Ron is talking about his experience while "asleep"

Ron talks about how he should be dead. He tells the nurses or those who come in his room that there is a reason he was given another chance at life. He gets frustrated because he is treated like he is a TBI patient (traumatic brain injury), which he is; However, he is "with it" more than he gets credit for. The nurse told me that too. She knows he is quite "with it". They put Ron on some medication to help with his agitation. He calls them "brain meds" and hates to take them. The other day when I was there he hadn't taken anything for pain all day. Wow, that is crazy. He was refusing all medications. His left hip hurts the most right now. His left hip was dislocated and he had chipped some of the bone. The doctor said he would eventually need his hip replaced. That will be a discussion with the doctor when he goes for a check-up.

Ron talks of his tobacco cravings (one of his first words at the specialty hospital in Provo). Over the last few weeks he has been talking about how hard the cravings are. This last Friday I asked him about it, and he said that people come in his room smelling thick of smoke. He said he can't stand it and it makes him sick. (I am crossing my fingers that he doesn't give in and have a cigarette!). He said that he won't go back to that nasty habit.

It is hard to visit Ron in this long term care facility. Everyone is at least in their 70's and 80's. There are a few in their 60's. Ron is the youngest at almost 45! I went with him into the dining area for his meal and a few of the patients were trying to talk to him. He said he hated going to the dining area because everyone is so negative and whiny! I don't know how much longer Ron will last in this place, he is a fighter and told me the other day he needed to get out of this place and get back to work!!

Ron also shared his "near death experience" which was very real. It was sacred for the most part, so I won't share detail. However, he is very open about it even to strangers. He said he knows God and Jesus Christ are real. He was told that he should be dead, and the accident was for him. It wasn't time for him to die, he needed to make changes in his life. Ron has always believed in God. He has always admitted he has struggles with addictions and "his vices" and knows that God is real and exists without a doubt. He now states that he has "seen too much" not to believe.

Parts of his story are unique to a near death experience. The things he said can not be made up or envisioned by someone with a TBI. There was too much detail and some of the words he used convinced me they were not from Ron's imagination. He reported something significant about our ancestors too. I may share that at a later time, for now, I have gained more insight of God and his plan for us in this life. Ron's experience has increased my testimony and confirmed the things I know to be true.