On the Tuesday, 28th of February 2012, I took an overdose of 86 paracetamol tablets.
The reason for the overdose has no importance here. The tablets were taken 10h30 in the morning and later when the emergency services arrived I refused to go to hospital. By Wednesday I was really ill, but had woken and was shocked that I was still alive. Thursday I woke the morning with extreme abdominal pain and then took more pain killers to subdue the pain. Friday I could not endure the pain and then went seeking medical help.
I went to the provincial hospital, where doctors realised that my liver was failing. They drew the necessary blood and urine to do the lab tests.
Four hours later the results and prognosis: “Acute liver failure” due to potential fatal paracetamol overdose.
Doctor explained that there is nothing medical they can do for me and they are not able to give me anything for the pain because it would kill me immediately. I was told that they will make me comfortable and with all the toxins in my blood due to the liver failure I will go into a coma within 24 hours and will then pass on shortly after that.
The ALT was 5565 and should be between 5-40 and the AST is 7317 and should be between 5-40.
I was going to be admitted to ICU but it was later decided to send me to a medical ward as not to waste a bed in ICU. I was admitted and was in extreme pain. They started an iv of saline solution with vitamins to start flushing the liver. I had by then accepted my fate and after all that was the aim on Tuesday morning. For the first time in my life I was staring death in the eyes and there was absolutely nothing that anybody or money could do for me now.
I started praying to God, who I felt was obviously very disappointed in me and would not want to hear anything from me. I asked for His forgiveness and asked for one last favour from Him and that was to relieve the pain for me. My prayer was instantly answered and I felt this wave rush over my body and the pain was gone. I then relaxed and then said “ Jesus I am ready You can take me now” and fell asleep.
What happened next was exceptional. I went to a place out of my body. There was no light no noise, I was suspended and at total extreme peace. No thoughts, no hot or cold, no light or dark, just heavenly peace. It was the best feeling I have ever experienced.
I was woken by the staff at 4 am in the morning and was totally disorientated, but without pain. It was Saturday the 3 of March and blood was drawn for testing and sent to lab.
Within 12 hours of the previous results my AST had come down from 7317 to 2111 and my alt from 5565 to 3023. Medically this meant that I had a fully functional liver which was busy removing the toxins in my blood and had done so during the night to drop the toxin levels by half in 12 hours. If my liver was suffering due to the damage, the toxin level would keep climbing and eventually put me in a coma as the doctors had predicted.
I was in and out of comatose sleep on Saturday and Sunday and do not remember much. Monday they did more tests (bear in mind I should be dead by now.)
The ALT and AST levels were still dropping. On Tuesday the 6 March blood taken for test again. Again AST and ALT down again. I was discharged on Wednesday morning and told I could go home but need to come for blood tests on Thursday.
AST back to normal ALT still little high but I was now totally out of danger or of dying.
God is a living God and does answer prayer and make miracles happen. I have been blessed and have been given a second chance. I am a walking miracle and if you know of someone who is in a similar predicament pass this on and pray for them, it is powerful, and if GOD is with us who can be against us.
GOD Bless.
Andrew Hooper
Main Menu Back to Answered Prayer Stories