Touched By An Angel

  Have you ever experienced some strange event, something unexplainable, that made no sense at all? I have...not really sure to this day what it was but...let's see if you come to the same conclusion as I did. I had been taking ill over the course of a few days, I was covered in hives from head to toe...an allergy attack of some kind that landed me in the emergency ward of the hospital. I had just finished having dinner when I suddenly couldn't breathe. My husband rushed me to the hospital which was only two blocks away from our home. Upon arriving the nurse could see that I was having a great deal of difficulty breathing. She called for the doctor immediately. The hives on my body were massive and extremely red, heat poured from them, raising my body temperature to almost 103 degrees ferenheit. The doctor immediately started me on oxygen to help my breathing. Then he ordered a shot of "adrenalin" to bring down the swelling of the hives and also in my throat. What happened next was totally unexpected and extremely frightening. I went into cardiac arrest. I had taken another attack of allergies.....this time to the preservative in the adrenalin (we didn't know I was allergic to it). Talk about panic setting in, everyone was scrambling (I was told later about it). Crash cart, nurses everywhere, the doctor, and my family. All emergency personnel working very hard to safe my life, as my family watched in fear.

  All I remember is a horrible pain in my chest and then, seeing a bright feminine face, warm and so loving, yet at the same time seemingly very frightened. She brought comfort to me, almost reassuring me that I was going to be ok. Within minutes I was indeed ok again, I was still having trouble breathing but after about an hour on steroid medications the swelling started to go down and I was feeling a lot better. I remained on steroid medications for several months following this attack and have also been on them a few times since. We have never totally figured out the exact cause of that massive attack other than a combination of many things...the dog we had, the cedar house we lived in, seafood we had eaten for dinner, and the gasses released from the soil of my house plants.

  We sold the house, gave away the dog and most of my plants, and to this day I havent had an attack quite as severe, I have swelled a couple of times since but the steroids take that down rather quickly. I have been very fortunate to have had someone home with me when my attacks do hit.

 Five years ago I had a similar attack while at work, I started to swell and soon had a lot of trouble breathing, my medication was in my locker and I was not coherent enough to give the combination to anyone, so my employer called 911 and I was given a ride to the hospital in an ambulance. I did manage to tell the ambulance attendants about the need for steroids to save my life, plus wearing a medical alert necklace also informed them of my allergy to the adrenalin. Adrenalin is given to patients that suffer anafelexia (swelling from allergies), but with me being allergic to so many things, it does make my situation a little more interesting for emergency personnel. One thing I always do now when I leave the house, is carry my "prednizone" (steroids) with me. One can never be too careful when dealing with allergies.

  What has changed over the years is my attitude toward people I knew as a teen that had allergies. I used to think haha ok so you're allergic to grass, or dogs, or foods....big deal. Well what an eye opener it was for me to learn that it is indeed a big deal for some people. One never knows how deadly foods can be for some people. To think that house dust, foods, or a pet could in fact take your life in an instant, its really something that must be taken very seriously.

  MSG....a well known substitute in many foods is an extremely common allergy for a lot of people, including myself, for me it is a deadly substance. It is often found to be very highly used in the cooking of Chinese food. Why not go back to cooking without all these add-ons, our ancestors didn't use them so why must we? Let's go back to the basics, get rid of a lot of the colorings and preservatives found in foods today and I honestly think we would see healthier people as a result. There are many diseases that have no real attributing factor or cause....well personally I think a lot of it is the food additives used today. Look back 30 years when things were somewhat simpler, did we have diseases called "fibromyalgia"? No, we didn't in fact even today no one really knows what causes it, yet millions of people world-wide suffer from it. Even allergies...take out all the chemicals used to fertilize lawns and I think the enviroment would be a lot cleaner to live in. I am convinced that all of these chemicals have changed the chemical structure of the human body as we know it today.

  The water we drink is constantly being changed with chemicals. The air we breathe is being poluted at a high rate of speed, even the products we clean with have changed dramatically from years gone by. However I am not here to preach, I am only here to open our eyes to the seriousness of allergies. Don't kid yourself for one second that an allergy to something can't kill...because I happen to know it can.
  Back to the feminine figure I saw that horrifying night when I was in the emergency room....I know that many people don't believe in "Angels" well I am not sure I was any different from those people, that is until the night of my severe allergy attack. When her vision appeared to me, as I said already, I felt warm all over, and very much comforted. I, to this day believe it was indeed an Angel, my own Guardian Angel, sent to help me through my tragedy. Sent to ease my pain, and comfort me through my recovery period. I believe each of us has at least one Angel keeping watch over us at all times, trying very hard to help us when times get rough. I have been collecting Angels ever since that attack, I am not sure how many I have but if I see one I like I buy it. One can never have too many can they? Besides they have such lovely faces, and they do seem to comfort us at times of need.

  A lot of you might think I am crazy...well maybe I am, and maybe I'm not. What it really comes down to is this, is there any harm in believing there is a higher power that can indeed help us when things are bad? I don't think there is, especially if it does help to comfort us in times of need.

  I also believe in Earth Angels, yes you heard right. I have many friends that keep refering to me as an Angel...I don't look any different that anyone else...I don't feel any different, and I sure don't have wings growing out of my back. Yet so many people insist I am an Angel...O.K. have it your way, just don't forget that helping someone when they need a friend is something we can all do and if being called an Angel is part of what being a friend is all about...then perhaps we are all Angels. If the truth be known, it does feel pretty good knowing that the friendship I share with so many of you, has brought comfort to your lives, as well as my own. I wouldn't think of changing the way I am for any reason. I like who I am, and I do enjoy helping others. Maybe that is what being an Earth Angel is all about, helping others...being a friend to someone who needs one.

  Food for thought:.......don't pass up the chance to help someone in need, they may indeed be an Angel sent to test you for what your future has in store for you. It doesn't cost money to be a friend to someone else.

Written by Deborah
pen name Cyber_Space_Angel
copyright © 1999