Welcome
to
My Angels
Angels were not a thing to which I had ever
given much thought until I suffered a rare pneumonia that almost killed me. Nine
people went into the hospital around the same time I was admitted with the same
thing. Only two of us survived.
November 1997 was the beginning of it all. I had severe bronchitis that had turned to pneumonia--not serious, but enough to keep me on medicine for months. In February of '98, I caught the flu on top of having several other medical problems. On Friday, February 5th, I went to bingo, as usual. I love playing bingo, but I was getting so sick, I could hardly sit in my seat. I gave my bingo cards to my best friend Sandy, to watch for me and I headed home. That was one of the longest 20-minute trips I'd ever made. I got home about 8:30, shocking my family that I left bingo.
I had a doctor's appointment on Monday, but my family tried to convince me to go the ER all that weekend. I was running a pretty high temperature, around 102. I told them I'd wait until my appointment on Monday. Laura, my youngest daughter had been sick with the flu too, so I just thought I'd caught it from her. My husband came home early from work on Monday to take us both to the doctor.
The doctor put me in the hospital immediately for observation. He wasn't sure what I had yet, so he was going to run tests on me. By Tuesday, I was in Intensive Care, getting worse by the minute. My breathing became more labored and my lungs became more packed with pneumonia. My oxygen levels were going down into the danger areas. My breathing became so labored the doctors were concerned my heart would become overtaxed. I was in a small hospital, so I received good care. The nurses and my doctor were very compassionate and concerned. By Thursday, the doctors still hadn't figured out what I was suffering from, so they sent me to a larger hospital that was better equipped to meet the medical needs I had. By the time the ambulance got me there, the doctors put me immediately on life support. They still didn't know what I had.
I spent the next 5 1/2 weeks on life support in an induced coma, and on paralytic drugs. Nothing on my body would move. I couldn't open my eyes, couldn't move a finger and couldn't even let my family know I could hear what they were saying to me.
During the time I was in the coma, I heard a lot of what was said and done to me.
My veins are deep and they roll so the nurses hated taking blood or starting IV's. It was estimated I was stuck with needles between 500-800 times during my stay. My veins were so bad, they put several central lines and arteriolar lines in and even they would go bad. One went so bad I developed a blood clot. The doctors had to surgically put a filter in so the blood clot wouldn't travel to my lungs or heart.
They finally figured out what I had. It was Adeno Viral Pneumonia. While I was in the hospital I also contracted Klebesella Pneumonia.
After I was taken off life support, the doctors put a tracheotomy in me. I couldn't talk for 6 weeks. Not even a whisper would come out. I was at a point that I couldn't talk, couldn't see (I didn't have my contacts in), and couldn't move. It was a very frustrating time for me.
But my angels were with me. I have to say up front, I'm not an overly religious person. I'm a born again Christian and love the Lord, but I don't live like I should, and the Lord and my angels were with me the whole time
All the angels had their own "assignment" for me. (All their names started with the letter A.)
Let me describe them as a group first. The first and most important physical feature about the family was that they were poor. Everything about them was poor...their home, their clothes and their food.
They were very somber. They hardly ever smiled, but they had such an inner peace about them I knew they were happy.
I had one particular angel that watched over me and protected me from the needles. Her name was Adrienne. Adrienne would stand between the needle and me and take some of the pain away. Not all of it, but some of it. And she would cry when she knew I was being hurt. She was about 10 years old, scrappy looking and carried a doll. She was chubby and hardly ever smiled, if ever at all.
My angels didn't talk much. They were there to watch over me and protect me. And they watched over each other. They were in the form of a family, ranging in ages from about 4 to 25.
I believe the Lord wanted me to learn from them. They were very poor, but the most loving family I'd ever seen.
Aaron was the oldest and he was more or less in "charge" of the family. He made sure they all did what they were assigned to do.
Albert watched over me when the doctors came in. Amy was there for me when the nurses worked on me.
My angels were with me the whole time I was in ICU watching me, protecting me. I believe we each have our own angels to watch over us. I was lucky to see and feel mine.
There are two other experiences I'd like to share. I actually was allowed to see the light. It wasn't a bright, white light like we've all heard. It was colored, and they were colors brighter than anything here on earth. The light was round, and each color blended with the one before and after it somewhat like the rainbow. There was a young boy; about 12 or so that took people into the light. He would take them by the hand and go with them into the center of the light. There were many people that he escorted into the center. Most of them stayed, but a couple of them came back out with him. I didn't recognize anyone. When he took me, we entered the center of the light and we sat in a small seat. The light surrounded me---above me, below me, behind me and in front of me. I had a feeling of total peace. We sat in the seat for a couple of minutes and he took my hand and escorted me back out.
The light was in a forest. There were trees all around and I could smell wonderful odors. I could smell pine trees, rain and sunshine. There was a path that led to the light, and the light turned slowly in a circle. It would slowly grow larger and larger until it couldn't fit in the trees, then it would start getting smaller. It continued doing this all the time.
I had an out of body experience. I was given a choice by God to stay or go on to heaven. I could see myself in the hospital bed and heard a voice. I could feel the Lord's presence even though I couldn't see His face. I could feel Him cradling me with His love and tenderness. There was no sorrow, no pain, no fear, and no anxiety. There was peace. His voice was a wonderful voice, and all He said was "Do you want to stay or go on?" I was so tempted to go on. The feeling I had was euphoria, a peace like I've never felt before. I thought about it and was so tempted to go on but eventually answered, "No, I'd like to stay to take care of my daughter." I have 3 children and I love them all tremendously, and the older two are young adults and out on their own and independent. But my youngest was only 14 and I wanted to stay and raise her. And that decision was fine with the Lord.
The experience I went through was certainly something I'd never want to do again, but I'm glad the Lord allowed me to go through it once. I know now, I'm going to heaven and He's waiting for me. He allowed me to stay and take care of my children and to share my experience.
Most people have a fear of death, and I was one of them. I no longer have that fear because I know He's waiting for me with open arms. I look forward to the day my job is done here on earth so I can go home and be with my Lord.
Just remember Death is not the end---it's the beginning!!
I know there ARE angels, but I don't believe IN angels. I believe in God.
Whisper of Angel
Wings
Today I
stumbled and once again
Was lifted up by an unseen hand.
What comfort and joy that knowledge
brings,
For I
hear the whisper of angel wings.
The guardian angels God sends to us
all
To bear us up
when we stumble and fall.
Trust Him, my friend, and often you'll hear
The whisper of angel wings
hovering near.
By
Melody
Henager 1998
melody@yhti.net
I'd like to dedicate this to my family and friends. They all stood by me and supported me through the rough times and were excited when each little shred of hope or encouragement came about.
I'm so grateful for my cyber friends for having prayer for me every week. I had prayers from all over the world. Thank you my cyber angels. : )
I'd also like to thank the employees at my husband's work. They made sure he and my daughter had a good meal everyday.
I'd like to express my appreciation to my best friend, Sandy for always being there for me. She visited me every day for eight weeks and stuck with me even after I got home.
I'd like to tell my mother thank you for being there constantly when I needed the help. She fed me when I couldn't move and exercised me so I could move on my own.
And thank you Mandy, Tim and Laura!
This experience has been
shared many times to many people and I hope it helps ease someone's fear of
death and/or sickness.
PS...It's been about 6 years since this
has happened. I feel my angels with me and what happened to me in 1998 is
still with me like it happened yesterday.
A year after I got out of the hospital, I contracted type A influenza and was in the hospital again for another month. One of my dearest friends, who I caught it from, passed away with it. The doctors told me I was closer to death with the type A influenza than I was the year before. My angels visited me again during that stay to comfort me and remind me they are always with me.
My best friend Sandy, passed away with breast cancer 2 years ago. I know where she is and I know she's happy and at peace. I miss you Sandy.
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