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Well, I have a few (including a head-on car crash where someone was kind enough to run a red light, right into me... always an attention getter), but my number one was a night in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) after major reconstructive jaw surgery.

Long story short, I underwent optional surgery to correct an open bite (my front teeth didn't meet in the front leaving more than a 0.5cm gap when my jaw was closed). The surgery took longer than expected (about 5 hours) in which they ripped out my upper and lower jaw, removed and reshaped some bone and then wired everything back together again (did I say this was optional? What was I thinking?!?). Anyways, the first night after the operation was very difficult. My jaw was wired shut, my neck was totally swollen (to the point where I had no neck anymore...), there was a tube down one nostril into my stomach, and one into my throat for breathing... but fluid (blood / saliva) kept gathering at the base of my breathing tube (VERY scary) making it impossible to take casual breaths. In my exhausted state, I had to very carefully control my breathing, lest an unfortunate inhalation of fluids get into my lungs (coughing was definitely not high on my list of priorities at the time).

Fortunately a kind nurse came along and used a suction tube to get rid of the problem fluids threatening my breathing, and I was able to get some much needed rest, but there were a few hours there that I was seriously considering the end... Seven weeks later (and 25lbs. lost), the wires came off, and all was well with the world again.

Did that story gross you out at all?