My Near Death Experience (NDE)

Last week I had a new client contact me for a reading, and as we were going through available times and days, she said that she wanted to talk to me...to find out how I became a Medium. Her question puzzled me, as I was born with this ability, like everyone else.

I believe that we are all born with gifts, it's just up to us to keep them open and in use, rather than shutting them down. I remember when my nephew was 3 or 4 years old, and my sister and I were visiting my Mum. My nephew and I were laying down and he began reaching both of his arms towards the ceiling, like he wanted to be picked up. I asked him who he was seeing, but he just kept reaching towards the ceiling. Whomever it was, he really wanted them to pick him up, as he began arching his back in desperation, and reaching upwards. Eventually the Spirit left, and we continued playing. (The bed was a ship, sailing through rough waters! - We made it safely to the dock, in case you were wondering).

During my conversation with the client, she asked me if I had had a near death experience (NDE) which I have. As soon as I said "yes", she exhaled and said "Ahh, that makes sense." then proceeded to tell me that she too has had one.

I've been reading the book "Dying to be Me" by Anita Moorjani, and as I've been reading it, I've been noticing a lot of similarities between her story and mine. She had a different cancer and duration than I did, but there are still some similarities.

When I was in my mid-20's, I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), after being misdiagnosed four times by doctors. I had numerous symptoms: 20 minute nosebleeds, 2 foot bruises on my legs (no joke - they were massive), receding gum lines, extreme tiredness, I'd brush my teeth and spit out blood, infections and severely swollen lymph nodes. After a simple blood test, I was diagnosed with Leukemia. To tell you the truth, it was a relief to learn what was infecting my body.

Unlike Anita Moorjani, I don't remember a lot of my treatment. I was very sick, living in the hospital for 3 months after the first diagnosis. My memory is missing from all of the chemotherapy and the drugs to counterbalance the side effects. I remember that I was given an "experimental" chemotherapy, which was to drip into me 24/7. You read that right...one large bag was dripped into my Central Line (Heart Catheter) and after that bag was empty, another bag was hung up and dripped into me. Unfortunately, that "experimental" chemo just about killed me. After 2 days, my body became burnt from the inside out, and resulted in worse symptoms than the ones I had before the treatment. I remember throwing up this gelatinous-kind-of-red "thing", and luckily a nurse was present. She saw it and I asked her what it was. She said it was the lining to my stomach and esophagus! Well, if I had the strength to run the hell out of there, I most certainly would have!

The "plus" side effect to being burnt from the inside out, was that I developed a wicked tan...and maintained that beautiful brown colour every summer! Silver lining!

I recall having infections after infections, after infections and receiving medicine to counter the infections, only for that medication to create something else in my body...and again, having more medication pumped into my already weakened system. One medication the nurses called it "Shake and Bake" because you first shake uncontrollably. I remember all of my muscles contracting (jaw, legs, arms, hands, feet, etc.) and then I shook, like I was having a seizure, only I was present. The second part of the drug is that you bake...it's as if someone has turned the oven on to 350 degrees Celsius (662F) and then puts you into the oven. Because of all of my muscles contracting, I wasn't able to physically move myself, due to extreme pain, so nurses would roll me over in bed, or help me sit up. "Horrible" doesn't even describe it, and I can't think of a word to label that medication.

I was given "day passes" to experience a "normal" life, but often would return to the hospital in an ambulance. (I didn't get the lights or sirens though, total rip off!)

On two occasions, when I returned to the hospital via ambulance, I recall hearing the paramedics say that they couldn't find my pulse. Although they were whispering between themselves, I could hear them. With chemotherapy, all of your senses are heightened: hearing, seeing, smelling, feeling. To this day, my senses are still affected by the chemo I received.

Eventually I was discharged from the hospital and began my recovery. I relearned how to eat, walk, my hair grew back again and live again. Walking from my couch to the bathroom took all of my energy and I'd have to sleep for the rest of the day to "recover". I went to yoga to build up my strength, which took a long time. Everything I did stole what little energy I had. It was always one step forward, six steps backwards...but eventually, I recovered and life continued on.

15 months later, I was re-diagnosed with AML, that sucker was invading my body, once again. I moved back into the hospital, again for 3 months (my family and I called it the "hotel" as you stay in hotels when you're on vacation - although this wasn't a vacation.)

I began more rounds of aggressive chemotherapy, as the cancer was now in 75% of my body. I was in need of a bone marrow transplant (BMT), but my sister was only a 60% match and a different blood type. Doctors frantically searched the International Bone Marrow Bank, to make a different kind of withdrawal.

One night the medical staff called my family and said to come and say their goodbyes, as I wasn't going to make it through the night. My death was imminent. The cancer was winning and I had no chance of surviving.

Although Anita Moorjani recalls her near death experience, I don't recall where I went or what I did. Perhaps if I went through hypnotherapy, I would, but as it stands in this moment of time, I have no idea. (I didn't know anything about my near death experience, until a number of years later, when my family told me that I had almost died.)

Like Anita, my recovery was "miraculous". A day after receiving a bone marrow transplant from an unrelated donor in Germany, I went home on a day pass. I remember feeling "whole" for the first time in my life, after receiving that bone marrow. I'm not going to say my recovery was easy, but I did it, as I'm here today, writing this to you. (Good thing...this would be a weird conversation, if I had died!)

A number of years later I had an Akashic Record reading and one of my questions was, if I was meant to pass away. The answer was "yes", but that I "chose" to return to "learn deeper lessons". Geez, some deep lessons I've learned is like diving off a diving board in the sky and plunging into a pool on the earth! Crikey!

Seventeen years later, I remain Cancer free. I work full time, own a spiritual business and I love my life! I love being alive, being a Medium, helping people and I always look forward to what the day brings!

In case you're wondering, in patients younger than 60 years old, roughly 70 to 80 % will go into remission after their first round of chemo.

The five-year overall survival rate for Acute Myelogenous Leukemia is 26 %.