Did you ever die...

[amberpi]

Is that you in your avatar? They did a good job with the trach. My sister had a really bad scar from hers.

This looks far worse than mine looks in person, but it's an up close, no makeup from this morning. It gets better all the time, but if your sister struggles with being self conscious, she shouldn't be! I'll post a pic of it covered if you'd like too.

 

[bellebud]

This happened this past Aug. The pic is 2-3 years old. I have a scar from my trache, although its more a coloration issue than a scar. I have one next to it, kinda the same discoloration from a dialysis cath, again, not a scar, but discolored. I can pretty easily cover them both with makeup. I have a scar on my stomach from a jpeg getting displaced and having to be re-installed - its like a super white circle on the side of my stomach and much worse than my trache scar. That was incredibly painful.

Amber, I didn't realize this happened just this past August. You're obviously making a great recovery!

 

[amberpi]

Amber, I didn't realize this happened just this past August. You're obviously making a great recovery!

I still get tired more easily and deal with foot drop, and I'm absolutely a miracle. The docs say it was because I was in such good shape previous to the event.

 

[Shanti]

I've always understood that death is a medically binary and permanent thing. Not having vital signs is not the same as being clinically dead.

That's a common misconception. The clinical definition of death is when the heart stops and there is no respiration, which causes the brain to stop functioning due to lack of oxygen. Doctors have been able to revive people who have been dead for hours. That's very uncommon, but it occasionally happens under the right conditions (ideal temperature & the ideal resuscitation protocol followed). Reviving people who have only been dead for a few minutes is quite common, though.

 

[declansdad]

Great thread idea.

 

[amberpi]

Amber, I didn't realize this happened just this past August. You're obviously making a great recovery!

Thanks - I took a short contract this spring despite still sometimes looking like a drunk when I walk (I am fine, but when I get tired, my gait is effected), this summer I'm in PT and Barre with an instructor who is also a physical therapist. I'm truly a walking miracle, but there are still days that annoy the CRAP out of me. I can walk, and do daily, miles on nice flat surfaces, I tried our local renaissance festival on gravel walkways - faceplant Next year! I'll have it! I'm not letting a little thing like dying and having to relearn to walk slow me down!!! Looking at that upclose pic from earlier though? Made me a little sad.

 

[because]

This happened this past Aug. The pic is 2-3 years old. I have a scar from my trache, although its more a coloration issue than a scar. I have one next to it, kinda the same discoloration from a dialysis cath, again, not a scar, but discolored. I can pretty easily cover them both with makeup. I have a scar on my stomach from a jpeg getting displaced and having to be re-installed - its like a super white circle on the side of my stomach and much worse than my trache scar. That was incredibly painful.

A jpeg? Did you mean a g-tube? Did you need long time feeding care? You are doing so well for only 9 months out. You must have busted your butt in rehab!!

 

[amberpi]

A jpeg? Did you mean a g-tube? Did you need long time feeding care? You are doing so well for only 9 months out. You must have busted your butt in rehab!!

Lol, yes. I didn't even notice the autocorrect! When that thing got dislodged it was awful, they couldn't immediately figure out was wrong - truly painful.

You have no idea on the butt busting and subsequent falls. I could barely walk mid October (with a walker), by Thanksgiving, I could walk into family functions, even if I was exhausted pretty quickly. I had finished a beast mode bootcamp not 2 weeks before the event, and was in the best shape of my life. I'm already back to Barre classes, just don't do what I can't. My sternum was dislodged and still bothers me, but after being given life again, I let nothing slow me down. I walk everyday (4 miles) and am out and have been out and about in my neighborhood (walkable to restaurants, coffee houses, boutiques, bars, etc.) for months. Like I said some things - like gravel - are a problem, but I could (and thought I was) go to WDW right now since its nice and flat. I'm going to have to assess if the moving walkways are a problem, but while I have to go slow, I can do them at the airport. The only thing that gets me down is when people call me skinny - I've always been thin. If you're on long term feeding, your stomach shrinks, with a natural small app re-gaining the weight to my normal has been a pain. Not fun, but I've ignored being temporarily disabled since January as much as possible. I'll get there by Aug. 6, that'll be a year. It really makes me happy for anyone to say I'm doing well. Its hard to see in the day to day. I got to the point of being to walk pretty fast, the balance/foot drop recovery is in tiny bits... and I'm grateful for all of it.

 

[Alice Sr.]

Lol, yes. I didn't even notice the autocorrect! When that thing got dislodged it was awful, they couldn't immediately figure out was wrong - truly painful.

You have no idea on the butt busting and subsequent falls. I could barely walk mid October (with a walker), by Thanksgiving, I could walk into family functions, even if I was exhausted pretty quickly. I had finished a beast mode bootcamp not 2 weeks before the event, and was in the best shape of my life. I'm already back to Barre classes, just don't do what I can't. My sternum was dislodged and still bothers me, but after being given life again, I let nothing slow me down. I walk everyday (4 miles) and am out and have been out and about in my neighborhood (walkable to restaurants, coffee houses, boutiques, bars, etc.) for months. Like I said some things - like gravel - are a problem, but I could (and thought I was) go to WDW right now since its nice and flat. I'm going to have to assess if the moving walkways are a problem, but while I have to go slow, I can do them at the airport. The only thing that gets me down is when people call me skinny - I've always been thin. If you're on long term feeding, your stomach shrinks, with a natural small app re-gaining the weight to my normal has been a pain. Not fun, but I've ignored being temporarily disabled since January as much as possible. I'll get there by Aug. 6, that'll be a year. It really makes me happy for anyone to say I'm doing well. Its hard to see in the day to day. I got to the point of being to walk pretty fast, the balance/foot drop recovery is in tiny bits... and I'm grateful for all of it.

You are a miracle and a powerful testimony in many ways. My heart breaks for your face plants. My husband had a derailed train fall on him so also lives with a drop-foot, very frustrating I know. I think between science your work ethic you will overcome that issue. Your positivity so close to the PT is amazing. Thanks for sharing your story.

 

[Snap Crackle Pop]

Its a pretty typical thing when you lay on a cold hard floors for hours...I had no idea, but the doctors did. It wasn't hypothermia like I'd ever thought of, no frost bite, it was low heart rate, low blood pressure, low body temp. I do remember these warming blankets they had on me being heaven.

I got hypothermia from sitting in a cold shower.

 

[phamton]

That's a common misconception. The clinical definition of death is when the heart stops and there is no respiration, which causes the brain to stop functioning due to lack of oxygen. Doctors have been able to revive people who have been dead for hours. That's very uncommon, but it occasionally happens under the right conditions (ideal temperature & the ideal resuscitation protocol followed). Reviving people who have only been dead for a few minutes is quite common, though.

Then why is it called a near death experience?

The scientific/medical definitions I found all seemed to say "Death is defined as the cessation of all vital functions of the body including the heartbeat, brain activity (including the brain stem), and breathing." So if the brain or brain stem still have activity then it is not death. During heart bypass isn't heartbeat and breathing stopped? Merriam Webster defines it as: the irreversible cessation of all vital functions especially as indicated by permanent stoppage of the heart, respiration, and brain activity.

It's similar to when people say someone is electrocuted or drowned. Electrocution means death by electric shock and drowning denotes death. So really they mean that they were shocked or they almost drowned. IMO if your heart stops and you are revived then you had a near death experience (Jesus and Lazarus excluded. )

 

[amberpi]

Then why is it called a near death experience?

The scientific/medical definitions I found all seemed to say "Death is defined as the cessation of all vital functions of the body including the heartbeat, brain activity (including the brain stem), and breathing." So if the brain or brain stem still have activity then it is not death. During heart bypass isn't heartbeat and breathing stopped? Merriam Webster defines it as: the irreversible cessation of all vital functions especially as indicated by permanent stoppage of the heart, respiration, and brain activity.

It's similar to when people say someone is electrocuted or drowned. Electrocution means death by electric shock and drowning denotes death. So really they mean that they were shocked or they almost drowned. IMO if your heart stops and you are revived then you had a near death experience (Jesus and Lazarus excluded. )

.

 

[Snap Crackle Pop]

I'm in a support group for people who ACTUALLY died. I couldn't disagree more, and I'm just going to leave it at that. Let's just say, people who have died, hate this crap.

I'm in a support group for people who also have gotten hypothermia from falling asleep in the shower. It's a shame because people don't think that you can get hypothermia from sleeping in the shower and it's just so upsetting to me.

 

[jt'smom]

I flatlined during my brainstem surgery 15 years ago. I couldn't tell you what happened. My tumor sits right in the area of the brainstem that controls blood pressure, heartbeat and respiration, and when they were trying to grab a mm sample they poked the wrong thing. All I know is they got me back, I flatlined again, and they told my family I was lucky to be alive. I don't have type of memory about it. But I can tell you that even if they told me they had some amazing new technology and skilled robot that could slice my tumor out, I wouldn't do. No one is EVER mucking around in my brainstem ever again!

 

[amberpi]

I'm in a support group for people who also have gotten hypothermia from falling asleep in the shower. It's a shame because people don't think that you can get hypothermia from sleeping in the shower and it's just so upsetting to me.

.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I'm dead right now.


OooOoooOOoooooooo

 

[phamton]

That's ok FlightlessDuck because I see dead people.

I was not trying to offend anyone with my posts. I was just posting the legal/ medical/scientific "definition" of death. If people say they have personally experienced death, far be it for me to question that. Your definition of death is from your own personal and/or religious experience. It is yours and yours alone to use whatever terminology/word that you choose. But I am still going to question people who touched an electric fence and say they were electrocuted when they were just shocked. (electrocution=death)

 

[AustinMommyofThree]

That's ok FlightlessDuck because I see dead people.

I was not trying to offend anyone with my posts. I was just posting the legal/ medical/scientific "definition" of death. If people say they have personally experienced death, far be it for me to question that. Your definition of death is from your own personal and/or religious experience. It is yours and yours alone to use whatever terminology/word that you choose. But I am still going to question people who touched an electric fence and say they were electrocuted when they were just shocked. (electrocution=death)

I agree with your definition and I cannot see how posting the definition of death could be offensive. I think some people feel a need to have their own cool stories to win what they perceive as a contest or to bring attention to themselves, but dead is dead and it's permanent. Anything else is near-death in my opinion, and that's significant to those who go through it, but it's not death.

 

[Kellykins1218]

No, because if you die that means your dead. Now, my dad's heart stopped and they did CPR for 25 minutes before they got it completely restarted. He lived for several years after that. He didn't go around bragging that he had died, though. If it came up, he would talk about how amazing the paramedics, the doctors, and the nurses were.

 

[SirDuff]

I've posted about it before. I died due to a brain event, after getting to the hospital and being treated for the event, and stablized after getting hypotherma, I was out for hours on the marble tile floor in my bathroom for hours, I still had an undetected bleed. I died for 3:35, heart, lung, renal failure, dialysis briefly (my kidneys came back to normal pretty quick) trached for 5-6 weeks, 10 weeks in the hospital, months in PT relearning to walk. I still have some balance issues and my feet can still have foot drop if I'm really tired. Life is truly a mirable and I'm blessed with my friends and family. I died in the middle of the night when the doctors thought I was stable. I never spent another night in the hospital alone after that. #blessedandgrateful

What kind of hospital were you in that you could spend hours on the bathroom floor with no one noticing? For that matter, what kind of hospital has marble bathroom floors (guess the US healthcare system is much better than the Canadian one ).