Patchwork quilt covered dead body ( Winter 2009 )
My blood pressures had been showing high for some months now. Dr's had said if it did not fix itself, I would need surgery. It of course didn't. So the only option now is surgery to remove a kidney.
We arrive at the hospital 3 hours before the surgery. We proceed to the elevator to go to the floor we need to reach.
Suddenly the doors open. A person in scrubs walks off of it backward. The person is pulling the foot end of a bed. I can see that someone is on the bed. I also begin seeing the makings of a patchwork quilt covering the person lying there. At first, I think nothing of it. Then, I realize as more of the bed is being pulled, the body is more covered.
Finally, the whole bed emerges from the elevator, and another person is on the head-end of the bed. I realize it is a dead body laying on the bed in front of me. Panic sets in. I am 3 hours from surgery, and here I am seeing the outline of a body on a bed. A dead body. I don't know if it was custom for the family, or what, but, when the body emerged from the elevator, it had a patchwork quilt laying over it. But, I thought nothing of that.
After all, it was a DEAD body and of course, here I am 3 hours from surgery. I look to my mother, and my cousin, in a panic. " Oh, my gosh, that could be me in a few hours! " I think to myself. More panic sets in.
As I am being wheeled to the OR, I begin talking to God. I tell Him, " God if it's Your will that I don't wake up, I trust You. If it's Your will that I do wake up, I trust You. " We get into the OR, and I get moved to the OR table for the surgery.
Sometime later, I wake up. I am unknowingly laying on my back. I am staring at the ceiling. The white ceiling. I begin to panic, yet again. " OH MY GOSH I'M DEAD! " the thought goes through my mind. Someone approaches and I think " that must be one of the angels. "
A few moments later, I realize I am alive and well, and have made it through the surgery.
I begin requesting to see my mother and cousin. Finally, they let them come back. I begin reaching for their hands. My cousin says " What are you doing? " " Give me your hand! " I demand of him and my mother.
It is only when he and my mother grab my hands, that I realize, I am not dead. I realize I am alive and well.
I was TERRIFIED of dying, especially after having seen a dead body, 3 hours before I was to have surgery.
But now, I look back. It's just a natural part of life. I'm not as afraid of it as I used to be. Still a little fear, to be honest, but not as much. If you are afraid of death, don't be. It's not really all that scary. We all have our time. A time to live and a time to die, as the Word tells us. Just make each day, moment, hour, second, nanosecond, etc, count.