What It's Really Like to Die

Bobby died.

Don't worry, though, it didn't stick. When he first got sick 11 years ago, Bobby died for about 3 minutes. I asked him the other day what it's like to die. When you hear about these experiences, often times you also hear about someone's personal belief system and how their theology was confirmed whilst choosing between life of death. I've always thought it was interesting that no matter the religion's stance on life after death, it happens exactly the way the 'book' says it will for that person. It is interesting to find out what happened for an atheist.

Nothing!

During the actual 3 minutes of death, nothing at all happened. Not even a dark sense of oblivion. Literally an absence of time and awareness- nothing. Doctors were doing stuff, then they were doing other stuff.

But that doesn't mean the experience doesn't make for a good story. I will tell it to you now.

They were just figuring out that it was the heat that was causing all the health problems my Bobby was suffering from. They decided they needed to do a biopsy. When going into the heart with the needle, they nicked a nerve which ultimately caused the temporary death of my baby.

First there was extreme, excruciating pain. Nothing else existed except this white hot compression of the chest that hurt more than a thousand paper cuts in a lemonade pool.

Then the heat set in. Hot like the sun only two feet away all over his body. He thought maybe he was going to be one of those cases of spontaneous combustion. It seemed to fit, him being part of a mysterious phenomenon, after all the time it took to figure out his heart was causing symptoms of heart failure.

Then the heat went away and in came the cold. It started inside and worked it's way out to the skin, like he'd eaten a popsicle way to fast but magnified times a million. He shivered and his teeth chattered and he could barely complain. But, because he's a pro, complain he did.

Then he had to go potty, and he told the doctors as much.

They asked, "Which one? Number one or number two?"

Bobby said, "Both."

And then he flatlined!!!! That was going to be the last word out of his mouth!! "Both"! Can you imagine?! The last words ever spoken by such a smart and loved person being to inform hospital personnel that he had to shit and pee at the same time!

Thank goodness he didn't die for good, he'll be around a bit longer to say more things.

Now he knows, and he's making a list even, that he needs to think carefully about all things he says before and during any medical procedure.

I think he's settled on his last words being, "Make sure you eat my brains to gain my knowledge."