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why did I survive `last rights?`?
As a baby aged one I developed pneumonia (empyema). Penicillin was not quite available.The surgeons broke into my lung (rib resection) and successfully drained of the pus. It was considered that I was dying and a priest gave me The Last Rights. It was expected that I had six days before death. However I made a slow recovery to everyone`s amazement. Is there any significance to my surviving? Could I have died momentarily? All answers gratefully accepted. Thanks.
3 Answers
- ?Lv 77 years agoFavorite Answer
One up to the surgeons. Your immune system won with the help of the surgery.
I was written of at 6 months with whooping cough - parental nursing got me through it.
There is no significance in a lucky recovery any more than there is significance of dying from a wood splinter.
- ?Lv 77 years ago
"Last Rites". These are not meant to kill you, only an acknowledgement that you are near death and need to be in a State of Grace in case you do die.
Patients did survive pneumonia in the days before penicillin, the technique you describe was fairly common and often effective. If this was just before penicillin then it is likely that the doctors also used a sulfonamide, which has anti-bacterial effects. These drugs were available from the mid 1930s and substantially reduced death rates from the previous level of 30-40%.
- ?Lv 47 years ago
Having the Last Rites does not mean that someone will necessarily die - it can give him/her strength to recover. My mother had the last rites twice and lived after the birth of one of us - now she is 72.