During my recent surgery, I (ultimately) did not fear death. This is my tale and truth:

Two decades ago I had open chest surgery for Constrictive Pericarditis. Did I fear death. YES! When I researched by condition, a study at Johns Hopkins Medical Center said there was an 85% mortality rate on these types of surgeries! Should I not fear death?!? YES. But then my doctor told me that was because most of the patients were 80+ years old, had already had several heart surgeries, and were already in a weakened condition. So I felt better.

Surgical Mistake Way Back Then

Back then, for this type of surgery, they cracked open my rib cage (just like with open heart surgery) and peeled away the stiffened pericardium. You can read about that experience by opening this link here. Unfortunately, when they sewed me back up, they left a gap in my upper abdominal wall. As a result, I’ve had an incision hernia there for nearly 20 years. Because of the way it bulged out just below my sternum, we’ve affectionately called at my “alien” (like the movie). As stare-worthy (especially on the beach) as my alien is,  it has been obnoxious and very weird looking.  

Lately, it’s also been pushing against various parts of my innards, causing me to have uncontrolled hickups for days at a time. I finally decided enough was enough, and that I would go in for surgery. Dr. Sangara, at the WellStar Kennestone Hospital in Marietta, Georgia, agreed to do a robotics hernia repair (no cracking open my chest!); he said the surgery would last just under two hours, with check-in starting at 8 a.m.; I would be heading home at about 1 p.m..

Fear Death Before Surgery

As I mentioned, the night before surgery I was feeling very nervous about the surgery. Even though it was a robotics outpatient surgery (so it’s not that big of a deal,) I still felt uncertain and afraid. And then I realized I did not have to fear death. Why and how? I could ask my Priesthood-holding step son, Elijah, to give me a Priesthood blessing. That would take away my fear. He agreed, and called up his cousin Noah from next door to help.  

How wonderful that was! They anointed my head with consecrated (olive) oil, then laid their hands on my head. Through the power of the Melchizedek priesthood and in the Name of Jesus Christ, Elijah pronounced the blessing. Among other things, in it he said ” I bless you that you’ll be calm and not worry.” 

Do Not Fear Death

At the moment he  blessed me that I would be calm, I felt a giant curtain of calm and peace descending over me. It started at my head and continued down through my entire body. I felt completely at peace, totally relaxed. In fact, afterwards, when Elijah went upstairs and Noah went back next door, I went to bed. I was so totally at peace that I was sound asleep in probably 10 minutes.  

The morning of the surgery I woke up at 3:45 because we needed to be in Marietta at 6, which meant we needed to leave home by about 4:20. As I awoke, the first thing I thought was “OH NO! My surgery is today!” I started to get nervous. Then I thought “You had a Priesthood blessing and things are going to be fine!” Immediately the calmness returned to me.  

The surgery went fine. My alien hernia is gone. They pumped my stomach full of CO2, so now my entire gut looks like I swallowed two rugby balls. Interestingly, there is a divot where the bump used to be. I told my wife I was going to lay out in the yard, put water in the indentation, and become a bird bath! I’m home, walking around, writing, eating, and still calm, knowing I’m going to recover and that this is going to help me.  

It’s such a privilege to be able to have Elijah and Noah give me a Priesthood blessing and help me be calm. Afterwards, I did not fear death. More importantly, I knew things were going to be okay. Thanks to both of those fine young men that they could do that for me. In fact, after I came home from the surgery, I composed this haiku about the experience.

Why Not Fear Death – Haiku

There are 2 reasons
to not fear death: Be ready/
Or be blessed you won’t.