Mellor dad pens book exploring two ‘near death experiences’

Pete Mackenzie Hodge, 38, has written Delirium Diaries, a medical memoir that chronicles his experiences and unlikely survival after suffering a near-fatal illness.

The former Salesbury Primary School pupil documented the hallucinations, dreams and vivid experiences he had in iPhone notes, and said it was actor Steve Coogan who encouraged him to turn them into a book.

Pete said he first experienced a possible near-death experience shortly after being diagnosed with bone cancer in 2008.

The next year, he underwent a life-saving leg amputation and it was then that he experienced something strange.

While heavily medicated in the ICU in Wigan he remembers seeing a gigantic Casio watch, ticking down seconds and minutes.

He said: “When I was in the ICU I had to choose between saving my life or losing my leg.

"Dying was never an option for me - to not be around anymore, so they amputated my right leg, which was devastating for me as I was playing football and drumming in a band at the time.

“I remember looking at the curtain next to me and there was a massive Casio watch face that was ticking down seconds and minutes that I interpreted as my life ticking down before me… but I don’t know if that was a hallucination.”

Another strange experience came in 2020 after being placed into an induced coma after developing pneumonia and sepsis.

He said: “From October to December I became pretty run down but kept testing negative for Covid.

“I was at my family’s house for Christmas when my condition deteriorated rapidly so much I was struggling to breathe.

"I was blue-lighted to A&E and I spent the next 24 days in hospital, 13 of which was on a ventilator in an induced coma in the ICU with pneumonia and sepsis.”

The avid Blackburn Rovers fan said he “vividly” remembers rising out of his body and looking at himself, hooked up to wires and tubes.

He is still unsure whether it was a real experience or a dream.

Pete Mackenzie Hodge (Image: Pete Mackenzie Hodge)

Pete said he experienced many vivid dreams and hallucinations and found it difficult to determine what was fiction and what was reality after he woke up.

He said: “I vividly remember leaving my body and looking down, to see my physical body hooked up to all the tubes and wires. It was a profound and bizarre experience - but it could have been a dream.

“When I woke up from the coma I didn’t know who I was, where I was or who my loved ones were because I was so delirious and confused by the sedation and medication.

“It was a matter of regaining mental and physical strength and reconnecting with my family.”

Pete Mackenzie Hodge with his daughter (Image: Pete Mackenzie Hodge) Delirium Diaries, which is available to buy now, documents Pete’s struggles at the time and acts as a way to try and “heal” himself.

He said: “The book is about the struggles I had through that time and the hallucinogenic dreams I had and separating reality and fiction.

“It was a means to try and heal myself and make sense of the catastrophe of that period of time. Writing the book was a therapeutic exercise. Initially, it was in the form of iPhone notes where I wrote down the dreams I had in my coma.

“The dreams were sometimes nightmares and I found them traumatic. I was convinced they played out in real-time.”

Pete said the book, which contains both serious and humorous moments, may not have been brought to life without the encouraging words of Steve Coogan, best known for portraying the fictional character Alan Partridge, who he met by chance in the Lake District.

He said: “We ended up chatting for 25 minutes about everything. He said I really ought to write about my experiences.

"The book was partly down to Steve Coogan’s encouragement. He encouraged me to turn these iPhone notes into what would become, Delirium Diaries, which came out on October 28.

“He told me to write without an end goal and see where it takes me.

“I found writing to be a helpful aid to my recovery as I attempted to re-piece the jigsaw pieces of my brain to heal myself and try to separate the reality and fiction of the world around me from the hallucinogenic, vivid dreams I experienced during my illness.

“Finally, part of the idea I had for writing about my illness was the hope that it would resonate with people who had similar experiences during the Covid pandemic.”

Pete said his experiences have taught him not to fear death.

He said: “I am no longer scared of the idea of mortality and coming to the end of your life. I don’t think we need to be scared of dying.

“Some might think I am the unluckiest person to have gone through these things and others may say I am the luckiest for having survived them – it’s been quite the journey.

“Every day is a bonus. I have learned to try and make the most of life and surround myself with good people.

“I would encourage people to try and do what they love and feel inspired. Life isn’t a dress rehearsal, and we are only here for [a short time] so make the most of it.”

Delirium Diaries was published at the end of October. The books sold out at a book launch event, on October 26, hosted by Christine Cort (co-founder of Manchester International Festival and former Marketing Director at Time Out Group).

You can buy Delirium Diaries by visiting: www.bookguild.co.uk. It retails for £8.99.