u/Orangedilemma

Experience Description

I was the anesthesiologist, and not the person who had the near death experience.

The patient was having surgery on his right lung as I recall. During the operation, the surgeon accidentally transected the right pulmonary artery, causing catastrophic bleeding. The blood loss was so severe that, in order to identify and repair the damaged vessel, the surgeon allowed the patient’s blood so that he could clearly see the blood vessel. It took a couple of minutes before the vessel could finally be seen. Once control of the bleeding was achieved, we began aggressive resuscitation and gradually restored the patient’s blood volume.

During that time, the patient was pulseless for approximately six to eight minutes. Immediately before the event, he had been under deep general anesthesia, appropriate for major lung surgery, and he remained under anesthesia for the rest of the procedure. During the resuscitation effort, both the cardiac surgical team and the cardiac anesthesia team were called into the operating room to assist.

At the end of surgery, the patient was brought to the intensive care unit. He was sedated with medications for a day or two. After a couple of days, the sedatives were allowed to wear off. Upon waking, the patient was fairly confused. I visited the patient several times a day for the next few days, and the confusion lifted after two or three more days.

Once the confusion lifted, the patient still had a persistent belief that although he had intended to have surgery on his lung, he had in fact had heart surgery. When I asked him why he believed that, he told me that he was floating at the ceiling of the room. He was watching his body be resuscitated. He noted that what he described as the cardiac team had come into the room and was working on him. He reasoned that since he saw the cardiac team in the operating room, he must have had surgery on his heart.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes
I shared it with clinical colleagues.

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 probably real
Considering that the patient was under general anesthesia and pulseless at the time he was making accurate observations about what happened in the OR, it's hard to discount the experience.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was probably real
As above.

https://www.nderf.org/Experiences/jonathan_w_patient_nde_33349.htm

this one is hard to explain away

I had a long distance connection with a man for almost 2 years and he passed very recently. after he passed I found out there was another girl who he was talking to for months before he started talking to me. both my relationship with him and her relationship with him was filled with ups and downs and he never chose either of us clearly. I believe he died without having made a choice. now he would bring up marriage to both of us (brought it up to me first but I shut it down) and I would refuse without him being stable but she had accepted. he called me the same day he proposed to her. in the end he was too indecisive and she walked away because of it and he ghosted her last message. meanwhile he continued talking to me up until he passed and brought up marriage with me again. I had finally given him an opening for it shortly before he passed while he was still entangled talking about marriage with her and he didn’t take it but once their relationship broke down he brought it up to me again. in the end it seemed like he chose neither of us. I don’t know how to let him go or work through this complicated grief. it’s been really hard for me because I loved him as did she. he did not tell us and led us to believe we were the only ones the whole time. I’ve heard of stories where men can’t choose between two women but usually that doesn’t last two years and usually the women are aware of each other while the man makes the decision. this was way too long and way too involved (he treated us like girlfriends- nicknames, future talk, love and feelings, etc) and he ends up dying. I’m in a turmoil of feelings and I don’t know how to get out. I still love him despite it all and it hurts a lot because he was my first real relationship and we both were very emotionally involved with each other. how do I accept that I don’t know his choice, that he may not have even known and the biggest thing: that he died and I will never get any answers or any more time with him or be able to change anything?

Hi,

I need help with an unusual issue. I had a boyfriend for 1.5 years in G a z a and he recently passed. He had brought up marriage to me in September of last year and I’m feeling very guilty that I said not now. I’m wondering if I had filed a K-1 visa at the time if he had been able to get here by last month (before he passed). I know the full ban went into effect in January but I see mixed responses on if those from banned countries were able to enter on k-1 visas.