Beastly: February 2016

I have been dead for 52 seconds on the Operation Table and then again when I was in the ICU I slipped into coma. This happened in 2012 when a truck crushed me under its 12 wheels.

I still remember that as I inched closer to the huge gap that is between the first 4 wheels and the last 6 wheels of a long trailer truck, my brain was in the process of diluting the colors from the world. I could see everything was turning black and white, as my body was preparing itself to take the blow.

When I finally fell and the last 6 wheels went over my spine and legs, the pain was excruciating. At that moment I had broken my entire rib cage, my legs were crushed, but they were still attached to my body. My liver was cut in half and the half was floating inside my body. My left kidney burst not being able to handle the pressure of the truck on me, and I dislocated many many bones on my body. A part of my face near the eyes flew off to reveal the bones underneath. My circulatory system was devastated and I developed a heart blockage.

So after giving anesthesia, the doctors concluded that I had 5% chance of survival and they performed an experimental surgery on me, for 8 hours, between which I supposedly died.

I know what others have told you, but at that moment when I was dead I saw my recently deceased grandmother who was patting me on my temples. Everything was in black and white. Nothing except my eyes were moving so she started patting harder and called out my name, she kept calling and calling and calling until I decided I would put my entire might to answer her. I opened my mouth, and gasped, struggling for air. My grandmother looked at me and smiled. And then I came back to the real world and subconsciously felt the cold operating table and blaring AC inside the Theatre. Maybe she had appeared before me to push back my spirit in my body so that I could live again.

A day after my operation my condition wasn't improving, on top of that I was hallucinating and had a bad cold, and was unable to breathe. It was only then doctors found out my left lung was damaged and was not working properly and both of the lungs had fluid filled within them. So they put me in an automatic breathing machine which pushes air into your lungs. It is extremely painful and makes you extremely thirsty. However I didn't last the night and slipped into a coma when nobody was looking.

It was then when I saw that my brain was playing back everything it had recorded for the 18 years I had lived in first person. However I found out I can switch to third person on my will. So I saw my own birth, my first day at school, my first fight at 3 years of age, my first song that I sung at 4 years of age, things that I normally didn't remember. I also saw myself slipping into a coma.

Everything was okay at first but then the playback in my brain went into an infinite loop when the order of events reached my accident. It was repeatedly showing me what happened in those brief 2 seconds when my body had shut itself down and everything went black. The eyes and the brain were still recording the events it seems. And it was an unending loop. It was painful and I was crying to make myself stop. I screamed out at myself (the third person me) but I wouldn't listen(the first person me). I don't know how much I screamed and how much I suffered fighting the endless battle with myself. And then I fell asleep, tired. It was a timely dream of "falling" that woke myself up (still in third person) and had enough force to stop the recording from playing.

In my dream I saw my grandmother and I were swinging in the playground when I was 4. I remember she swung so hard that it threw me off balance and I hurtled towards the ground, from a height of 5 feet. It was that falling sensation that saved me by waking me up. Again my grandmothers memories had saved me.

After those events I quickly recovered. Both my feet were to be amputated as the popliteal artery in both were snapped, but the doctors healed them. I started walking backwards on the 17th day and started walking front on the 22nd day. I was discharged from the hospital on the 36th day and started college only after 20 days after.

I don't know if I gave an appropriate answer to your question. I just shared what I had felt.

Edit 1:
For those who are finding it hard to believe, I am attaching a screenshot from my facebook.

And that is just the right leg.

Edit 2:
Since someone asked to see my face after I survived the accident.

And a present day selfie

Edit 3:
I am going Anonymous on this answer because I'm getting random messages on facebook and a friend of mine told me some Malyalam newspaper printed this story and posted on their website. Ever since then I have got South Indian medical students and post grad students contacting me on Facebook and asking me random questions. Although I don't mind replying but I think this is going out of hand. Those who already know me please keep my identity a secret and please respect my privacy.

Scary..A true story about life after death..

11:47 PM

British English can often leave non-British English speakers scratching their heads as to what exactly they are talking about. Once you are able to get over the novelty of these expressions and slang terms, embrace them and even add them to the mix of conversation to liven it up.

At first it may seem unnatural to use expressions such as these in daily conversation, but the more they are used, the more they will come out naturally and at appropriate times. Do not worry too much about sounding strange when using the lingo, confidence will come with time. Each of these idiomatic expressions are unique and honestly, are a much more fun way to express any number of the mundane phrases that are said by non-British English speakers on a daily basis.

1. Bob’s Your Uncle!

While this may be true literally, it also means “There you go!” (It’s an affirmation of sorts). It can also mean “You’ve got it!”. Never think that this is really about an uncle.

2. Cheeky

This means to not be respectful of something or someone– to have a flippant or facetious attitude, to be sarcastic but all in an endearing way. Sometimes it may mean flirty.

3. Gobby

To be loudly opinionated, to be offensive or violate polite conversational norms. To speak in a loud or attacking manner.

4. To have a butcher’s

To take a look at something or to look at someone. To inspect something quite closely.

5. The Full Monty

To go all the way with something. To go all out. To go big instead of going home. This can also mean to include everything that is appropriate, necessary, or possible.

6. It’s monkeys outside!

It is very cold outside.

7. I’m off to Bedfordshire

I am going to bed/I am hitting the hay.

8. Knees up

This is a term for a party or a mixer. It is used as a noun instead of a verb, as in, to attend a knees up.

9. Lurgy

To be sick or to be under the weather. (This can sometimes be used sarcastically.)

10. Snookered

This word can be used when you are in a bad situation. In essence, it means to be without a paddle/put in an unfortunate position.

11. Shambolic

For something to be shambolic is for it to be in a total state of chaos, dismay, or bedlam. To be disorganized or mismanaged.

12. Tickety-Boo

This is a phrase for when everything is going fantastic, and is not used in a sarcastic manner. This is used when everything is in order or fine.

13. Knackered

This means to be extremely tired—most of the time used after an exhausting day.

14. Gormless

To be totally clueless, naive, or simple. To be foolish or lacking intelligence.

15. Get Stuffed

This is to be said when telling someone to go away, “beat it!” or “scram!” It is used as a way of expressing anger or disagreement.

16. Collywobbles

This is an extreme queasiness or pain in the stomach, brought on by nervousness, stress, or anxiety. In other words, a bellyache brought on by apprehension.

17. Chin Wag

This means to have a chat with someone, or to have a friendly conversation.

Take a chance with any of these sayings, they are all popularly understood by the majority of residents in the United Kingdom and will be met with enthusiasm for the vernacular. It is quite important to note that some popular forms of slang/idiomatic expressions are not necessarily understood in the same way in Britain as they might be in other Western countries. Some seemingly innocent words might mean something entirely different and are sometimes considered offensive when used in predominantly British areas.

17 Examples of British Slang That Are Simply Awesome

6:17 AM

1. Mommy’s home

I heard one, a father is laying in bed after just waking up, he grabs the baby monitor and walks to his desk in his office at home, he has his baby on the baby monitor and hears his wife singing to her, he cracks a smile as he hears his wife “Go to sleep… go to sleep…” When suddenly the front door opens up and his wife comes in with groceries.

2. Pretending to be asleep doesn’t work

Heres one that scared the living shit out of me when I was younger.

A young boy is sleeping in his bed on a usual night. He hears footsteps outside his door, and peeks out of his eyes to see what is happening. His door swings open quietly to reveal a murderer carrying the corpses of his parents. After silently propping them up on a chair, he writes something on the wall in the blood of the dead bodies. He then hides under the childs bed.

The child is scared beyond belief. He can’t read the writing on the wall and he knows the man is under his bed. Like any child, he pretends that he slept through the whole thing and hasn’t awoken yet. He lays still as the bodies, quietly hearing the breathes from under his bed.

An hour passes, and his eyes are adjusting more and more to the darkness. He tries to make out the words, but it’s a struggle. He gasps when he finally makes out the sentence.

“I know you’re awake”. He feels something shift underneath his bed.

3. What’s in the basement?

Mommy told me never to go in the basement, but I wanted to see what was making that noise. It kind of sounded like a puppy, and I wanted to see the puppy, so I opened the basement door and tiptoed down a bit. I didn’t see a puppy, and then Mommy yanked me out of the basement and yelled at me. Mommy had never yelled at me before, and it made me sad and I cried. Then Mommy told me never to go into the basement again, and she gave me a cookie. That made me feel better, so I didn’t ask her why the boy in the basement was making noises like a puppy, or why he had no hands or feet.

4. Ted the Caver

A longer creepypasta published here, It’s worth the read.

5. 10

A man leaves his house every morning to walk to work and passes a mental hospital surrounded by a wooden fence. Every morning the patients are out in the yard and he can hear them saying in unison,

“10, 10, 10, 10, 10”.

One day, he gets curious and looks through a hole in the fence.

Suddenly, a stick shoots out and pokes him in the eye.

“FUCK! He says to himself.”

While walking away pissed off he can hear the patients saying,

“11, 11, 11, 11, 11”

6. “Yeeeeeeeees?“

When I was a child my family moved to a big old two-floor house, with big empty rooms and creaking floorboards. Both my parents worked so I was often alone when I came home from school. One early evening when I came home the house was still dark.

I called out, “Mum?” and heard her sing song voice say “Yeeeeees?” from upstairs. I called her again as I climbed the stairs to see which room she was in, and again got the same “Yeeeeees?” reply. We were decorating at the time, and I didn’t know my way around the maze of rooms but she was in one of the far ones, right down the hall. I felt uneasy, but I figured that was only natural so I rushed forward to see my mum, knowing that her presence would calm my fears, as a mother’s presence always does.

Just as I reached for the handle of the door to let myself in to the room I heard the front door downstairs open and my mother call “Sweetie, are you home?” in a cheery voice. I jumped back, startled and ran down the stairs to her, but as I glanced back from the top of the stairs, the door to the room slowly opened a crack. For a brief moment, I saw something strange in there, and I don’t know what it was, but it was staring at me.

7. Shirley Jackson’s ‘The Lottery’

Read it here.

8. All I saw was red

I check into small hotel a few kilometers from Kiev. It is late. I am tired. I tell woman at desk I want a room. She tells me room number and give key. “But one more thing comrade; there is one room without number and always lock. Don’t even peek in there.” I take key and go to room to sleep. Night comes and I hear trickling of water. It comes from the room across. I cannot sleep so I open door. It is coming from room with no number. I pound on door. No response. I look in keyhole. I see nothing except red. Water still trickling. I go down to front desk to complain. “By the way who is in that room?” She look at me and begin to tell story. There was woman in there. Murdered by her husband. Skin all white, except her eyes, which were red.

9. “Harold”

10. Solo camping trip

A woman survivalist and trained outdoors guide who loves to go solo camping. Returns home after 2 weeks of being in the bush and not seeing a single soul. Develops her disposable camera film to find a roll of film with numerous pictures of her sleeping at night, on different nights. She has never gone camping or hiking since.

11. A creepy classic from Roald Dahl

Yes, from the same guy who penned James and the Giant Peach. Read ‘The Landlady’ here.

12. Be cautious of “car crashes”

there was a story about how a guy was driving through the mountains (ex army) and came across a crash. The car wasn’t damaged at all and almost deliberately placed in the middle of the road. He drove past and saw 2 people lying in the road. He pulls up in front of the “crash” and then looks back to see the people sat up and 20 or so eyes reflecting in his taillights from the surrounding bushes. He slams on the gas and goes. This story scares me because this kind of thing does happen with “mountain tribes” who are either cannibalistic or crazy.

13. This isn’t a story

This is me. I’m here. I’m shifting the words that you’re reading, altering them from whatever this person wrote.

I’ve been here for awhile. For as long as you can remember, anyway. Sometimes I say your name as you’re falling asleep, or whisper urgently in your ear. Do you remember the time that I screamed, throwing panic through you and setting your heart racing?

That was fun.

You’re wondering who I am. That’s only natural. Of course, you already know.

I’m you. I’m the real you. I’m the mind that existed here before you stole my body, before you forgot about being a parasite. I’m the child who looked the wrong way, asked the wrong question, saw the wrong thing… but I’m not so little any more.

You may have forgotten me, but I’m still here. I’ve always been here.

I’m going to get out.

13 Short Creepy Stories That Will Scare The Crap Out Of You

12:28 AM

Depression, I’ve been there myself:

Depression begins its terror in subtle ways that can go unnoticed to others. I spent years there myself recovering from a terrible jet crash and some other unfortunate events. The perceived isolation and hopelessness can be numbing, the inevitability of a horrible fate as real as the sun rising.

I have spoken hundreds of times on depression and PTSD and I’m always asked something like, “I want to help, but people don’t always tell you when they are suffering and need help.” That is true, but there are still signs, and you can use these signs as a signal to respond.

Reach out to those who seem depressed:

You should never be afraid to engage with someone who is depressed. Your hand might be just what they need to begin the process of coming out of the dark and healing. Remind them that they are not alone. Follow your gut, and to help with that, here are 15 things you can look for if you are concerned someone you know might be depressed.

Look for these signs of depression:

Sadness – An overwhelming mood of sadness. You see it in their faces. Often it is unexplainable. Don’t be afraid to let them know how they look and that you are concerned.
Anxiety – Mind numbing anxiety. They go to sleep and their head won’t stop spinning. Waking up, they look just as anxious as they did when they went to bed. Be patient with them, just sitting and listening can help to calm them.
Poor Concentration and memory – “Where did I put that list, I forgot that appointment, what was their name?” Let them know you forget things sometimes too! Encourage them to write down and make lists. Writing itself is therapeutic.
Guilt and Bad thoughts – Life seems to come in waves, all the bad things and disappointments in life feel immediate. Talk to them about your own guilt. Guilt is worse when we think we are alone with it.
Emotions of loss – There is a hole in their heart, they are missing something that they don’t know how to fill. Remind them that the best way to make sense of loss is by how we live. Some things can’t be replaced, but we shouldn’t let loss stop us from living which only makes the hole deeper.
Insomnia – They try everything – white noise, the couch, warm milk, – yet all they do is get deeper and deeper into the numbness of Insomnia.Encourage routines, no late night eating or drinking, turn off the TV, phone, etc.
Hopelessness – “Hope, what hope! Life is what it is and will only get worse.” The best way to bring someone hope is to engage with them.
Eating Extremes – From starving themselves to gorging, food can become a drug for the depressed. Keep a good eye on this, don’t let them keep this habit in the dark. Confront them.
Fatigue – They are tired all the time. Help them with a sleeping and waking routine. Encourage a healthy diet, and a curb in the TV watching and internet browsing.
Pessimism – “You can’t help, I’ve tried everything, this is all I’ll ever be.”Encourage them to get it out, write it down, and see it for what it is.
Suicidal ideations – “Death would be better than this, death would solve my problems, everyone would be better off if I was dead.” One of the best ways to lower the risk of suicide is to encourage someone to tell you when they are thinking of suicide. Don’t be afraid, talking about it lowers the chances it will happen.
Irritability – The smallest things can set off a flood of emotion. Again, show patience. A willingness to just sit and listen while the storm passes.
Aches and Pains – Back hurts, legs hurt, headaches, and no amount of massages help. Go see a Doctor! Find out if the pain is coming from an acute condition or from the stress of the depression.
Recklessness – Drugs, sex, speed, life without restraints because we don’t really want to be there. Put a mirror to their actions. Ask questions. Help them set limits.
Isolation – “I’d rather be alone, leave me alone.” Find ways to interact with them – coffee, a walk, a movie together – whatever it takes to regularly engage with them so at least they can count on you.

Act Today!

The signs you see may be nothing, or they could be a clue to deeper problems. Regardless, life is better when we look out for each other and remind ourselves that all of us have experienced those moments of despair and hopelessness. Reach out to someone today.

15 Subtle Signs Of Depression That Everyone Ignores

12:26 AM

Reuters

Here’s what’s happening:

Donald Trump handily won the South Carolina Republican primary on Saturday.
Hillary Clinton narrowly defeated Bernie Sanders in the Nevada caucuses.
Jeb Bush, an early favorite, suspended his campaign after his poor showings in South Carolina and New Hampshire.
Marco Rubio was projected to edge out Ted Cruz for second place.
It was a lively week building up to the contests — Donald Trump had beef with Pope Francis; Clinton signaled a big shift in her priorities toward immigration; Rubio got surprising endorsements in South Carolina, and a legal battle between Apple and the FBI is now a factor in the race.

Live Updates: Trump Dominates In South Carolina As Rubio Takes Second

3:58 AM

As relationships progress, the texts you send each other can spiral from cute and normal to totally, unabashedly weird.

Instagram: @chelsea3p0

The ultimate sign of love.

This is especially true for David Van Beveren, who often receives particularly ridiculous texts from his wife Samantha.

David Van Beveren

So, he compiled the best of the best into this collage.

“After I received the ‘I’M A KOALA!’ text (I still don’t know what that was about, and she doesn’t remember), I had the sudden urge to post a screenshot of the text on Facebook with the caption ‘This is my wife, everyone,’” David told BuzzFeed. “I’d receive random texts or just funny texts in general during conversations we’d have together and figured it would be neat to go post a year’s worth of noteworthy texts for our friends to see.”