What's the most dangerous thing you have survived?

[AbsentmindedWoman]

Curious about all kinds of narrow squeaks, really. I find it fascinating because they can be dramatic or terrifying like a car accident or being held up at knifepoint, or something that happens in the blink of an eye and death/ serious damage is averted thanks to sheer good luck! I seem to have had a fair few of the latter experiences (falls off horses, best friend pulling me out of the way of a bus by a hair's breadth, etc) but no big event.

I love how tough human beings are and what we can survive. What's the maddest and baddest thing you have survived?

I had measles as a toddler (back in the 60's) it almost killed me, I was unconscious for 3 weeks and too ill to be taken to hospital, our GP came round every day after morning surgery, the day before I regained consciousness he told my mum to prepare for the worst, he was shocked to find me awake and crying for food on his next visit, I lost much of my memory from before that, things like how to walk, count, the alphabet, colours, how to hold and use cutlery, the only things that I could remember were my family, my tricycle (but not how to ride it) our police pedal car but not how work the pedals) and our budgie that managed to escape.

Been held at knifepoint once. Was fine (but not psychologically)!

Also had sepsis. Not fun.

Was static line skydiving for the first time with university skydiving club at age 18 and parachute lines got twisted when they came out. Managed to stay calm and remember training and untwist them. Textbook landing. Never skydived since. Worse bit of it was I hadn't told anybody I was doing it as was a very last minute thing so I called my mum when I landed and we both started crying down the phone.

Oh and I nearly drowned when I was about 8 on holiday in Spain. I was messing around in the pool on one of those giant inflatable rings and got stuck in the middle bit with my head underwater. Luckily I managed to wriggle free before passing out.

C-section scar rupture with DS2.

A small plane I was in was hit by lightning, that was incredibly frightening. The cabin crew were all crying.

I also fell through a greenhouse without a scratch when I was about 8.

Finding out I'm very allergic to cats and baby number 4.

Mugged at gunpoint walking home from work after dark in Boston

At a public firework display and a firework misfired. I had bent down to ask DS, then ages two and toilet training, if he needed a wee.

Apparently the firework ran along the top of my back as I bent down. Standing up I would have got it full in the chest.

I was held hostage with a gun to my head in an armed robbery where I worked when I was about 20. Oddly enough, it didn't scare me at all and I went back in 2 days later when it reopened. Which cost me a 5 figure sum in compo .

When I was 5 a blanket by the fire caught on fire. I took my 2 year old and few month old sisters to the next door flat who alerted the firebrigade. We had been left home alone, not surprisingly we were then taken into care.

We were at Alton towers and DH wanted to go on the smiler. Queue was 1 hour so he decided he couldn’t be bothered to wait. An hour later the smiler crashed!

7/7
Pre eclampsia with DS 1&2
Sepsis

I'm so scared I'm using up my guardian angel's help...

I've had a few accidents from horses, but the worst one I was on a road (well, the pavement) and got thrown and there were three cars coming from both directions. I landed in the road and all cars managed to stop before hitting me. I ended up with stitches in my face and a leg that was bruised and swollen for the next 8 weeks, but I was lucky.

I was also lucky when I developed a sudden-onset hemepleagic migraine while driving my car. I was able to stop and then drifted in and out of consciousness for 15-30 minutes, while paralysed down my right side. When I came round, I called an ambulance which took over an hour to find me because of my remote location. i had very few lasting ill effects from that, but enough to be a constant reminder. I was absolutely terrified. I thought I'd had a stroke and so did the paramedics initially.

Very ill with whooping cough and then measles, as a child. Very poorly with jaundice and gall stones. Ovarian cancer.

Some of these are so scary and heartbreaking!

Blood cancer and stem cell transplant. Touch wood.

A murderer came after me after witnessing them murder someone

Sepsis 3 years ago.

My mother carried me from a burning building when I was 3. The fire was in the bedroom I was sleeping in.

I don’t know why I automatically think of the terrorist attack and not that. I guess because it was more recent 🤷‍♀️

My mother deliberately overdosing me on meds when I was 5 and my older brother threatening to kill himself and take me with him when I was the same age.

Sepsis as a newborn, only because a midwife passed and noticed that I was grunting that I’m here, I contracted it via my mum as she had group b strep. It’s still not routinely tested for now which makes me so mad.

Massive PPH with dc1, DH thought I was dying. He said it looked like a horror film and all the alarms were going off as people piled into the room. I was unconcious so totally oblivious but he was very traumatised.

As an older teenager there was a knock at the door late one evening, it was the young lad from next door asking us to call an ambulance, my mum had already gone to bed so I did, he explained that his sister had stabbed his stepdad. As I called the ambulance I went next door so I could explain what had happened to the operator, as I was entering she was walking out with the knife still in her hands. I tried to save him by applying pressure but the wound was in his neck so realistically there wasn’t much hope but I did try. When I think about it now, she obviously wasn’t of sound mind and she could have taken offence at me appearing to try and administer first aid but the arrogance of youth had me strolling right in to the house!

Encephalitis in my mid-twenties. I'm only now realising how serious and uncommon it was, even though I had to learn to walk and talk properly again. It was quite scary but I didn't really get it at the time.

Probably a couple of times when taking drugs. Not literally 'going to die' but definitely being so 'fucked up' the overwhelming feelings were way too much, vomiting, eyes rolling, just not a nice feeling thinking back

I dunno why I or many other teenagers spent many a weekend taking drugs like mdma, cocaine, speed, and have come to believe only people with extremely low self esteem and security take drugs. I'm one to talk, but I can't help to think in the last couple of years the reason I haven't touched anything is because I must have more respect for myself and my life nowadays.

It must have changed my perspective completely when myself, cousin and many friends were at a party. I was after taking a few pills and was absolutely fucked. As in dunno what I'm doing at all fucked, apparently I gave my cousin pills (he always took them also) and next thing he was on the floor having a fit of some sort, and there was an ambulance called, I was so messed up I didn't even realise until throughout the night while coming down off these drugs that my own cousin was in hospital because of a PARTY. I couldn't even answer the phone to my aunt which also shows how selfish I am. He nearly died

My uncle said while picking us up to bring us to the hospital 'it's not worth the cheap thrill' nothing will stick with me more.

My cousin and me were like brother and sister and continued to hang around for months after until one night he was so high and paranoid he presumed I had stolen his drugs, kicked me out of his house and refused to talk to me for months, blocked me on everything. It hurts so much. I love him so much.

That's what drugs do, tear relationships apart and the odds of nearly dying are way too high for a 'cheap thrill' 

I will never forget my cousins face when he woke in a hospital bed with his mum and me next to him. The dread on his face. That's enough to scare me away from anything mind altering ever again

Having a wine bottle smashed over my head by my ex husband

Caught up in the 1996 Manchester bombing as a young teen out shopping with friends.

My drunk Dad trying to strangle me aged 13, it's like he didn't even see me, my mum had to smash his glass over his head to get him off me. I thought that was it.

Waking up naked in an unknown caravan after a night out aged 18, surrounded by 3 men with knives who were taking it in turns to rape me whilst laughing about what bits of me they were going to chop off first. 1 of them got a phone call and they all scarpered very quickly after reciting my address from my driving licence and threatening my entire household if I breathed a word ever. Most of that ordeal is a complete blur and I have no idea what the call was about but I know it saved my life.

More recently I wrote my car off, I thought I had had it then, for sure.