Death stories?

Specialties Hospice

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Weird, bizarre, peaceful or totally memorable occasions that you observed death, any stories?

I don't mean to be morbid or anything but I am looking for ways to improve our service in the ICU and put togheter a folder and info. system to help our dear patients.

I'll tell you my last experience soon, got to get over it first!

Thanks!

I have never seen or heard anything unusual, with family or with patients

Specializes in hospice, and home health.

In June 2000, my mother divorced my dad after 28 years and took off to Louisiana. MY sister and her (Guy) friend talked her how into having a gastric bypass while there. BIG BIG MISTAKE! I received a call to get there immediately, this was 6 months after the surgery, so I took off out there. I was Horrified so I called in thre troops ( brother & sister) and got mom back home. Well we made sure she got the best care possible. Come to find out she had been butchered by the Dr. in La. Nothing could be done to help her. Now dont get me wrong.. she lost weight, she lost down from 386lbs. down to 89lbs before her death. She was on TPN. I will explain later.

Well everything we could do for her we did. I lived in the hospital with her for around 7 months. On November 15, 2003, the Dr. came in and asked to speak to me in the hallway (which was weird, normally he tpoke to me in the room with mom) but anyway this is what he said to me exactly like this. PACK YOUR STUFF AND CALL YOUR FAMILY SHE IS GONNA DIE TODAY! Now mind you this was at 8am, I was horrified. Well of course I asked him to make sure she did not suffer. BIG MISTAKE! They gave her a shot, then 2 hours later another shot, and 2 hours later another shot, and another shot at 2pm. My mom died at 2:34pm.

I truly truly believe that those shots killed her, and I have lived in total hell ever since this happened. I feel like I killed my mother. So I am against the Gastric Bypass surgery. I know it has done miracles, it worked for my sister. Tjhe hardest thing is losing my mom, I miss her daily. I miss her seeing my new home, and my kids grow up, and my acheiving going to nursing school, so much i miss. Also my mom was only 54 years young when she went to live with the Lord. But I Love you mom and miss you daily. Also, I am so sorry for killing you! Please forgive me.

gosh,as a hospice nurse i have dozens of memorable stories/endings.

one of the most poignant is a female pt who had ca w/mets to her brain, bones, lungs. she was extremely confused.

her husband would faithfully visit qd and she did not recognize him.

a couple of weeks later, her husband was admitted as a hospice pt.

they were in different rooms and his was very aggressive and his time was ltd. he had these fungating wounds that were grossly infected and painful. he insisted on seeing his wife.

we put his wife on a stretcher and wheeled her in his room.

he told his wife that he'd be leaving soon and wanted her w/him.

she just stared into his eyes, not a word spoken but seemed to understand what he was saying.

he passed away that noc; the noc shift did not wake his wife up to tell her.

the next morning, she too, had passed. prior to her death, she hadn't shown any signs of an imminent death.

not one of us had thought this to be coincidental.

she understood what her dh had said and per his wish, she followed him shortly thereafter.

leslie

wow.. they must have been really connnected... good story thanks for sharing

remrimgems, as a Christian I totally agree with your statememt about "visits" from beyond not being from God. He does not contradict His Word and as the apostle Paul warned, even if an angel comes with a different gospel we are not to believe it. Excellent site you included that explains the Bible doctrine on this subject. Thanks!

Specializes in Telemetry, Case Management.

Two stories from my nursing home days:

First was a woman who had been married to a prominent businessman. Very active in the community and church. She became acutely ill but not enough for hospitalization. She became hysterical one day screaming that the devil was coming to get her. They put her in a recliner and put her by the desk as she didn't want to be alone. She died the next morning, still saying the devil was coming for her.

Second story:

Little old lady actively dying. Family arguing over her bed, loudly. I put them all out of the room. Daughter comes to me crying, asking to be let back in. She came in the room and takes mama by the hand. Mama opens her eyes, looks up past the daughter at the ceiling, smiles the most beautiful wonderful smile, and dies.

Specializes in LTC.

I don't have a personal story to share, but we read a great book on this subject in school last semester called Final Gifts by Maggie Callanan and Patricia Kelley.

One of my first deaths was beautiful and moving. She was a 75 y/o hispanic woman who had ESRD, 11 kids (6 boys, 5 girls), all married with kids of their own. This lady lived in run-down 1.0K sqft home. All of her kids were there, including their spouses and their kids - about 75-80 people in this house, spilling out to the front, side and backyards.

For breakfast, she asked for her usual cream of wheat and coffee - attempted to feed her with a spoon - no go, attempted to place a small amt on her tongue with a syringe - no go. She said in Spanish, "Leave me in peace, leave me in peace." Even in her condition, SHE was in CHARGE of her family!

This wonderful lady passed away about 3 hours later. At the moment she drew her last breath, it appeared that she called to everyone outside and inside the house to her bedroom. There were many hugs and many tears.

I explained our procedures, i.e., bathing/post mortem care, phone calls to the ME, physician, funeral home, etc. and invited her children and others to participate at whatever comfort level they desired. The daughters immediately came forward and stated that they would bath her themselves. They placed a clean down and some catholic regalia on her.

I then explained the process when the funeral home arrived and encouraged those that desired to leave the house when the cot was brought in. The sons came forward and stated they would place her on the funeral home cot.

After this was done, the children lined up single-file behind the cot and followed her outside to the service car.

This was love in its' purest, most unconditional form. I had to make a quick exit from the house after the FH left, and had to stop a few times on my way home to compose myself.

I work prn in cont. care hospice. Yesterday I was taking care of a man that hadn't moved in 2 days. Seconds before he passed, he slowly began to move his right arm up. I called for his wife to come into the room, and as she did, he waved. He died right after. Later, as I cleaned him up, I noticed his right pointer finger was curled. (The man had been an avid sharp shooter--professionally, I believe.) I again called for his wife to see. She was so tickled at the "gifts" he left for her and knew he was "home"!

Specializes in LTC, Psych, Hospice.

My favorite memory is about a young woman (approx. 30) with a young daughter. The SW and I had done LOTS of teaching quickly b/c the pt was not referred for admit until she had began the dying process.

The morning Sheila died, her daughter met me at the door very excited telling me that the angels had come to get her mommy. There is NO DOUBT IN MY MIND that this child saw angels.

That was 5 or 6 years ago and I still get goose chills when I think about it! ;)

Specializes in Psychiatric.

My grandpa was Jewish and very ashamed of it. He changed his name from Heimel Epstein so he could get a job in Chicago. The night before he died I was in the hospital room with him. I said a prayer over him "Dear Jesus, please be with my Grandpa, hold him tight, let him know how much you love him and be his peace and comfort." When I finished praying he asked me, "Do you think He heard you??". I told him that I knew Jesus had heard me. My dad was with him when he died the next day. He said that he went peacefully and smiled. I know Jesus took him home and I know that God would move Heaven and hell to let my Grandpa know that he was loved.

I need to share this one...This Saturday i was called to home for a patient in distress. I am a home hospice nurses aide...pt was 89,end stage lymphoma and was suffering from a bad case of terminal anxiety. tried ativan,seemed to make it worse.....the nurse on call suggested haladol,but then it hit me...he was having some pain and he couldnt let us know so I got the ok for morphine sulphate...bingo...he settled right down . OnSunday I went back and he was well into his journey home. I was finishing up his bath, he opened up his eyes,took my hand and said Thank you..as clear as a bell. about a hour later he slipped away very peacefully. Made me feel proud to be a hospice aide.

Specializes in pre hospital, ED, Cath Lab, Case Manager.

My sister in law had a long seven year fight with cancer. The day before she died she vowed that she was going to make it and that she was going to kick the cancer.

The morning she died, my mother in law had the family priest come pray to St. Theresa to let her die. ( There is a story that St Theresa lets you know she has heard your prayer by sending roses in some way) At this point she was in a coma. I stayed with her when the rest of the family went outside for a break. While we were alone, I promised her that I would watch over her son & then I promised her that I would never let her memory die. I promised to talk to her son about her & tell her grandchildren about her. Right after I said that she seemed to relax - she smiled, sighed and died.

One of the first persons who walked in the door after she died was a friend of hers who had brought her a dozen roses. We had those roses cremated with her.

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