A Dying Persons Tear

Specialties Hospice Nursing Q/A

Very curious about something. I'm new to inpatient hospice and have only had 4 deaths so far. Two of the patients had a single tear. One of those patients, the niece saw her previously unresponsive aunt open her eyes wide focusing on something in front of her (not looking at her niece) then took her last few breaths. That's when I arrived I saw her tear. The other nonresponsive patient that passed did not have anyone in the room at the time, so I don't know if he opened his eyes or not, but did have the same single tear. Is this common, and do you think they are seeing something so beautiful it causes a tear, or do you think it's caused by fear/pain? Thank you in advance for your responses. ?

I am thinking of so many people as I write this. The final realization of passage, the acknowledgement of all that was, the connectivity of the two, to leave all that is familiar (good and bad) and step beyond; could bring a tear and possibly a smile.

I am doing a bit of research into....god! Now don't get me wrong I know not everyone believes in this! I was doing some investigation that either a feeling of love,sorrow or a comforting force...the god spirit and the patient comes to an internal subconscious understanding of feeling of love and their spirit is comforted right at that last moment and they shed a tear right as the picture in their mind blinks out, right at that last moment! Not sure if it is true but it's interesting! :) Better than just snuffing in my book!!

My Uncle is passing over terminal liver cancel , as he is estranged from his previous wives I became his support person and carer over the 2.5 year journey , my uncle is in a very unresponsive state and we have him at home caring for him , today whilst I was sitting with him I was stroking his head and speaking soothing words to him in Austrian like my grandmother would have done .. his eyes both open one more than the other, his face on the left iis droopy but as I was speaking to him I noticed his eye the right one which is more open seemed to well up and then a single tear rolled down. It broke my heart I try not read anything into it but I know he could hear me. Do you think he was responding to me or I was his eye trying to clean itself .. he hasn't blinked for a long time.

Hi so Ive been thinking about my mom alot

My mom died 8/1/11 she had a brain aneurysm and was on life support she was only 49 years old

There was nothing more the doctors could do and i had to the the decision to take her off life support

I was only 27 years old

I remember crying and telling my mom to plz wake up not to leave me because she was all i had and was my best friend. I clearly remember to this day looking at her knowing she would not wake up crying to her and I seen in the corner of her eye a tear come down her face. I know she heard me. I feel she did. I made her sad because she didnt want to see me that way

Thats my belief. Its going on 7 years and im still grieving my mom.

Im just here looking to see what other thought of a loved ones tear when there gone... Thank u

My father passed away one month ago tonight. I was with him when he passed. As he passed, he had a tear emerge in both eyes. They did not run down his face, merely collected in the corners. Having lung cancer, his lung had collapsed. After the collapse, he had been on a pain pump for 5 days and his breathing was very rapid and finally he just gave out. I do not believe he was in physical pain. But I do believe that he did not want to go and realized that he was. I don't think he was very conscious, but I do believe he could hear and feel. I am 100% convinced he was sad, and all that he could do left was to shed those small tears.

I am comforted that he was no longer struggling to live, but I am and will always be sad because he was struggling, and couldn't fight anymore. He was always strong willed and actually lived with the collapsed lung for 5 days. I am sorry to say that any doctor or medical professional that says its a natural body function is just not telling the truth.

Specializes in author.

Mama was suffering with dementia. She was 93 and had been in pretty good health until her 92 year.

Six months before she passed away, she kept saying, "Remember the Last Tear Drop." I was puzzled. As inveterate readers our entire lives, I thought she was referring to a book title. In researching the title, I found heart-rending country western songs, but no ISBN of a published book. I set the comment aside, figuring it was part of her dementia. Several more times she mentioned the Last Tear Drop reference before her mind completely spiraled away.

Over the months, I puzzled about the reference, believing there was more to it than I understood. Seconds before she expired the meaning became clear. As I was gently massaging her neck she grasped my hand and pressed our joined hands tight into my chest. At that moment, a single tear rolled down her cheek and then another. Her blind eyes were open as she whispered her final “I love you” then her breathing stopped. I felt her soul ascend her frail body to meet with those who were waiting for her.

I think she had some forewarning of what to expect at death. If you are as lucky as I, to have held your loved one as they passed into the arms of God; I hope you will feel only the love they were transmitting to you at the end. I whispered to her . . . “Until we meet again Mama.”

I am currently working on a book to help others understand the ravages of dementia and how I worked through the challenges presented by a person who thought her independence was limitless.

~Blessings and Best Wishes~

On 12/24/2015 at 8:15 PM, tpeach03 said:

My father passed away this afternoon. I have been trying to find information on tears and came across this post. I know it is old but I'm hoping that someone can please help me to understand. My father never wanted to be in a hospital or inpatient care. He was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, and I brought him to my house until the medicine that was prescribed was no longer managing his illness. Hospice and I tried everything, even increasing his morphine to a point where typical patients would be sleeping and in complete comfort. My father was a fighter though, and was very afraid of dying. This morning we decided inpatient care was the only place to be as he was struggling to breathe and was conscious while doing so. I was very afraid, seeing him in this condition and I struggled so badly deciding transferring him to inpatient was the best thing to do. I was told he would be hooked to an IV where he would sleep and no longer feel the pain and pass on his own time.

While in the ambulance for transport I spoke to him and consistently rubbed his head (as this is what he liked). At one point I noticed a tear in his right eye. I'm struggling to understand if this is because he was sad and upset that he was being transported to hospice. He was completely out (with morphine). I wiped his tear and continued to speak to him. Later when we arrived I noticed another tear. I'm so upset about this. I want to think this tear is a good thing, but when I think of tears I think of sadness and I'm so overwhelmed of the thought that he was saddened just before he passed. My father passed away only 10 minutes after we came to the room he was admitted into. I'm experiencing all sorts of emotions. My main emotion is that he struggled for so many weeks and I can't get over how sad he must of been just before he passed. I'm hoping this is not a tear of sadness but just a normal reaction to dying but I'm not finding anything on this. His sadness and struggle is killing me and hurting me the most during this time.

Recently I lost an uncle. His death was unexpected but in his last few minutes of life he said he wasn't going to make it to the hospital but that he didn't want to die.  He shed tears. He died in a cousin's arms ? I am sad and more now because he died crying.  Could it mean he was sad that he left his mom behind? He was my grandma's sole caretaker.

I don't think they are tears of pain. I believe that they are sad to be leaving their loved ones on earth but at the same time I think they shed tears of joy to be joining those who have gone before them. My uncle was smiling, seeing Jesus right before he died. My cousin asked him if Jesus was waiting for him. He shook his head yes & died. We should not feel guilty for their tears, but happy that they are shedding tears of joy.

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