[–] [deleted] 0 points 5 points 5 points (+5|-0) ago
[–] Qikdraw 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago
I was 12 years old, on the operating table to straighten my spine that had a 115 degree curve. During the first operation I apparently had "breathing problems". But my parents said the doctor was white as a sheet when he came out. I'm guessing I did stop breathing entirely. The second operation that was scheduled for later on that week was delayed another week as they were worried I would not survive the second one. But I was healing very quickly from the first one and ended up doing a lot better than they thought.
Almost drowned a couple of times. At least once from my brother, who dragged me into the deep end and let me go when I was 8. To this day (i'm 44) I still cannot get water in my face. I cannot face the water in a shower. A facecloth over my face. Even my wife's hair brushing over my face when she is on top of me. All has my body immediately in panic mode and since I shower every day, I have to fight back the panic every fucking day. Which really sucks. Thanks brother. Asshole.
[–] Reow [S] 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
The real trauma of these events is the panic/anxiety you talk about. After I almost drowned in the ocean, I barely swam in it again for years. I was fine with pools etc. (controlled bodies of water; it didn't matter how deep), but couldn't stand oceans/rivers/lakes where I couldn't see the bottom. In the end I beat it by taking up scuba diving - once I was comfortable having explored the area underwater, the fear went away. Obviously not the same fear in your case, but there may be ways to take back control.
[–] Qikdraw 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
I have always wanted to try scuba diving, specially now they have full face masks (so my nose isn't covered). I used to love swimming, even though I stayed in the shallow end as I could not swim well, currently I have to nerve myself to get into a pool, or the ocean. Thank you for your response!
[–] verificationist 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago (edited ago)
I've never been too close to death. But I was once robbed in broad daylight in a street full of people. The robber was quite intimidating and unsettling, especially because he seemed not to care if he had to stab me in front of everyone. He was also extremely psychologically perceptive, in the uncanny sort of way.
[–] UncontrollableSphere 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
Mine was an everyday sort of thing.
Was out shopping. Jaywalked through stopped traffic on one side of the road, and only looked in the oncoming direction on the other side. Turns out a guy was going 80kph in the wrong lane and missed me by an inch or two. The only reason he didn't hit me is because another car saw him coming and slammed on the horn, and that stopped me in my tracks.
Now I look both ways, all the time.
[–] cstrawfield 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago (edited ago)
Found myself riding shotgun in a speeding '76 Lincoln Continental during a high-speed chase through downtown Wilmington, NC, giant green hood pitching and yawing through the night like the bow of a sea-tossed ship. Out the back I watched a second cop car move in behind the one behind us. Then another. Then another. Within minutes there was a train of them, blue and red-flashing kite tail in whipping wind.
We were done for, clearly, but some kind of ancient mid-brain structure short-circuits rational decision-making. You're an antelope escaping lions. And we were all probably undiagnosed oppositional defiant disorder cases. Jailbird Chuck, in the backseat with his girlfriend, hollered, "Go, TJ! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!"
Breathing burnt oil, tires, brakes as we peeled onto sideroads and slid around corners, hopped curbs, bounced hard over a concrete island -- ludicrous attempts to shake off tails of this tremendous car with trampoline suspension -- it handled like a swimming pool on wheels.
We didn't know the town, and TJ made a bad turn -- wrong way up a one-way two-lane. That was it for me -- it had to end before we killed someone. I hollered, "TJ, stop! Pull over! Pull over!" TJ was a brilliant guy, but a lost soul like the rest of us. Unlike us, though, he was fearless, and no doubt he would've driven that giant car right on into whatever fiery end. But for some reason he'd listen to me. He braked hard and managed to heave the old Lincoln over into a closed service station. A screaming cop car slid in behind us. Then another, another, another, forming a semi-circle to hem us in against the station's brick facade. Then out came the cops, screaming profanities, beaming lights, training pistols on us. This was the early 90's, and Wilmington at the time had become a significant drug-trafficking hub -- no doubt the police took us for part of that scene.
Two cops came forward, two-handing pistols at me and TJ from the left and right rear of the car. Instructions were screamed:
STARBOARD COP: PUT YOUR HANDS OUT THE WINDOW WHERE I CAN SEE 'EM!
PORTSIDE COP: DRIVER, TURN OFF YOUR VEHICLE!
(TJ reaches in for the ignition)
SC: (Hysterically) GET YOUR HANDS OUT WHERE I CAN SEE 'EM!
(TJ puts hand back out the window)
PC: DRIVER! I SAID TURN OFF YOUR VEHICLE!
(TJ reaches in again)
SC: (More hysterically -- really screaming) I SAID GET YOUR HANDS OUT WHERE I CAN SEE 'EM!
PC: DRIVER, TURN OFF YOUR CAR!
I looked back at a constellation of gun-barrels training on us, angry, adrenaline-addled, cop fingers curled tensely over triggers. One wrong move and every gun would've unloaded on us. A miracle we hadn't been shot yet. I told TJ to keep his hands out the window and started talking at the guns and lights.
Smash cut to TJ being chained face-down on the concrete floor of the police locker room, an ankle and a wrist manacled to facing banks of lockers. He'd spend the rest of that night like that. In the mandatory pre-processing interview, he'd taken care to answer all the questions wrong.
INTERVIEWER: Do you plan on harming yourself in our jail tonight?
TJ: Yes.
INTERVIEWER: Do you plan on harming anyone else?
TJ: Yes.
Etc.
If you ever get taken downtown (and I hope you never do), don't answer that way.
TL;DR: Chased by cops, pinned down by furious pistol-wielding pursuers who may've been baiting us into behavior warranting deadly force. Should've been killed. Got lucky.
[–] cstrawfield ago
Just the one night in jail. The driver got in some pretty serious trouble, but thanks to a good lawyer he managed to avoid doing time.
[–] cstrawfield 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
Why thanks! Those were some crazy times -- some of the memories make for pretty good stories. I'm going to keep an eye out for opportunities to post another story or two.
[–] airbreather02 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago (edited ago)
Years ago I used to work as a delivery driver. I drove a full sized van delivering auto parts. One morning I was on my usual route, I'm on the inside lane of a four lane road. A car coming very fast in the other direction did a fast lane change, lost control and hit me head on. Both vehicles were totalled, the driver of the other car went through the windshield (no seatbelt). He lived and was convicted of dangerous driving, was an 18 year old playing rally racer with his dad's car. I had cuts, bruises, whiplash etc. The seatbelt saved my life. The police estimated an 85 mph combined speed of impact.
I also used to work as a faller (cutting down trees). I was working cutting down a bunch of trees. There was a hinged fir snag (a dead tree, with the trunk broken but still attached part way up) in the opening I was knocking down these other trees. You always have an escape route, which is opposite the tree's direction of fall and away at an angle in case the trunk comes straight back. When I started to fall the snag it fell 180 degrees the opposite way I intended it to fall. I dropped my saw and ran in the direction of my intended escape route. As the snag was fall the rest of the trunk broke free of the hinge and came down and hit me in the back of the head and neck.
I didn't know where I was for 10-15 minutes. I drove myself about 25 miles back to town to the hospital. The local doctor and x-ray tech at the hospital (in my small town) said it was just "soft tissue" injury. Two weeks later I got a letter in the mail to go the medical clinic to discuss the results of my x-rays, that were sent to the specialist in the meantime. It turned out my neck (C6) was broken in two places. So I was literally walking around with a broken neck for two weeks without knowing it. I actually went back to work the next day after this tree had fallen on me even though I could barely move my neck. Pretty stupid (and lucky) in hindsight.
[–] Reow [S] 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
That was incredibly lucky regarding your neck - so easy to end up paralysed if you don't realize you have a broken neck.
[–] airbreather02 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
You are so right, I am very fortunate. It's a reminder of how precious life is, and how can it can be over in a second.