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Woman wakes up right as the surgeon is about to cut into her; unable to move and breathe, she dies,
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How she describes the after life is absolutely beautiful. - photo by Amberlee Lovell
Donna Penner could still hear the usual banging sounds of the operating room when she woke up after surgery. She was completely relaxed relieved it was over when she heard two words that froze her heart.

Scalpel please.

It was 2008 in Manitoba, Canada, and 44-year-old Donna was in surgery to discover why she was having heavy bleeding during her periods. The operation involved three or four small incisions in her abdomen, according to her account to the BBC.

But what started out as a normal procedure turned into a nightmare that would scar Donna long past the recovery date.

Originally, Donna drifted to sleep from the anaesthesia like normal, but when she heard those two words from the surgeon, Donna realized the horrifying truth: she was waking up during surgery.

She couldnt move or speak.

Although the anaesthetic hadnt worked, the paralytic had, which meant she could do nothing: speak, shout, cry, move or open her eyes.

I felt him make the first incision. I don't have words to describe the pain it was horrific, Donna said.

Stuck and horrified, Donna could do nothing but lay in agony as the surgeon continued. She constantly prayed, sung to herself and thought of her husband and children to try to take her mind off of the pain.

I was in a state of sheer terror. I could hear them working on me, I could hear them talking. I felt the surgeon make those incisions and push those instruments through my abdomen, Donna said in her interview for Outlook on the BBC World Service. I felt him moving my organs around as he explored. I heard him say things like, 'Look at her appendix, it's really nice and pink, colon looks good, ovary looks good.'"

To make matters worse, she was suffocating.

Patients who are given a paralytic like Donna (something common when working on abdominal muscles), are also given a breathing tube.

Donnas heart rate was up to 148 beats per minute, but with the breathing tube, she could only have seven breaths every minute.

Her lungs felt like they were on fire.

All attempts to get the doctors attention backfired

This operation (and pain) went on for an hour-and-a-half. During that time Donna did all she could possibly do to get the attention of the surgeon. She managed to wiggle her foot, but it was never verbally acknowledged.

Finally she realized she could move her tongue!

The anesthesiologist noticed her playing with the breathing tube in her throat and, thinking the paralytic had worn off, removed the tube.

Now, Donna couldnt breathe at all.

But then something miraculous happened.

In the middle of this unendurable agony, Donna died. She left her body.

Donna is a Christian, and said that she wasnt necessarily in heaven, but it wasnt earth. This is how she describes it:

It was quiet. The sounds of the operating room were in the background, I could still hear them. But it sounded as though they were very, very far away.

"The fear was gone, the pain was gone. I felt warm, I felt comforted and I felt safe. And instinctively I knew I was not alone. There was a presence with me. I always say that was God with me because there was absolutely no doubt in my mind that he was there beside me. And then I heard a voice saying, Whatever happens, you're going to be OK.

Donna begged the presence to let her die.

The pain and horror she left behind on the operating table was too much. She didnt want to return.

But as quickly as she left her body, she came back. The operating room was loud the nurses were shouting at her to breathe. Eventually, they manually forced air into her lungs and Donnas lungs received sweet relief.

Donnas recovery and retaliation

When Donna told the surgeon what had happened, he was horrified. His eyes filled with tears, as he took her hands in his and apologized.

Donna was deeply traumatized, and went directly to a therapist. She couldnt remember what day of the week it was on her first appointment, because she was so affected from the disaster.

One patient in about every 19,600 surgeries will wake up during surgery, and women are more likely to experience this than men, according to a 2014 study. Unlike Donnas experience however, most of these patients (about 75 percent) are only awake for less than five minutes, according to CNN.

Now, nine years later, she tells her story. She doesnt want to point fingers. She only tells her story to increase understanding.

She occasionally tells her story to anesthesiology residents. She said there are usually several who tear up as she speaks to them.

I want to raise awareness, and help something good come out of this awful experience, Donna said.
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Have You Seen This? Street musician slays with clarinet
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Better than almost every face-melting guitar or drum solo. - photo by Facebook video screenshot

THE BIG EASY — Yeah, yeah, we all know that New Orleans is stuffed to the gills will incredible musicians.

But knowing that fact and then hearing that fact are two different things. You can step into any number of jazz clubs on any given night on Bourbon Street, and you’ll probably be impressed with virtually every act. Or you can sit at home on your comfy couch and watch this featured video.

In the video, you’ll see a woman who is in the groove. She is swinging hard, and wailing on her clarinet with a practiced expertise that makes it sounds so easy.

From note one you’ll be drawn in; your appreciation will grow with every second, and then your face will melt off when you realize how incredible she really is.

If you’ve never played a woodwind or a brass, you may not know everything that comes with a performance like this. Lung capacity and breath control are huge factors in keeping your notes clear and loud, and hitting those high notes is especially difficult.

So when this woman hits that high note and holds it for several seconds, you know you’re dealing with an exceptional musician. It means she has worked hard for years to develop skill on top of her natural talent, and we get to benefit.

It kinda makes you wonder how we let people get away with mumble rap and autotune when talent like this exists in the world.

I wish this video were longer, and I wish I had more information about this woman, but as it is, we’ll just have to appreciate the little flavor of New Orleans jazz posted by the Facebook group Clarinet Life.

Street musician killing it on clarinet

She must have lungs of iron! Its inspiring hearing the upper registers being played so well.

Posted by Clarinet Life on Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Martha Ostergar is a writer who delights in the ridiculous that internet serves up, which means she's more than grateful that she gets to cruise the web for amazing videos to highlight for your viewing pleasure.
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