Middle Aged Mama

Blogging about my Midlife Adventures

A Brush with Death

· ·

This month marks three years since I had a brush with death – and looking back on all that’s happened over the past 36 months, I have to say I’m glad I’m still here!

I had my first major operation – a hysterectomy – and had a bit of a bad experience with the general anaesethetic. As in, I stopped breathing.

ready for surgery

When I woke up in the ICU the next morning it was to discover an icky tube in my mouth, something which has always been one of my worst nightmares. Straight away I tried to pull it out but a nurse kept my hand away, while gently explaining to me what had happened.

The hubster looked quite drawn when he came in, but I didn’t learn of his harrowing experience (finding out he’d nearly lost his wife!) for some time afterwards.

So it didn’t fully hit me until a couple of days later, when I took my first shower and saw all the bruising on my sternum, that I had needed to be resuscitated. I had indeed, had a very close brush with death.

Fortunately I don’t remember any of it! But I think the hubster and kids may have been scarred for life …

For whatever reason, I’m still here and able to tell the story 🙂 . And in that three years, I’ve:

healthy happy and full of life in 2015
Healthy, happy and full of life in 2015

All in all, a pretty eventful three years and ones I’m glad I was here to experience, after all!

Have you ever had a brush with death?!

Follow on Bloglovin

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Oh my goodness Janet that was a close call! Do they know why you stopped breathing? Well I for one am glad that you made it. Fortunately I have never had a brush with death. Touch wood!!

    • I’m not sure – too much anaesethic maybe? I think I gave the medical staff a hell of a fright too!

  4. What an awful experience. So glad you are here to tell the tale. My sister recently had the same operation and ended up in ICU for days. She had been discharged and had a seizure at home soon after and things went down hill quickly from there. She seems ok now but it’s early days.

    • It makes me wonder why people choose to have cosmetic surgery for vanity reasons – there is ALWAYS a risk with surgery …

    • Don’t let my experience stop you Min – apart from the almost dying bit, it’s the best thing ever! The actual hysterectomy was a breeze.

  6. I haven’t – other than travelling in dodgy places and threats of carjackings etc.

    But my dad had a heart transplant in 2000 and it gave us an additional 11 years with him. He saw my niece (his only grandchild) go for a 4yr old to a 15yr old and I used to remind him of all of those extra experiences as often as possible.

    Glad you’re appreciating every minute!
    Deb
    Deb

    • Thanks Deb, it’s stories like this that remind us to be organ donors x

  7. Oh how scary Janet!! Thats my worst nightmare and I think why I was so scared when bub had her surgery and when I had my colonoscopy. Not being awake and not being in control of my body scares the crap out of me.

    • Yes I didn’t like to say anything to you in the leadup to bub’s surgery! Luckily a reaction like mine is pretty rare.

  9. I had me a pulmonary embolism as a surprise when I returned from Hawaii in 2013. My doctor saved my life by sending me for the right kind of scan at the right time. 🙂

    Very glad you’ve had an awesome 3 years since that happened! 🙂

    • I had to Google a pulmonary embolism as I had no idea what it was … glad you are okay now!

  10. Oh my goodness, how terrifying. I think that would be my worst nightmare too – waking up with a tube in my throat. I’m terrified of needing surgery for tonsillitis but I know I will need it eventually.

    • A reaction like mine is pretty rare, thankfully. Good luck with the tonsillectomy – Miss 18 had it done and the recovery was horrible (but she is glad now she had it done); my 21 year old god daughter had hers done earlier this year and bounced back straight away, so you just never know. Totally worth it though if you suffer tonsilitis etc.

  12. Oh my gosh yes, I’m TERRIFIED of that tube! You’re so brave! and what an amazing list of things to have lived through since then. here’s to many, many more!

    • Lots more travelling I hope … kid’s weddings … grandbabies!

  13. Yikes!! Probably not what I wanted to read as a I prepare to go under a general next week for an exploratory laparoscopy for suspected endometriosis! That is so scary! I came close with an asthma attack when I was 19 and landed in ICU, also happened in childhood with asthma too (I had what one would call severe). Glad you came out of it ok!

    • Oops sorry Haidee 😉 … it is very rare so you should be right x

  14. Holy crap, talk about bouncing back with panache! That is super-terrifying – no wonder your husband looked so drawn. Have not had a brush with death yet myself and don’t care to any time soon!

    • It’s funny, we all sign a form saying we understand the risks of surgery, but we never think WE will be the one in a million that will have a problem!

  19. Oh, Janet. I can’t believe it’s been 3 years. I remember the first time you blogged about it and thinking, “Wow. This lady is amazing” Look at all the wonderful highlights you’ve had since. x

    • Grace, how awesome that you have been following my blogging adventures for 3 years – you must have been following me on the old Footprints blog (for the magazine I used to run!)!