Fellow ADers,

I wanted to let you know that on Good Friday I was about to post my poern for the week about 3 o’clock in the afternoon when I sent a garbled message to my sister and then blacked out entirely until the next morning when I woke up with my loving partner, Beh, at my side.

I was ambulanced to the hospital with a severe case of hyponatremia (sodium, potassium and calcium way below normal levels) sepsis and infection in my ear and urinary tract. Hyponatremia causes the brain to swell and has a number of deadly symptoms. Usually, when I sleep normally, I have vivid dreams. During that period where I was experiencing a near death experience, I experienced nothing and recovered quite quickly with an IV drip of medicines.

I rose again from the hospital and the condition at 4 o’clock in the afternoon on Easter Sunday. Perhaps the reason I wasn’t attracted to a brilliant white light is because I am an atheist and don’t have any expectations of my death that may have occurred on Friday. Had not my tenant discovered me agitated in my wheelchair unable to speak to her just before she left for work, I would have been left alone in the house until 7 pm when Beh returned from her shop. That probably would’ve been too late, but I was lucky again like I have been so many times before when in great danger.

The cause was simple. I had been experiencing dry mouth while sleeping at night and started to drink much more water. When I urinate, I have autonomic disreflexia and sweat profusely, depleting my electrolytes. You might say I have seen the light and will no longer drink so much water. I’ll find other ways to ease my dry mouth. 

Ron

4/23/25

PS. I just received copies of my latest short story, Unsuspecting Orphan, in the paperback anthology, by The Writers Twist Society, Legacy of Whispers. I’m told that the stories are very good.