Answering Questions Background

When folks have heard what happened to me, they have questions and amazing enough they are all about the same regardless of coming from old or young, man or women, educated or the less educated, believers or non-believers.

1. What Happened?


2. What did it feel like?


3. What did you see?


4. Who did you see?


5. Did you see yourself?


6. What did you hear?


7. Was there a bright light?


8. Did you see God or Angels?

I went to work one morning in May of 2008, had breakfast at my favorite morning restaurant (Aleta Jane's), sitting at the communal table (liars table) talking to all. Went to work had a meeting with employees, wasn't feeling quite right and told the manager I would see him tomorrow. I remember getting into my car and starting car after that nothing until I heard my wife telling me that I had to wake up and respond. That is not to say that I didn't experience a great many things during the 30 days I was in the coma. I just don't remember any of the outside world.

I had bacterial pneumonia that had gone sepsis and/or septic shock and the strain (Streptococcus pneumoniae) that I had is normally fatal only a 25% survival rate. I had never thought about pneumonia one way or another but sense this happened I am surprised at how many people get it and die from it. Probably a good reason to take a pneumonia shot. I had never had any illness before and outside of a few broken bones lived a regular life or at least regular for me and mine. To heavy, smoked to much, cholesterol a little high (OK more than a little), prostrate starting to give small problem and had migraine headaches (since childhood) but I was 62 years old and had a full, busy, useful and satisfying life. I would live forever!!!

Not quite, my wife came home and saw me on floor with my Australian Cattle Dog (Taylor) next to me. I stood up and talked to her and told her to call 911, at least that is what she told me but I have no memory of any of this.

For the next 29 days I was in a coma on life support, ICU to CCU then into a step down unit, where I started to wake up and a few fleeting memories, and finally to a Rehab-Physical Therapy unit where they teach you to walk again, talk with a tracheotomy and how to hopefully get everything working again. From there to home care with in home nursing and physical therapy.

At home at last, couldn't walk or do much more than a veggie and surprise, surprise a rash or hives (they said) I had been having in the hospital turned out to be Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) and I lost all of my skin from the neck down, swelled up until nothing could move and basically Had 2ND degree burns over most of my body. Once again a life threatening, unbelievably painful disease had attacked me. I lost approximately three more weeks with little memory of that time. Although not unconscious my memory does not want to go there. I vaguely remember a few visitors and the wet cold wraps they kept wrapping my body in from shoulders down, but thankfully little else.

I slowly started to come around and due to my wife Cindy and an excellent nurse Ray Ann I started to walk with a walker and exercise with weights and stairs. When I came home from hospital the neighbors had to help get me up the front stoop. I live in a two story house with 17 steps to the second floor and our bedroom. My goal was to sleep with my wife in our own bed on the second floor and not on the d****d couch.

By this time it was the third week of July and I had been out of it sense May19, I had lost most of the summer. I set a new goal I was going to Door County, Wisconsin the first week of September for a vacation, that I had neglected for the last 3 years, and I would be hiking the wooded trails at Baileys Harbor,WI.

Door County lake shoreline near Baileys Harbor.

This answers the first question.

NEXT

Getting well or do I make it to Door County September 1st?

Answering question 2 3 and 4

Stay Tuned!