A near-death experience in 2018 left me wary and cautious of any repeat events pertaining to my health. The events leading up to my hospitalization in 2018 were so quickly onset that I went from nearly no symptoms as I left for a holiday vacation to almost immediately returning on an emergency flight home where I was checked into the ER that night with sepsis, a double kidney infection, bladder infection, and uterine infection. Fraught with chills, sweats, shakes, severe pain, fatigue, and the like—I took any similar symptoms or issues incredibly seriously going forward.
I felt once again that deep-seated pain in my lower back. I knew this symptom: it was the beginning of a kidney infection and time was of the essence.
I told my husband and we quickly headed to a nearby urgent care. I explained to the doctor my concerns, and they watched as the pain I was experiencing made it more and more difficult to walk. They insisted on testing for a UTI, along with the flu and COVID-19. I had a flashback to my last hospitalization as the ER intake team insisted I must have a severe case of influenza despite recognizing the obvious symptoms of sepsis as an infection coursed through my veins.
At the urgent care, all of the tests they ran came back negative. The urine sample indicated no infection, and the flu and COVID-19 tests returned negative. I was frustrated because I knew something was wrong and to go home now would only shorten the window of time for this kidney infection to be treated before it would evolve into another severe sepsis case. Sepsis had a high likelihood of resulting in death and after having survived it once, these weren’t odds I wanted to be up against again. With 1 out of every 2 patients with sepsis passing away during their hospital stay and 1 in 5 patients dying within the first year of being discharged, we found ourselves on our way to the emergency room for further testing.
My health was deteriorating rapidly. I could hardly walk on my own at this point. After being taken to a room, running additional tests, and starting antibiotics and pain medication—we finally had our answer. Sure enough, I had a kidney infection that had once again bypassed the obvious lower portion of the urinary tract and was nearly undetectable through basic urine samples.
If we had gone home after our urgent care visit instead of going to the ER, I certainly would’ve had a repeat sepsis scenario. We were eventually discharged and sent home with additional antibiotics to continue on—and upon climbing into my bed to try and get some rest after our exhausting hospital adventures, out of the corner of my eye I saw none other than Archangel Michael himself.
The encounter was nothing short of terrifying. As I struggled to catch my breath and cling to what little strength I had left, an otherworldly blue light began to fill the room. My dim surroundings were illuminated, penetrating through the darkness like a beacon.
Archangel Michael towered before me, radiating power and authority. His eyes bore deep into my soul as if on an important mission that couldn’t be conveyed with human language and words. The sheer force of his presence seemed to send shockwaves through my fragile being.
My husband was in the bathroom as Michael began to speak to me. Fear consumed me as he spoke in a voice that transcended earthly sounds — a voice that resonated with both compassion and an undeniable sense of judgment. With each word that echoed from his lips, my heart pounded in my chest; every hair on my body stood on end.
The gravity of yet another brush with death hung heavy in the air as he nonchalantly mentioned that he had been sent to our home for protection and healing exclusively. My curiosity got the best of me and I began asking him questions that were abruptly interrupted with a reiterating statement, “I am only here for protection and healing.”
But I had so many questions. I nodded in understanding and the angelic being grew silent standing brightly in the corner of the room despite all of the lights in our bedroom being off.
My husband came and got in bed beside me and stared in confusion in Michael’s direction. He blinked a couple of times and rubbed his eyes, ultimately asking, “What is that?” while pointing to the corner of the room.
“Oh, the bright glowing blue guy in the corner?” I chuckled.
“Yes…?”
“That’s Archangel Michael.”
Indeed, encountering Archangel Michael at death’s door for the second time was an experience drenched in fear and trepidation. The magnitude of his presence reminded me just how fragile our existence truly is and posed profound questions about life’s ultimate purpose.
This time wasn’t my time yet—always a sharp reminder that I must have quite a lot of work left to do if a being as busy and determined as Archangel Michael was needed to be stationed in my room.