Near Death Experiences

sitting here thinking about the past...have you ever had any near death experiences? I mean real near death experiences or maybe experiences that jarred you so much things were in slow motion as it happened? I had a few. I remember them distinctly.

Two were when I was younger, I don't remember the age but I was in between 1st and 4th grade. went to a Monosorri school. the first one was simple. I ran across the street in front of the school as cars were pulling away from picking their kids up. For some reason this driver was going too fast and out of the corner of my eye I saw him approaching. fast. I made it safely to the other side, but looking back on it, I believe that I was close to getting hit by this car. The other one was really scary. The class went to the beach front (which was a few blocks away). We were climbing over the huge rocks that were against the 'wall' I guess if it were an ocean you'd call it the break wall? it was Lake Michigan. Anyways walking over one, I slipped and lost footing and slid between a opening only large enough for a small child to fit through. only the strength of my arms holding me up kept me from being dragged down into the flowing water beneath these rocks. I honestly feel that I was holding on for my life. If I had slid into the water below, it would have been like sliding underneath ice. The current was strong and the openings along the break wall were small. Although I was a excellent swimmer, had been taking lessons since before I could swim, I knew, that if I fell in between these rocks and went under...then I would die. Funny how we can sense real danger like that even at that age. I think I was in 1st grade for that one. I don't remember how I pulled myself out, but I did. And I'm fine.

We were playing in the pool once while I lived in Georgia and because of the amount of kids in the pool I was stuck under water for more air than I had. I remember looking up at the kicking feet above me as I struggled to make my way to the surface.

Another one was while I was walking around Lake Hollywood, on the road side, maybe four years ago. Some guy was driving around the curve way too fast. Hit a slick of water and started to hydroplane. The car was pointed my way, only about 4 feet away. If he had hit me, I would have been pinned against the wall behind me. However since everything seemed to be moving in slow motion...I felt like if the car would have inched towards me any further I would have hopped the wall. But still.

All in all I think that's it. I think that the rock incident was by far the worst and the closest call to death that I've had in my life (that is that I know of). Who knows how many other close calls I never knew about.

Fire

I can see the smoke from the huge fires encompassing the hills, which are about 15 minutes away. Ash is everywhere and on everything. The sky is pretty much “overcast” but it’s not from clouds, it’s all from the smoke from the fire.

Something about fire to me, is intriguing. It’s deadly but at the same time so very mesmerizing. My kind of beautiful. Maybe I'm a bit of a pyro at heart.

Life and Death

after discovering that the pilot light on the stove was out... makes us think that we were both extremely lucky.

carbon monoxide poisoning
By Eileen McLaughlin, RN, BSN


Carbon monoxide, also called CO, is an odorless, tasteless, colorless, and poisonous gas. Carbon monoxide poisoning is a life-threatening condition caused by inhaling too much CO.

What is going on in the body?

Carbon monoxide is produced when a fuel, such as gas, oil, kerosene, charcoal, or wood, is burned. CO may be found in a number of items that are used by people every day, for example: · cellars · cigarette smoking, or breathing in second hand smoke · faulty gas stoves or heating systems without good ventilation · fires · industrial plants · leaking exhaust systems from internal combustion engines or motor powered vehicles · mines · sewers

If fresh air circulation is limited and CO is released in the air, it can reach a dangerously high level. When CO is inhaled, it enters the bloodstream and attaches to a blood cell protein called hemoglobin. Hemoglobin helps blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. If CO attaches to hemoglobin, the blood cells are unable to carry oxygen. The body then can't get enough oxygen and is unable to function normally.

What are the signs and symptoms of the condition?

Some of the symptoms associated with CO poisoning include the following: · a cherry-red skin color due to the mixture of hemoglobin and CO in the blood · confusion · dilated pupils and visual impairments · dizziness · headache · a heartbeat that is either too fast, or too slow · muscle spasms, paralysis, twitching, or convulsions · muscle weakness · nausea and vomiting · palpitations, or an unusual awareness of the heart beating in the chest · ringing in the ears · trouble breathing, or shortness of breath · unconsciousness or coma

(and since l smokes, his body is more use to co than mine is, so it didn't affect him in the small amounts we were quite possibly getting)

who knows for sure? i'm better now. still could have been the heat/food. spoke with others who were having the same symptoms as me, but still...makes you think. we were slowly getting poisoned over two or three weeks. we were lucky.