Have you ever had a near death experience? (infection, skin, heart rate)

[zzd]

Or thought you were going to die experience?

[mephie]

yes

[Calvert Hall '62]

Twice.


Feb. 1974, 13 months after kicking cigarettes. During those 13 months, I abandoned all exercise, including running, as well as my favorite hobby: weight lifting. Went from a solid 210 lbs. (6'1") to 270.


Because of the gas crisis, moved to GF's apt. which was close to the agency where we worked. One Sat, decided to work 4 hours OT. Took public transportation to work but walked back to her apt., a distance of one mile.


When back at the apt., I could not get sufficient O2 into the lungs. It's hard to describe the feeling of smothering. That night I lay on the living room floor rather than the bed so as not to disturb her sleep. 30 years old and I knew I wouldn't see Sun. morning. No sleep that night.


But Sun. came and unbeknownst to me, she walked to a pharmacy and brought back a humongous humidifier. Set it up. and eight hrs. later, I slowly started to recover. Related this tale to an MD but he just shrugged his shoulders. Self-diagnosis: Burned/dried out the pulmonary mucosa during the one mile walk.
____________


June 1979. My wife -- same woman as above -- and I went rural a couple of years earlier. So, on another Sat., I was outside, shirtless and hatless, for 8-10 hrs. without a break. That evening it began: heart rate 120, hot, dry skin, and diarrhea that just wouldn't quit.


These symptoms lasted six days during which time I was in a bed or the bathroom. I can just imagine what the electrolytes were. It couldn't have been heat exhaustion because that disorder features cold, clammy skin and slow heart rate. It was more like heat stroke with the hot skin and tachycardia, but it couldn't have been heat stroke either because you just do not survive untreated heat stroke. Only thing I'm reasonably confident about is that some sort of infection was involved, perhaps a soil-borne bacteria as I was working in dirt all day.


Even though I believed that my goose was cooked, I forbade my wife from contacting medical intervention. So for that, I again deserved another .


Young and stupid. Still stupid, but no longer young.

[Qtpie1968]

Yes....there has been once I thought I was going to die.....it wasn't pleasant.

[censusdata]

Closest for me so far was having meningitis at age 9. I didn't feel any sicker than with the flu but apparently I could have died or been left with permanent problems. Scariest moment, though not life threatening in hindsight, was when I had severe muscle tremors in my legs on back to back nights, the first night my leg muscles looked like ocean waves. Cause was pinched back nerve due to a bulging disc made worse by spinal stenosis and probably made worse by statin side effects.