A Morbid Poll I know.

[Iam46yearsold]

Now I know this may seem rather morbid to some. It really isnt meant to be. But as nurses some of the issues we have to face are the decisions that patients and families have made for the end of their life. This is a poll of what you think best applies to your thoughts and beliefs about how you would like to see the end of your life ceremony proceed. There are many different ceremonies and I cant begin to list them all.

Would you prefer.......

1 The standard traditional funeral in this country with either a closed or open casket followed by cemetery

internment with the usual body preparation at a funeral home.

2. Cremation

3. Cremation with your ashes being made into "Reef Ball" to help rebuild coral reefs.

4. Natural or green Burial, where after a viewing if wished you are buried in green or enviromentally safe fashion.

I know this is a morbid question , but I have been researching for a while. Just out of curiosity and some decisions I have had to help patients and their families with of late.

Did you know in a study, easily found on the net. That is an average 10 acre cemetery contains enough coffin wood to construct more than 40 homes, nearly 1000 tons of casket metal and another 20,000 tons of vault concrete. Add to that enough toxic embalming fluid to fill a backyard swimming pool, a human carcinogen. I can see why they are being considered as de facto landfills of nonbiodegradable materials. Classified by the EPA as hazardous waste. All this has amazed me to no end.

[hypocaffeinemia, BSN, RN]

When I transfer the collective expanse of my brain into a robotic body I will donate my organs and then have fun burning my own body.

[Butterfliesnroses]

I like the coral reef idea. Give back to the Earth that gave to me so much. Speaking of songs...my dad wants Only The Good Die Young at his funeral...I asked him what song if he died old and he said that one....LOL

[leslie :-D]

When I transfer the collective expanse of my brain into a robotic body I will donate my organs and then have fun burning my own body.

talk about a meltdown.:)

when i was in my teens, i used to laugh at the thought of getting my bra bronzed.

and in it, would be my ashes...

with the sentence engraved, her cup(s) ranneth over.

heh.

still might do that.

beats an urn.

leslie

[leslie :-D]

well.. I just arranged the funeral for my partner- he died on 8th December and the funeral was yesterday... so this is a subject close to my heart at the moment!!

karen, i'm really sorry.:icon_hug:

leslie

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

Carve me up, divvy up the usable bits, and toss the rest in the trash.. I don't care. I'm dead.

[iteachob, MSN, RN]

I like the idea of a "green" burial. As far as services.....I will leave that up to my survivors. Funerals are for the living, after all.

[nitroprussideNlight]

Cremated and thrown (can't think of any other word besides thrown, dumped or tossed at the moment) in the ocean and I'd like my family to use money they'd get from me to take a nice vacation to someplace refreshing in rememberence I'm not too keen on having worms crawl out of my eye sockets and have nightmares of maggotts, even though I was raised Catholic.

[amarilla, RN]

I'd prefer not to have a wake or viewing.

Short funeral service with the pastor and burial in the family plot.

Best,

Southern

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

Cremation, definitely. And I want my ashes scattered near the graves of my parents and grandparents so we can be together again on Earth one last time. Then I want all my family and friends to have a party, filled with food and music and laughter and all the other things I've loved in life. Not for me the somber rituals of a funeral service where people would sit there crying and half-heartedly singing "The Old Rugged Cross" ...........I want warmth and light, and I want everyone to sing of the Lord's goodness because He certainly has been good to me throughout my life.:heartbeat

[ohmeowzer RN, RN]

private services for family only , and creamated, ashes to be spread on my mother ( she isn't passed away yet) and grandmother's graves , and i want my ashes to be mixed with my cats that have passed away.

i really find this thread very interesting .. i don't find it morbid at all... thank you starting this thread.

[ohmeowzer RN, RN]

well.. I just arranged the funeral for my partner- he died on 8th December and the funeral was yesterday... so this is a subject close to my heart at the moment!!

I would not want anyone to see me after I am dead- its a body and it will look nothing like me! I'd like a wicker coffin.. but they are 4 times more expensive than the traditional wooden one. so it will be cremation with my ashes being scattered over some far distant hills! I plan on writing this into my will.

I'd have a proper wiccan funeral but think my family might have a blue fit and the funeral is for them, not me! I wont be there. oh and they can play 'another one bites the dust' by queen...

i am sorry for your loss. my prayers are with you . i send you hugs

[mshultz]

My aunt, an RN for 44 years, tried to make arrangements to donate her body. The medical schools here in my area told her that she would have to pay for her body to be transported from the university to the funeral home after they were done with it. She told them to stick it.

I am donating my body to the local medical school (NEOUCOM). They offer free pickup within a 75 mile radius. Bodies that have been used for organ donation are not accepted, so you have to make a choice. They can refuse a body for a variety of reasons, including obesity, and dying on a day when the school is closed. They also will not fight your next of kin, if they oppose the donation.

I need to make alternative arrangements in case my body is not accepted.