[Charles Henrickson]

Ten years ago, I had had a little scab on the back of my calf that did not heal up. One day, in June, I started getting chills. I went to bed and fell asleep. I woke up hours later drenched in sweat. I thought I had a 24-hour virus. That night, though, I noticed some redness on the back of my leg.

The next morning the redness has spread up and down my leg. I was standing at the sink shaving and passed out. I had our teenage daughter call my wife at work, who in turn called our doctor. He told her to get me to the ER immediately.

I had one of those often-deadly staph infections. I had a 104-degree fever for a week. I got septicemia, blood poisoning. I got pneumonia. They told my wife I came close to dying. (They didn't tell me.)

After a week, I was on so much antibiotics, I developed an allergic reaction and got a rash all over my body. I now am allergic to all forms of penicillin.

I was in the hospital 13 days. I lost 15 pounds in that time. (I call it the near-death diet.) When I came out, I could not walk and had zero range of motion in my right ankle. Physical therapy for several weeks thereafter fixed that.

That was my near-death experience.

[PJ-Comix]

I was in the hospital 13 days. I lost 15 pounds in that time. (I call it the near-death diet.) When I came out, I could not walk and had zero range of motion in my right ankle. Physical therapy for several weeks thereafter fixed that.

On the plus side, you got rid of the pot belly.