: "I am fine. I love it here. This place is so beautiful and so big. I could of never have imagine it..." He looked taller, had a nice suit on. Younger.

This gave me comfort.

I hope my story will offer hope and comfort to others in this community.

SmilingBluEyes · Sep 24, 2004

I had a friend describe it, birthing her baby in April. Have to go cook dinner. I will get back to you with the story; it stood my hair on end. It's in the archives of the OB thread someplace......that much I know.

CHATSDALE · Sep 24, 2004

my father had a nde a few days before he died....he had been very sick with copd and was in icu...he coded and they brought him around ... he was very mad about being revived....he told my mother that he had been in a beautiful garden and he was so happy that he had no pain no struggle for breath...he said he could hear them talking before he woke up..this gave my mother the strength to sign a dnr...and he slipped away...six months later my mother died in accident...

LadyMadonna · Sep 24, 2004

I lost my dad in May. Mother's Day. Sunday the 9th.
Last year, when my Dad was in CICU, he was near death. Somehow he survived that time.
Anyway, he told me that he was "taken" to another place. He found himself sitting on a bench. Like a park bench. He noticed an older man, sitting next to him and this man told him that it was not his time.
A couple of weeks ago, I was missing him a lot. I was praying that God would let him talk to me. I wish I could pick up the phone, dial my parents old phone number and by some miracle he would answer and I could hear him again and I could ask him how he is doing.
I miss that my old man so much.
Anyway, that night I had a dream. He ( my dad) came to me and said that he was fine. I was trying to ask as many questions as I could...one after the other. The only question I recall the answer to was this one: "I am fine. I love it here. This place is so beautiful and so big. I could of never have imagine it..." He looked taller, had a nice suit on. Younger.
This gave me comfort.
I hope my story will offer hope and comfort to others in this community.

These stories are so poignant. I wish I could talk to my dad again too. He died when I was 17 (I'm 29 now) from complications from his second triple bypass.

longroadahead · Sep 24, 2004

This doesn't exactly qualify as a near death experience, but I had a great friend pass away in April of 2003. We knew each other since we were in the 7th grade and it was our junior year of highschool that he died very suddenly of complications of mono. Anyway, I went to the funeral and the memorial service and felt awful not just for him but for his family as well who had experienced far too much death already. It was a couple months after he had passed that I had a dream. I was still really upset about him dying but not to the point where I couldn't sleep at night. In this dream I couldn't 'see' him, but I just 'knew' he was there - I can't explain it. It was just a bright light and there wasn't any talking but it was like I KNEW he was ok.

Woke up crying because I just felt that he had so much peace inside him and that he was alright - it was the greatest feeling of relief I've ever felt in my life.

So, that's my story...

Diaphoretic · Sep 24, 2004

I work in a long term care facility and 2 times now recently I have seen a man standing outside a residents room and within four hours each time of seeing this gentleman the residents have died it really weirds me out.. anyone see anything like this?