I had a spinal anesthetic during a long and difficult labor. I was lying on the stretcher after delivery, when I began to feel a tight band around my chest. A nurse checked my b/p, and said it was 70/30. She opened up the IV line. I felt so good that I wanted to reach up and close the line, but couldn't move. I wasn't worried at all, and before I knew it I was out of my body floating face down. I saw my body on the stretcher, but was completely unconcerned. A doctor ran up and yelled, “What the hell happened? She was fine a few minutes ago! Get the cart (crash cart)!” Other doctors and nurses came running. I just didn't really care what was happening down there. I had participated in many codes, and it was pretty boring to watch my own.

I felt wonderful with no pain and no worries. I noted that the tops of the walls faded into blackness and I could see the stars above. I noticed a large window below me, and somehow received the thought that I could go home for a minute if I wished. My marriage was not very good at the time, and I decided not to visit my home before leaving.

Suddenly, I was lying with my head and shoulders slightly elevated, in some kind of ethereal tunnel, moving slowly toward a light. There were two beings in front of the light. I knew that soon I would begin to move very fast toward the light. I was ready to go. The beings seemed rather flustered, and they had thoughts like, "It isn't time for her.  "How did this happen?" Finally, one of them settled down and began to communicate with me. They gently told me that it wasn't time, that I had many more years to live. I knew that the ultimate choice was up to me. I decided to go on. Then, they said, "But, you will have to do this all over again. You will live a long life and you have lots of work to do." That gave me pause, and as I was trying to decide, they said, "Who will take care of the baby?" I looked to my left and saw my son lying in a crib in the nursery. He was battered and bruised from the long labor. He was sleeping, and I noticed that his head was misshapen. My resolve to go forward began to waver. I found myself fighting, sort of like swimming backwards, to get back in my body.

All of a sudden I was back in my body. It felt cold, damp and painful. For a moment, I was sorry that I had returned. I was angry at the nurses and doctors for bringing me back. However, I knew that I had done the right thing.