Daniel R NDE

Experience Description

Lower back surgery was sceduled for the morning of February 23, 2015. I get there and was prepped for my surgery. I was scared and nervous, but it helped to pray with the hospital priest and my wife. After a couple of hours, I went in for surgery. In my pillow case was a rosary, and pictures of my wife and 2 daughters. The surgery took two and a half hours, after which, they took me to the recovery room. The surgeon spoke to my wife and told her that the surgery was a success. After a while, I woke up and they moved me to a different room. The doctor and I spoke. He told me that I will hurt for a little bit but I can't have any pain medications, at all. I needed to build up a tolerance for the pain and that I was going to leave the next day. But before I left, I was going home with some equipment, a physical therapy treatment and a few other things. I was happy about all that. My surgeon and his team were amazing and knew exactly what they had to do. The nurses didn't pass the information about me not having pain medications to the next shift. So, after a couple hours of suffering with the excruciating pain, I asked my wife if she could get me a nurse. She does so and the nurse comes into the room.

I tell the nurse that I need something for the pain because I couldn't take it anymore. My wife told the nurse that I wasn't supposed to have any pain medications but the nurse didn't listen. She came back with morphine and told me, 'When you see a green light come on in the machine, that means its ready to be used.' I replied, 'ok.' The nurse didn't put the shut-off switch on the machine. The light kept turning green every couple minutes. Every time it turned green; I would shoot myself up with morphine. My wife noticed that I was turning blue. So she went to get the nurse. By the time the nurse came to my room, I had coded and passed away.

I saw a tunnel with a white light at the end of it. I headed towards the light. That's when I saw my grandmother. We asked how each other was doing. I told her that I was married with two girls and that I was very happy. I told her that I was sorry for not being there for her last day on this planet. I told her that I miss and love her. She told me that she was looking over me and she was my guardian angel. I told her. 'Thank you.' She said, 'You have to go now.' I said, 'No, I want to stay with you.' She opened her arms and called me over for a hug. When I went to go hug her and tell her that I love and miss her again, I woke up while taking a hard gasp of air.

My chest was on fire and my back was in ten times more pain than it was before. I saw my wife crying, so I begin to cry. The nurse went to get the priest. I also saw a cop standing by the door, so I begin to flip out. I couldn't tsay still in the hospital bed for about 20 to 25 minutes. The priest spoke to me. After a while, I begin to calm down. But I noticed that I had lost all feeling in my legs. My surgeon was called in and was chewing out the hospital staff. After everything calmed down, I was sent to the ICU floor for treatment.

I had to learn how to walk again. I also was attached to all types of machines and my doctor said that I wasn't leaving until I had a bowel movement. It took me a week to to use the bathroom. I had to learn how to get off the bed, because of the pain I was having from the turning and twisting of my back. I went from staying overnight and going home, to staying for a week in the hospital. When I asked my wife what happen to me while I was gone, she told me that I was blue in the face. She said I had shot myself up about 52 times with morphine, then I passed away. The nurses and doctors came in and tried CPR on me and then they used the defibrillator. My heartbeat was very faint, so they hit me with some adrenaline. That's when my whole body jerked and I woke up. To this day I find it hard to understand why this has happen to me. The pain in my back has gotten worst since the whole situation. From time to time, I still lose feeling in my legs and can't walk.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 02/23/2005

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes. Surgery-related. Drug or medication overdose. Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function)

How do you consider the content of your experience? Both pleasant AND distressing

Did you feel separated from your body? No. I clearly left my body and existed outside it

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness? Less consciousness and alertness than normal. I was dead.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? I was completely unconscious.

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? No

Were your senses More vivid than usual? No

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I couldn't see anything

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I couldn't hear anything

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere, as if by ESP? No

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes It was a long tunnel as I headed to the white light

Did you see any beings in your experience? I actually saw them

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Yes my grandmother

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? An unusually bright light

Did you see an unearthly light? Yes just a white light like they show on TV

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? No

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I don't know how I was feeling while I was outside my body

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Relief or calmness

Did you have a feeling of joy? Happiness

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? I felt no longer in conflict with nature

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? No

Did scenes from your past come back to you? No

Did scenes from the future come to you? No

Did you come to a border or point of no return? I came to a barrier that I was not permitted to cross; or was sent back against my will. The doctors used a defibrillator and adrenaline to bring me back

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Other or several faiths: Roman Catholic

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? It took sometime but I started to go back to church and pray a lot more.

What is your religion now? Other or several faiths: Still Roman Catholic

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was entirely consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes more religious

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? I encountered a definite being, or a voice clearly of mystical or unearthly origin. I was talking with my grandmother

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? I actually saw them

Did you encounter or become aware of any beings who previously lived on earth who are described by name in religions (for example: Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, etc.)? No

During your experience, did you gain information about premortal existence? No

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? No

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? No

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? No

During your experience, did you gain information about the meaning of life? No

During your experience, did you gain information about an afterlife? An afterlife definitely exists

Did you gain information about how to live our lives? No

During your experience, did you gain information about life's difficulties, challenges and hardships? No

During your experience, did you gain information about love? No

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Large changes in my life. I started to go back to church and be more of a family man.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Uncertain It's just a hard topic to talk about

How accurately do you remember the experience in comparison to other life events that occurred around the time of the experience? I remember the experience as accurately as other life events that occurred around the time of the experience

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? No

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? I got another chance to talk to my grandmother since I didn't make it to see her breath her last breath.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I first shared it about a week after it happened. They were shocked. I don't know if they were influenced in anyway.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? No

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real. I couldn't believe what I just been through.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real. I can believe it more now.

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? Yes

Did the questions asked and information that you provided accurately and comprehensively describe your experience? Uncertain. Don't know

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? It brought me and my mom closer