Laura

One day in July, I felt ill with cramps and could not walk or urinate. I told my sister. A friend took us to the hospital and I was put into an oxygen tent. However, I did not know what an oxygen tent was until a few days later when the nurses told me. My experience was before surgery and while I was in the oxygen tent. I had received last rights before the appendectomy.

During my experience, I felt very happy, calm, and not frightened. It was a very strange, warm feeling like being lowered into warm bath water. I saw a most beautiful color blue that I have never seen since my experience. My deceased mother came out of the blue- color background. She was smiling and wearing the light purple dress she had on when she passed away. On my mother’s right side and a bit behind her, was our deceased parish priest wearing his priest clothing. I felt the urge to go to my mother but she repeatedly motioned with both arms to go back and to not approach. After that, the experience just ended.

When I did wake up, I saw the nurses who told me I had a tough time. They told me that I kept calling for my mother and that I had the last rights. The nurse asked why I kept calling for my mother. I told her that I saw my mother, and that she had died in this same hospital and she was in an oxygen tent, too. The nurses also told me that I kept telling the priest, giving me the last rights, that I was 106 years old. I would laugh like crazy and had them laughing, too. After surgery, I told the nurse that I saw my mother who had died a long time ago. My mother passed away 8 years prior when I was 10 years old. When I did have surgery, they left the incision open to drain the poison. My sister had to give me blood and I was hospitalized for one month.