A Morbid Poll I know.

Nurses General Nursing

Published

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.

i want to be stuffed(preferably in the form of me watching a funny movie & laughing...or perhaps a look of disapproval) and have my family take turns keeping my body in their livingroom.

teehee just kidding.

i want a wake dedicated to my journey home and to be buried in the ground with all the bugs and plant life nourishing off of me. it's the circle of life. my body should go back to the earth in which it came.

Specializes in Med-Surg, Geriatrics, Wound Care.

I'm a registered organ donor, so if they can use some of the parts, so be it (I didn't realize they'd take ovaries/uterus, so maybe I should keep that in mind for refusal). If they can't use my organs, second choice would be donated to science (my grandmother had both my grandfather and uncle donated). With what's left, I don't like the idea of creamation (what's the point). Just stick me somewhere to be worm food. Even the ocean, I don't care, just don't sap out my last chance to give back to the planet (not the atmosphere).

Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.
I also forgot, There is a company that after cremation turns your ashes into a Diamond that can be worn as jewelry. I love jewels.

I thought this was interesting, so I looked it up online.

I about had a stroke when I saw the prices!!!!

http://www.evrmemories.com/cremation-diamonds-s/81.htm

{{{karen}}} so sorry for your loss

i agree that the funeral service is for the survivors...i wanted to be an orgain donor but i am now a cancer survivor so my orgnas are offically unusable

i don't know if my kids would be comfortable about me being on a body farm

i might be cremated and have my urn placed on the table during holiday dinners decorated with appropriate attire..colored eggs for easter, r-w-b bunting for the fourth of july etc

I think I would like to donate my organs and have my body cremated. I have never heard of a reef ball. I will have to look that up. That sounds like a good plan. Then I guess a slide show good bye party for my family and friends .

Specializes in LTC, wound care.

Oh for sure, wake at home, open casket, lots of singing, talking, laughing, crying, drama. Then green burial, no chemicals, and plant a flowering currant bush on top to attract the hummingbirds. A small plaque. That's it.

I'd love to have my molecules turn into flowers to feed hummingbirds.

Jane

Specializes in Med-Surg.

Gosh, you sent me on such a chase. It was just before Thanksgiving when I was listening to a show on XMPR with the author of a book about do-it-yourself funerals, environmentally friendly funerals, and the history of embalming in the US. He talked about how Americans have gotten used to having the "professionals" do everything - including funerals - and the choices we actually do have regarding the bodies of our loved-ones and ourselves. It was fascinating in that it is something you rarely think about. Most of us don't like to think about it, anyway.

There were a few different people telling their stories on the show and one I particularly remember is a man who said he built his father's casket. I didn't know you could do that! I knew you could buy them at Costco, but I didn't know you could make your own. Geez. How silly of me. Next I'll find out you can make your own clothes, or grow your own food... Can you imagine?

Anyway, when I read your post, it reminded me of that show and how I wanted to get the book, but I couldn't remember the name of the book, or the author. Thanks to Google and Amazon and a few carefully thought out phrases, I found it. (I couldn't find it on NPR.) Here is the book: Grave Matters: A Journey Through the Modern Funeral Industry to a Natural Way of Burial . I think I'll buy it. Not that I want to lay out anybody in my family room. I guess I just want to know my choices, legal and otherwise, and I admit I have a bit of morbid curiosity.

Now, as for the answer to your poll. I used to think I wanted to be buried. I'm afraid of fire, you see, and I thought I could do organ donation - all except my eyes. Weird, huh? My husband always says he wants to be cremated. That always got me because then we wouldn't be together. I'm not so touchy about the fire thing anymore. I really don't need to take up any space after I'm gone and I might give up my eyes before they're baked. So, right now, I'm leaning toward cremation with my ashes spread someplace neat. I don't know where.

My mom says she wants to be made into a diamond and hung in the window so her sparkles will fly all around the room. She said she wants my brother, sister and I to take turns hanging her in our windows! LOL! I can just see how that's going to go.

Anyway, fun question.

Specializes in LTC.
Cremated and put in the ocean. I do not want to be eaten by bugs even if I'm dead and don't know they're eating me. If my family disregarded my wishes (of which they are all aware) I would just have to haunt them for the rest of their lives. And they can play "Brokedown Palace" by the Grateful Dead. Then they should all go out and have a huge party. No one is to look at me when I'm dead other than the guy imbalming me (I want to be sure I'm dead after all. I would hate to wake up in the crematorium getting ready to burn).

Awe...I think my pick will be "Ripple". From one Tie-Dyed soul to another. MWA!

I've already discussed my wishes w/ my husband:

I want to be cremated. I want my ashes (along w/ my father's ashes who passed away this year) sprinkled over my mom's grave (who passed away a few years ago). Her grave overlooks a pond and gazebo and is under a huge oak tree- it's a very pretty place.

Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.

Funny you have this thread now - my dh and I were talking about this not too long ago. We both want cremation, and to have our ashes scattered at the beach into the wind at Cozumel, Mexico, one of the most beautiful vacation sites we have ever been to.

Anne, RNC

Specializes in ER.
See the last sentence in parentheses of my post.

I saw that, but goodness sakes, I feel quite sure the hospital, the doctor and the funeral home would be quite sure you were sufficently dead prior to cremation. It is quite obvious when one is dead.

Besides if you donate your organs you be assured you'd be dead by the time you got to the crematory.

Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.
I thought this was interesting, so I looked it up online.

I about had a stroke when I saw the prices!!!!

http://www.evrmemories.com/cremation-diamonds-s/81.htm

BabyLady - You aint lying!! When I saw this post, I checked out the site. Really cool concept, but OMG!!! With the prices, I'd have a stroke and go to Jesus myself trying to swing that!!

Anne, RNC

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