How I Wish to Live out My Last Days

It is inevitable that we will all die it is a fact that everyone must come to terms with. There comes a time in everyone’s life that they must face death; a friend’s tragic accident, a family member’s passing or their own battles with diseases. When faced with the idea of death people will act in different ways some may find it therapeutic to apologize for the negative they have done, some may want to spend time with loved ones to ease the future pain, and others may decide that their life was not what they believed. The story Death Constant Beyond Love tells us about a man named Senator Sanchez who is living a happy life with his wife and five kids. That is until he is told by doctors that he only has a short time to live. Death is

This essay was originally written in February of 1996 for a composition class that I took at a local community college while completing my third and final year of high school. The original text has been edited to correct spelling and grammar. In truth, this essay is more of a collaboration between Betsy and I. She had take the class from the same instructor the year before. Many of the concepts discussed are largely extrapolations and enhancements of ideas she expressed. She got a B+ on her version; I got an A on mine :).

Death is one of the most avoided topics because of the finality that comes with it and the fear of the unknown after death. However, there are quite a number of authors such as AtulGawande, Elisabeth Kubler-ross and Ira Byock who have attempted to go ahead and deal with death as a topic and other connected topics.Each of these authors have delved into one of the most revered topics that is death including related topics that come with it such as the dying process itself. Ira Byock’s Dying well: Peace and possibilities at the end of life is a book that looks at the moment prior to death when an individual is terminally sick and is at the point of death. A

The beginning of life is celebrated. Books and resources are shared among friends and family in preparation for becoming a new parent. So, what happens as one approaches the end of life? Unfortunately, the same care and sharing rarely occurs in those circumstances and many face the prospect of dying unprepared. Though most people state they would prefer to die at home, this is often not where death occurs. Many Americans spend their last days attached to medical apparatus that keeps the body alive, but it does not allow for communication with family and often requires heavy sedation. Additionally, this level of treatment comes at a high price. As a society, we must become as comfortable in addressing the end of life process as we

People die everyday all over the world. In United States, people use hundreds of different words to describe death. Generally, people that grow up in the United States tend to view death as a taboo subject and are seen as a topic that should be kept behind closed doors and contracted with an individual or family. A belief system that so many individuals hold to be true has been shaped over the past century. In this culture, death has become something that is enormously feared and as a result, some people stop living their lives to his or her highest potential because of their fear of dying. The effect that death has pertains to individuals of all ages, gender and ethnicities. But unfortunately, how death is viewed it has become more and

As people approach the end of their lives, they with their families and their caregivers, face many tasks and decisions. They may be psychological, spiritual, or medical in nature, but all end-of-life choices and medical decisions have complex psychological components, ramifications, and consequences that have a significant impact on the suffering patients and their caregivers.

Furthermore, these presumptions were not entirely correct. Although, my patients were in their late 70s, with limited mobility, reduced cognizance, and from lower socioeconomical class backgrounds, I did not contemplate the actual humanistic qualities of my patients. I completely neglected to acknowledge the unique lives I was about to enter. Alternatively, looking back with some disappointment, I was not able to conduct a deep, meaningful conversation about the implications of death. I predicted I would discuss different views of death and dying, but this subject is much more personal than I imagined. In conjunction, I did not encounter a bitter attitude from my patients, as I predicted. However, both my patients’ conditions determined their willingness to engage upon each visit. Sometimes patients were too tired to hold a conversation, often overwhelmed by questions about their lives. During one visit I asked my patient about his hobbies when he was younger. He proceeded to discuss the wonderful recreational vehicle cross-country trips he and his wife would take. This led to sorrow about the loss of his wife, dog, and inability to conduct the trips in the future. Aside from the unpredictable interactions themselves, I did not forecast how my patient’s conditions would dictate our visits together.

I consider my own mortality quite often. There is a lyric in the musical Hamilton that reads, “I imagine death so much it feels more like a memory. When is it going to get me? In my sleep, several feet ahead of me?” I remember first hearing this lyric and feeling that it was the only words outside of my own thoughts I had connected with in a long while. Over the past few years, I have been forced to reckon with my own mortality more than I believe useful. I have witnessed much death throughout these past couple of years, and I have not always known what to do with it – with the grief, the sorrow, the loss, or the transience.

I believe the average American’s view of death and the dying process has slowly changed throughout time. The slow change in our population’s view of death can partially be contributed to the negative view the media often casts on death and the dying process, as well as the lack of the connection many American’s have with their aging family members. In the past, family was often present during the aging and dying process. However, families are often nuclear units currently, and are not as involved as they once were. Rather than having a personal experience with death and the dying process and truly having a personal view, many individual’s views regarding death are often influenced by the negative portrayal in the media.

Many years ago the number of people in the United States who died in a hospital was very low. However, many years later a hospital room was where nearly all Americans died. Our cultural denial of death began as the medical profession took over what had been the family's role of caring for the dying. Doctors initially saw death as a failure and an enemy which had to be fought with technology. As most people went to hospitals their impending death was greeted with denial, doctors lied, nurses lied, and family members lied, trying to give the patient hope that they would be able to live longer, however, in reality many patients had no chance of surviving. It’s our survival instinct which often, will never allow human civilization to accept death because, throughout our lives we’re taught to cherish life and survive. Therefore, how are we supposed to accept

Death is a sensitive topic that most don’t enjoy bringing up. And I understand why. But sometimes it’s best to deal with the topic of death head on. As Randy Pausch said in The Last Lecture, “...when there’s an elephant in the room introduce it”. So here is the elephant: everyone alive now will die one way or another. It’s the unfortunate truth that human life is fragile and one can die as quickly as they were born. However, while death may make you feel somber, just because you will die one day doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy the time that you have left. Abraham Lincoln once said, “In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years,” and this quote is very true. As the quote implies, although it is uncertain

Next, we will discuss the biblical, theological, and cultural perspectives on the end of life issues. “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.” When God created everything, he advised us about our time on earth before we inherit the promises in our heavenly home. “Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.” In today society, many people are dying at a young age for various reasons. One barrier is the change in our dietary. The older generations grew most of their own food. With my generation and afterwards, farm life decrease and more fast food chains increase. Farmers are now using more chemical to make the food grow faster to meet the need of the fast food chains. Also, there has been more man-made food and concepts. These options have impact life leading to more clog arteries, digestive issues, cancer, heart-attack, and others. Another barrier has been increase number in gang related death, suicide attempts and death, and being murder. “While most pastors, theologians and ethicists agreed that it was permissible to

Reading Auto-Biographies , I’m going to tell you about a personal story from my friends mother perspective , Her name was Jada Hilton , She was forty years old and she was diagnosed with cancer during the summer of 2014 , she didn’t have long to live so her daughter and I spent as much time as possible with her , one day we came home and she wasn’t there , no one claimed to know where she was , we soon found out that she had been planning to put herself to rest , she already had planned it , so my friend had to move to Oregon , we skyped every day until it was the day of her planned death . At the time it was hard to wrap my head around it , that she wanted to die , I was young and really didn’t understand the point of wanting to die , but in reality it was choosing when to die and how It would happen . I decided to look up personal stories and see what others might be going through. Brittany Maynard, She was diagnosed with cancer and decided that she wanted to die on her own terms. Brittany and her Husband decided to move to Oregon to let Brittany have that type of decision. The Dying with Dignity

Elizabeth Kübler-Ross was a Swiss-born psychiatrist who spent two years of her professional career gathering information from terminally ill patients to create the premise for On Death and Dying. “It is not meant to be a textbook on how to manage dying patients, nor is it intended as a complete study of the psychology of dying.” (Kübler-Ross, 1969). This book was written as a call-to-action; to raise awareness of the voice of the dying. Not only is there stigma surrounding the topic, but also numerous misconceptions concerning the emotional journey of the terminally ill. The Kübler-Ross Model creates a framework for those interacting with dying persons, to help caretakers better understand the transitions that are taking place, resulting in higher-quality care. This model is comprised of five stages, which can be experienced in a variety of combinations. Prior to the first stage, the patient must be delivered the news of their illness or the severity of their illness, which usually results in shock. Denial is the first stage noted by Kübler-Ross. Denial and isolation are normal responses to overwhelming emotions and serve as a temporary response until the individual is ready to accept reality. Although this defense mechanism is normative, it is important to note that it isn’t necessarily healthy, and that some never move past this stage. As reality sets in, pain beings to emerge and manifests itself in the next stage: anger. Rationality takes a

On Death and Dying By Elisabeth Kubler-Ross For my book review, I read On Death and Dying, by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. Dr. Kubler-Ross was the first person in her field to discuss the topic of death. Before 1969, death was considered a taboo. On Death and Dying is one of the most important psychological studies of the late twentieth century. The work grew out of her famous interdisciplinary seminar on death, life, and transition. In this paper, I give a comprehensive book review as well as integrate topics learned in class with Dr. Kubler-Ross' work. Like Piaget's look at developmental stages in children, there are also stages a person experiences on the journey toward death. These five stages are denial/isolation, anger, bargaining,