Networking on the internet proved to be more than a mere exchange of information. It became a source of healing.

Experience is said to be the best learning device. An armful of degrees or a passel of training mean little until the reservoir of knowledge is dipped into in the workplace or acted out on life’s stage. This same premise can also be applied to everyday ups and downs, life-threatening situations, unexpected joys, or absolutely any of the dramas that play out on a daily basis.

How we act and react, what we learn and how we use this knowledge helps to mold the who, why and what we are. But, I believe the most important aspect of delving into our experiences is how we perceive the roles of others in the process.

With this concept in mind, I’m going to try and explain the most important things I learned through a recent life-threatening experience. In early November I suffered a massive heart attack and underwent bypass surgery to save my life.

First, I will try to educate with what I have experienced. The warning signs were there for weeks before the attack. Usually at night, I would feel pain in my right shoulder. Often this would awaken me in the middle of the night. Convinced that I had arthritis, I bought various topical creams and pain killers. I was later told by my doctor that he, too, would have thought as I did. He had never heard of angina (heart pain) radiating from the right shoulder. It has been after the fact that I found out that women generally don’t experience the same symptoms that men do and often their symptoms are misdiagnosed.

There was no apprehension on my part, because in the stabilizing process, I was given a combination of drugs that eliminated the pain and allowed me to get some much needed sleep in the ambulance ride to the town where the cardiologists were waiting.

It isn’t the surgical procedures or follow-up rehab that I want to focus on. It’s the role of others, from the medical staff, to my family and to my friends. They all contributed in their own unique ways to help me through a trying time. Not once did I feel alone. The support given was the most gratifying experience of my life. While I have a few hands-on friends, the majority are friends and acquaintances I have never met face-to-face, but on the internet.

While my recent experience taught me the importance of proper diet and exercise, it taught me something else…something less exacting than specific dos and don’ts. I discovered first hand the caring nature of people when someone is down. Even strangers, from hearing about my dilemma second hand, offered their prayers and good wishes.

It was the balloons, flowers, cards, and emails from dozens of people I’ve never met on a personal level that gave me that psychological boost. I was constantly warned that depression is common after bypass surgery; It never happened to me. How could it with so many people pulling for me?

The most important thing this recent experience taught me is that there are wonderful caring people out there in this world. I will never forget that…or them.