-
Recent Posts
Archives
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
Author Archives: admin
Death Happens
Many of us imagine being at the bedside of someone we love when that person dies. Being present sounds like the easiest thing, especially when death is expected. But if you’re not there, does death wait? Does it really matter? … Continue reading
Gift of a Last Goodbye
Have you ever experienced something that seems miraculous? On Saturday morning John did not wake for breakfast. That afternoon, while Kerry and Dick took a long walk, I sat beside John’s bed, holding his hand and stroking his arm. Suddenly, … Continue reading
One Minute You’re OK, the Next You’re Not
How do you feel when you’re focused on your own medical emergency and you learn that someone you love, who is in a hospice, has suffered a seizure? Speeding toward the hospice, I didn’t know what to expect. John had … Continue reading
Caregiver Stricken
There’s an adage about caregivers that goes something like this: a caregiver needs to take care of the caregiver or she/he won’t be of much use to the patient. Easier said than done. How does one control for stress? After … Continue reading
Hospice Social Worker Eases Anxiety
If you start breathing a little easier when a hospice social worker says “a lot can happen between now (Friday) and Tuesday,” what does that mean? My brain was on fire because the nurse had just told me I had … Continue reading
Hospice Nurse Infuriates
How would you react if a hospice nurse told you that you have to move your loved one out of the inpatient hospice? My jaw dropped. “What are you talking about?” I asked. My husband was dying. Of course, he … Continue reading
Wine Tasting in Hospice Gazebo
Can you imagine participating in a wine-tasting after you are admitted to an inpatient hospice? After clearing it with the doctor, John’s brother Dick asked John if he’d like to taste some good red wine. John nodded “Yes.” Dick said … Continue reading
Friends Arrive at Hospice to Say Goodbye
What might you do after your partner is taken to a hospice? As soon as I cancelled the caregivers scheduled to take care of John at home, I started calling our friends. I told them that John had been taken … Continue reading
Anniversary in Hospice
Many of us forget important dates once in a while. Can you imagine forgetting your second wedding anniversary? It was our friend Marilyn who caught me by surprise when she arrived at the hospice to see John. “I reminisced with … Continue reading
Hospice Honeymoon
What do you think “honeymoon” means in a hospice? The morning after John was admitted as an inpatient, the hospice doctor tweaked John’s medication. “This will allow him to be wakeful and responsive,” the doctor said. “We call this the … Continue reading