Let Me Tell You About The Time I Almost Died

For you Denzel Washington fans who can recall the movie "Fallen", only you will be able to appreciate the dark humor of my title.
I guess you could say, it all started on Sunday morning...no early Monday morning. I had the most horrific migraine...and of course it was storming like nobody's business. There's something strange about migraines and barometric pressure that my body doesn't like. I wonder if I could get a side gig as a "weather vane" or "weather consultant" because my migraines are more dependable than the weatherman.LOL
Anyhoo, before I knew it, it was 6:00am. Time to take the meds. I go in the kitchen and grab a bowl of granola, pour in soymilk and I let it sit for about 20 minutes. I know...I know...it's weird but I like it a little soggy. Okay A LOT soggy! I eat my bowl of granola and 3 minutes later I start coughing, then suddenly my sinuses clog up and I sound as if I'm talking while holding my nose. Then the back of my throat feels like it's closing in on me...then I was trying to fill my lungs with air but it wasn't working. "Oh God, what's happening to me?" My husband immediately jumped up and started dressing. While in the midst of chasing a breath that seemed to outrun me, I jump up, throw on the first thing I see, slide on my flip flops, grab my purse and beat my hubby to the door. Now I can't hardly swallow. "Hurry, hurry." I managed to gurgle while still trying to catch my breath.
In the car everything became surreal. I remember thinking, "Lord, what should I do.". The answer quickly came to mind, "Take as deep of a breath as you can...consistently." I started doing just that and quickly it seemed to improve, even if only a little.
We get to emergency and thankfully nurses and Dr's are trained to notice when a person comes in unable to breathe. As a matter of fact, I think I knocked everyone out of their boredom. (I later heard it had been slow since about 1am.) Now what I didn't understand is why the nurse was posing questions to me...ya know...the one that CAN'T HARDLY BREATHE let alone talk. I tried to answer her as best I could. I began to realize I had slipped into this..."other space or place". I had drifted into "surreality". I could see, hear and respond but it was through a haze or veil. There was a part of me that was so tired, I wanted to just slide to the floor. Yet there was a strength that wasn't my own that kept me lucid and in the moment. I know it was Jesus because Tracy wanted to just...stop...and take a quick nap...that may not have been quick at all.
My full consciousness didn't come until I was given a steroid and Benedryl through and IV drip. I know what life is. Life is that wonderful full capacity of air I breathed. I have a whole knew perspective on the worship song that says, "You are the air I breathe...and I'm lost without You."
Okay, so it may have not been as dramatic as my title alluded to, however, as one who has never experienced any like that before in my life, it was pretty dramatic to me. I think I have a bit of a clue of what asthmatics and people with allergies go through when they are in distress and I never want to experience that again.
When we returned home from the hospital 2.5 hours later, it didn't just rain, it downpoured and our power went out for 12 hours. That's okay...my husband and I needed the rest from such an active morning.
Now when I think about the scripture that says, "This is the day that the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it."...whenever I begin to complain too much, I think of that scripture and the very fact that even though my day got off to a rough start, I lived to rejoice and be glad in it.