I've been legally dead (but I got better). AMA.

[iloveeverykindofcat]

Don't think I've seen an AMA for this on mumsnet, so have at.

It’s just like you are before you are born. I like that.

The idea of heaven fills me with dread, endless and never ending same stuff, singing praises to a god with no reprieve. Hideous. I’m glad it’s a fiction.

Yes, just like before you were born. Nothing to fear.

I am lucky to be alive, but equally it was unlucky accident, so unlucky but then very lucky! My neighbour found me. They heard the fall and then silence so after a few minutes rang the doorbell, looked through the letterbox and could see part of me (I think?) and in anycase ended up calling 999. The police did break my door. I'm not 100 percent clear on the chain of events because obviously I was unconscious and this was a few years ago but it went something like that.

Yes I do appreciate things more. But also I guess I'm a bit more - risk prone, oddly enough! Not reckless, but just like, well, what's the worst that could happen sort of way. Like soon I might have a choice between a permanent job contract that I kind of want and a temporary one that I actively do one. I'm inclined to take the temporary one.

And I did give my neighbour chocolates and a card when I got out of hospital by the way!

Did they break your ribs doing cpr?

What an experience, OP! The coma certainly adds another level to your trauma.
I too clinically died two years ago and for me, it's been a real third-eye-open type of existence ever since.
My physical recovery took 6 months. The emotional recovery took about a year... much harder than the physical stuff.
You become more than just life, I feel.

Hope you're doing well and living life, unafraid and with meaning.

Christ! I don't want to be morbid (on a thread about dying ), but it's something to know you couldn't remember the accident. If you'd died, people would've been thinking 'poor OP she must've been so scared or panicking in her final moments'...sorry nothing really to ask but it's been an interesting read.

@LovelyQuiche

Did they break your ribs doing cpr?

It's the OP's thread so, forgive me for hijacking it! But they broke mine. That was a really hard part of the initial recovery for me. But there's so much 'recovery' going on, physically and mentally, that the pain of this, for me anyway, became part of a collective pain.

How was this for you, OP? I imagine they broke a rib or more. They usually.

Me too OP I died during surgery as a 7 year old. Was resuscitated and only just made it. No great visions of heaven or tunnels at all but I've always had a strong feeling I brought something back. Some sort of a guardian who looks after me. I've had a hard life but always managed to win through. I'm 60 now.

@iloveeverykindofcat

Nothing to ask because I was also clinically dead and weirdly I'm the same as you re: risk now.

There was a little break but it wasn't too bad and healed fast (thanks relative youth). Definitely for me the hardest/strangest part of the recovery was taking on board that it happened. I mean consider this - you're here, typing at your computer or going about your day, everything is normal,

• time skips -

You wake up in hospital and learn you died and got revived. Whaaaat?!? I think I'm living well thanks. I mean I have my struggles same as everyone but I have a little morbid joke with myself when I'm worrying about something like 'What's the worst that could happen? I die? Eh, I've died before '. Don't get me wrong it did take a fair bit of processing but I think I'm probably a calmer person overall now.

Wow, you were extremely lucky that you were revived before any brain damage occurred. That must be a weird feeling.

I guess you'll always have something interesting to say when you get that interview question "tell me something interesting about yourself?"

Blimey Police must have got there fast! Does the fact it was such a freak accident change things/thoughts? It does make me think for sure.

Most people are disappointed that I don't have any tales from the other side, I find. But I looked into it afterwards and apparently the visions etc that people report aren't that common really. A lost of people who've been clinically dead report 'nothing'.

Well maybe there is something to it, if not everyone reports visions.
The spiritual experiences people report back, are often dismissed as common place and a result of brain chemicals.
I find both yours and their experiences interesting, all seem to come back and report a different perspective on life and seem to lose the fear of death.

@iloveeverykindofcat

There was a little break but it wasn't too bad and healed fast (thanks relative youth). Definitely for me the hardest/strangest part of the recovery was taking on board that it happened. I mean consider this - you're here, typing at your computer or going about your day, everything is normal,

• time skips -

You wake up in hospital and learn you died and got revived. Whaaaat?!? I think I'm living well thanks. I mean I have my struggles same as everyone but I have a little morbid joke with myself when I'm worrying about something like 'What's the worst that could happen? I die? Eh, I've died before '. Don't get me wrong it did take a fair bit of processing but I think I'm probably a calmer person overall now.

That reminds me a lot of the musical episode of Buffy, where everyone sings "It's do or die," and she adds cheerily, "Hey, I've died twice!" She was also in the clinically-dead-but-then-revived club.

Glad you're still on this plane of existence.

Yes they must have. I lived very close to both a police station and the hospital. Everything lined up for my survival. Then again, I don't know how long I was unconscious for - quite possibly I was still intaking some oxygen for a while. Yes the freak nature of it definitely changed my perspective on life - acknowldgement that everything is temporary and everything could change at any second. Although I still 'forget' that sometimes. I think to an extent we have to act as though we have more control over events than we truly do, otherwise we'd never get anything done.

@AnnUumellmahaye

Well maybe there is something to it, if not everyone reports visions. The spiritual experiences people report back, are often dismissed as common place and a result of brain chemicals. I find both yours and their experiences interesting, all seem to come back and report a different perspective on life and seem to lose the fear of death.

Sorry, but there really is no mystery about the "visions" and mystical feelings of some people's near-death experiences. They're a function of oxygen deprivation. People are very prone to having visions and mystical feelings in the above 8,000 metre zone on Everest. Because they're oxygen deprived.

I'm off out now, will check later if there are any more questions.

Did an air ambulance attend to you?

I can’t get over how lucky that was your neighbour not only heard something but even checked . That is completely amazingly lucky somehow. I am traumatised just thinking about you and glad you are ok

No air ambulance - like I say I lived close to a hospital at that time so I guess there was no need.
Yes I was super lucky! Perhaps the factor that I'm a trained swimmer worked in my favour - my lungs are strong. I used to swim at county level, though that was years ago. I do remember someone in ICU checking my vitals and oxygen sats after I woke up and saying 'Someone up there likes you'.

Do you remember falling? What's the last part you recall?

Do you know why you were in the stairwell? So interesting to me that you don't remember it. Someone could have pushed you!

I didn't realise people weee afraid of being dead.

Dying yes, as it can be extremely painful, but death is no more, I thought that was pretty obvious.

No, I lost about 2 days of memory before the accident. No idea what I thought I was doing, but I was apparently carrying a laptop (which broke). The last thing I remember is going to bed on a Sunday night.