This is the story of Claire Wineland. At 17, thanks to her cystic fibrosis, she has seen the inside of more doctor’s offices than most people do in their entire lives. Something else Wineland has experienced that most people never do is what it’s like to be in a medically induced coma. Lucky for our curiosity, she remembers enough about her prolonged state of unconsciousness to fill us in on what it’s like.

“Five years ago I was in a medically induced coma for two weeks,” Wineland explains in her video description. “Here's what I remember about that time.”

According to the American Academy of Anesthesiologists, a medically induced coma means the patient is put in a temporary coma or deep state of unconsciousness via a controlled dose of an anesthetic, such as propofol, pentobarbital, or thiopental. It is often used to protect the brain from swelling by reducing the metabolic rate of brain tissue and the cerebral blood flow.

Doctors generally opt for a medically induced coma when their patient suffers a brain injury with swelling that does not respond to other treatments. Brain swelling can become life-threatening if it constricts blood supply and destroys additional brain tissue. Under a medically induced coma, the brain rests and the swelling decreases, which also reduces pressure on the brain.

Watch the video to hear Wineland recount her own experience.