by Linda J. Empey

Untold fears gripped me shortly after I woke from a ten-day coma. My husband, Steve, patted my hand gently and said, “Honey, you've been in an accident.” But like the impression his pat left on my swollen hand, family members believed I should be more forthcoming about the experience that I'd had. When the doctor said excitedly, “Most people never make it,” during a follow-up appointment with him, I was too frightened to tell him why the jaws of life had nothing to do with my living. Family members have encouraged me since, telling me that other people may benefit if I am able to tell them what really happened to me. It's been twelve years since the experience, and I believe time has helped me work through the terrifying parts of my journey through death.