Healthy Habits: Trusting Your Intuition

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Stephanie Arnold clinically died for 37 seconds after giving birth to her son Jacob. She suffered an amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) in May 2013.  Something so rare, most doctors have only read about it in their textbooks. In Stephanie’s case, not only is surviving a rare occurrence, but surviving as well as she did only months after this event, has led doctors to call her a true medical miracle.

Months before giving birth to her second child, Stephanie had overwhelming premonitions of doom.  This sense of foreboding led her to speak with specialists and seek out anyone who would listen to her “knowing” she would die. It was her sensing something was wrong that prepared the entire medical team for what was about to happen.

In her “second life," Stephanie has created her own website devoted to helping others - www.afemom.org. While in her “previous life," she spent 27 years in the television industry, working in reality TV, local news, directing and producing music videos, infomercials, educational documentaries, syndicated and network shows (both in English & in Spanish). She is also an Emmy nominated Telly award winner and Premio lo Nuestro nominated producer.  

 

I had a chance to interview Stephanie to learn more.

You feel that if you sense something, to say something. How can a person be assertive about following intuition? 

In my case I felt it was a matter of life or death and I was right. I could have been wrong and I had wished I was wrong. What would the worst case scenario have been if I was wrong? Nothing happening? I would have taken that trade off in a heartbeat. So I tell people, even if YOU think you sound crazy, or you think that you are being judged, it might not be the case. You might be imagining how people are looking at you or judging you because of what you are sensing. But the alternative of not listening to yourself and not speaking up and being regretful that you didn't say something after you felt so strongly, would be unbearable for you and your family, especially if something tragic happened.

You were lucky to have people who would listen - what if people can't find supporters? 

I was lucky to have 1 or 2 people listen to me in the end. The rest were tuning me out and were nay sayers for MONTHS. I posted things on FB and I sent Goodbye letters, NO ONE at that time took me seriously. It really is an excellent question. If you sense something, you say something, If no one listens, you say it again. And again. And again. I told EVERYONE I came in contact with about my premonitions because I was scared. Maybe someone, anyone, would have related to me and given me advice on how to proceed- but ultimately it was left to me to not be guilted into shutting up. My husband supported me through every appointment and every visit, even if he thought I was crazy, because he wanted to be there for me. It was the love and support that helped me become even more boisterous because I was not ready to leave him permanently. If your health care professional doesn't listen after the first, second, third time-- maybe you need to seek out another doctor.

What has surprised you most about surviving death?

The empathy I now have for anyone I meet. I was obese with edema, had ports in my chest, couldn't walk, couldn't breathe, couldn't eat or do common things people take for granted every day. Those feelings of "heaviness" might get lighter over time, but one never forgets those moments. So I thank my family and G-d EVERY DAY. EVERY single day.

All we have are moments and my life could have ended in a flash without making each moment count. Now, I am human, a mom and a wife and I get tired and get crabby-- but this empathy makes me feel a great deal more from individuals I meet and I am more connected than ever before. I've always had premonitions my entire life and I have hid from them. I no longer do that and my intuition is sharp like a tack now and I pay attention to EVERYTHING.