A woman who was clinically dead for 24 minutes has recounted her experience of coming back to life.
Advancements in technology have allowed many individuals to share their experiences of dying and being revived.
A century ago, diseases such as influenza, tuberculosis, and pneumonia were common causes of death, with the global life expectancy hovering around the early to mid-30s, according to Statista.
Today, the global average life expectancy has risen to approximately 72 years. However, Lauren Canaday nearly didn’t reach this age after experiencing a cardiac arrest that left her dead for 24 minutes.
Lauren shared her near-death experience on Reddit a few years ago, inviting others to ask her questions about the ordeal.
“I went into sudden cardiac arrest at home this past February,” Lauren explained. “My husband called 911 and started CPR. It took 24 minutes for EMTs to resuscitate me. After 9 days in the ICU, I was declared ‘cognitively intact’ and have no visible brain damage on MRIs.”
She also noted, “I also have a normal EEG despite a history of seizures and status epilepticus for over 30 minutes right after resuscitation.”
Curious about her experience, one person asked if Lauren recalled anything from her time being ‘dead’ for 24 minutes.
“I was in a coma for 2 days and when I woke up I was very confused about being intubated and didn’t have any short term memory for several more days,” Lauren responded.
“I never regained memory of the week prior or most of the time in ICU and am foggy on about a month prior. I remember only a feeling of extreme peace that I honestly seriously miss!”
This sensation of peace lingered for a few weeks after she regained consciousness.
While still hospitalized, Lauren frequently forgot the reason for her stay.
Another user inquired if she struggled with guilt or confusion about surviving, to which Lauren admitted that she “100%” did.
“Yep. 100%. So much guilt/confusion. And grief to deal with all the consequences. Ugh. My emotional state was exceptionally poor for a while. I would not have gotten through it without my husband’s support,” she shared.
Following her close call, Lauren took a leave from work and, at the time of sharing her story, was attending weekly therapy sessions and support groups.
“It helps to meet people through the newsletter I started. That helps me process things. I email a lot with my subscribers,” she mentioned.
You can find Lauren’s Substack here.