Near Death and After Death

By Dianna

In September 2006, my brother-in-law (Alesandro) - better known as Alex - suffered cardio infusion, meaning: "fluid built up around the surface of the heart" causing him serious health problems and near death.

On further investigation, Alex was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer which had spread to the lining of the heart. While still in the hospital, eight days later, Alex started a three month chemo program. Subsequently, that treatment concluded in December and successfully reduced his cancer by one-half the size. However, the cancer remained incurable.

The one good thing about his chemo was it gave us all a lovely Christmas together. Alex was feeling better early January, so he encouraged his ex-wife and 14 year old son to go on a two week holiday to Thailand (Australian summer school holidays).

On the 17th of January, Alex was re-admitted to the hospital because he suddenly took a turn for the worse. This time it was relating to his extremely low red blood cell levels which had been affected by his previous treatment. However, after being given a blood transfusion, Alex said he felt remarkably stronger as he could barely lift a cup beforehand. During that hospital visit, his whole body was scanned and tiny spots showed up on his brain and liver.

At first, doctors were undecided if the cancer had spread or if blood clots had formed. Unfortunately, it was cancer and it started to spread throughout his whole body at an accelerated rate, sending Alex into a coma by the 27th. At this stage, the whole family was called to the hospital as it didn't look like Alex was going to make it through the day.

His parents asked for all medication to be discontinued and to let nature take its course. Amazingly, Alex didn't die and slowly regained consciousness. That afternoon, I visited the hospital and I was very surprised to see Alex sitting in a chair with a tray of food in front of him and even though Alex looked extremely pale, he was bright and started talking. Alex still had an appetite, but his muscles were wasting away so he had difficulty swallowing. I spoke with his tea lady who arranged four nice soft deserts.

As we chatted, Alex stopped and looked at me seriously. He said, "I am in the hospital now, but I wasn't before. I went somewhere". Then, he said, "It wasn't home. I know I'm back in the hospital now."

Alex didn't elaborate, but I could tell from the look in his eyes and the sound of his voice exactly what he meant. Alex was saying he had a near death experience. He seemed happy and at peace with his situation. He was so brave and totally accepted his fate. Still, he wasn't ready and couldn't die yet because his son was still away on holiday and he needed to see him once more.

Alex's son, David, and ex-wife, Barbara, arrived at the hospital two night later just before midnight. Alex was very happy to see them and it seemed like all those separated years of divorce had passed by leaving no regrets. He was still very much in love and now nothing else appeared to matter. Two days later, Alex passed over with his closest family by his side on January 31st, just eleven days short of his 54th birthday. We celebrated his life and birthday with plenty of fun and laughter, mostly about his many silly antics. Alex's favorite saying was, "Do you want to know something funny?" Then he would go on to tell you a joke or a story about something funny that happened to him since the last time you'd seen him. God Bless.

Three weeks had passed since Alex's passing and my 73 year old mother came over for a visit. The strange part is, my mum rocked up at my house at 12:15 a.m. and I was wondering what was wrong. Mum started off her conversation by saying she had just come from visiting my younger sister. Then, in the next breath, she said, "Di, pop on the kettle and make me a cuppa tea and, by the way, your brother-in-law, Alex, came to visit me in my bedroom last night."

I said, "What?" and my mum went on to tell me how good Alex looked and how happy he appeared. Mum said she asked, "What are you doing here?" and Alex just stood smiling, then was gone.

I asked Mum what she thought his visit meant and she said, "He just wanted us to know he is all right and happy." Mum thought Alex was thanking her for giving David a card with money for his new school year. I said, "Mum, are you sure you weren't dreaming?" and my mother looked at me and said, "I'm not that old and stupid. I know when I am awake or asleep and I was wide awake!"

Back in September when Alex was first hospitalized, on day seven, I took a friend (also named Alex) for a visit. My main reason was to give "Alex 1" some much needed reassurance from "Alex 2", who, as chance had it, had also suffered cardio infusion four years earlier.

The second Alex began introducing himself and, without prior warning, started telling his own hospital story. He had two scars on his chest which he gladly showed us. I felt apprehension as I stood close by thinking, "I hope Alex 2 doesn't say anything too negative." That's when Alex 2 announced he'd actually died while on the operating table when having fluid drained from around his heart.

The strangest part was that Alex 2 knew he had died and told us how he was in a place with "a being" whom he believed might have been God, but he had gotten the chance to be sent back for his elderly Uncle's sake.  Alex 2 talked in detail about his experience and also how his doctors asked him questions because they had tried their best and couldn't save him. They were leaving the room when he suddenly came back to life.

One doctor told Alex 2 that he wasn't the only person who had told him about the after death experience. The doctor had noticed it occurred in about one out of every 100 people, all giving similar details.

I was surprised by Alex's admissions as he is pretty tough looking being an  ex drug user who has been in and out of jail for petty crimes like driving without a license. He's in his mid thirties and still built like Arnold Schwarzeneggar.