Hospital Assassin’s Attempt on my Life Foiled by my Taiji Training

Last week I went to the emergency room due to dehydration.  I had trained outside in the heat like I always do…guess I had too much coffee and not enough electrolytes.  I went through the normal labs and such.  The ER doctor hooked me up to an IV.  The doctor had the nurse put on a pressure sleeve on the IV bag to make it run faster.  The nurse left and the IV fluid ran out…I saw this happen.  Then I felt air being pushed through my vein down my arm and diagonally down my chest.  I thought “oh no, that’s not good!” The alarm that was monitoring my vitals went off.  I looked to see that my oxygen level dropped to 84%.  I yelled out to the nurses.  As they stepped into the room I became extremely light headed and my mind was pulled into darkness…I was going unconscious.  It felt like being pulled into a black corridor…I knew that it was very possible that I could die.

Little did this ER assassin know I’ve had years of training in Practical Method Taijiquan!  Once my mind came back, I thought that I’m going to die if I slip into full unconsciousness.  I utilized my vision to create a fixed point in the hospital room.  It became an anchor point to life.  The more I kept my eyes anchored to the light of the ER room…I moved out of the darkness…not completely…on the edge of light and darkness…conscious and unconsciousness.  I then used my hearing to create another fixed point.  I listened to what the doctor and nurses were saying.  I also mindfully/intentionally regulated my breathing.  My speech was impaired, I couldn’t feel my outer limbs and my face was numb.  It felt like I had 1000 pounds on my chest.  Every once in a while I slipped back into the darkness, yet my anchor points kept me from slipping too far.  These anchor points are a concept that is inherit to Practical Method….and it kept me alive!

I was transferred to another hospital to a Cath Lab only to find my cardiac vessels were very good.  I was slipping in and out of confusion.  It was only after I could speak that my wife and I could tell them what was going on…either they knew and were assassins or they were oblivious to their medical error…I had an air embolism, that looks and acts just like a heat attack.

After being released from the Intensive Care Unit, I saw my Primary Care Physician.  She believes Taiji saved my life.  For one, Taiji has allowed me to be in incredibly good shape.  Secondly, my mind’s intent…the anchor point kept me from slipping away.

Days after being released from the hospital, I started doing yilus and swords.  I get more exhausted and require more rest.  My mind is in a very good place.  I am grateful for the small things in life.  I am even more grateful for family and for Taiji.  I have a new  freedom that is hard to explain.  I have a warm spot in my heart knowing…knowing with all certainty…those damn Hospital Assassins couldn’t take me out because I am a hardcore Practical Method Taiji practitioner!!!

Note to Readers:  there are no assassins, only incompetent hospital staff.