In November 2016, I went in for spinal cord surgery. My surgery was successful, but two days later, before I was to be discharged, the nurse noticed I was bleeding from my surgical site. They notified the doctor of my bleeding, the doctor controlled the hemorrhage, and I had to go back to surgery.

When I went into pre-op to get ready for my second surgery, I felt like something was going to happen, like I was doing to die. I remember lying on the gurney in a dark room. I remember hearing a beautiful waterfall. Then I looked to my left, and seeing the waterfall, I said to myself, “I'm dead.”

After saying that, I saw the most beautiful blue sky and then trees I had never seen before, and then I saw a beautiful mountain. It was the most peaceful and calm place, and then I felt God's presence. I started talking to him, then I felt his arms start to hold me, then we talked.

I remember saying that I was going to see my body on the gurney because I felt my body on the gurney. I was still talking to God and I did not want to return to my body or go back, but I had to come back. But I said, “I'm going to count to three, then I'm going to see my body lying on the gurney.” When I started to count, I said, “One.” I was still looking around in amazement and still talking to God. Then I said, “Two,” getting ready to see my body, and before I could say, “Three,” it felt like a vacuum sucked me back in my body. I woke up paralyzed on my right side.

I asked the doctors what happened and they said that they "lost me for a while."