Amazing end of life story!

Published

Specializes in Corrections, Cardiac, Hospice.

I asked the family if I could share this story, it is SO amazing!!!

I had a patient at my inpatient Hospice facility for the last two days who was "actively dying." When I came on tonight, the daughter asked me how much longer he was going to suffer like this and WHY wasn't he dying? So, I went down the list, is there anything he needs resolved? "No" Is there anyone that hasn't seen him yet? "No" Have you all told him it is ok to die? "Yes" So I went to get him some MS and as I put it under his tongue, it came right back out. Then his daugher said, I didn't even grant him his last wish. Oh? I replied, and what was that? She said, to get him a six pack of beer. I bought it and left it on my counter when he came here." Oh, realllllllyyyy????:rolleyes: I called our Medical Director and got the order, then I asked the LPN on if she had time to run to the party shop across the street. We got him a beer, put it in a plastic medicine cup and gave it to him on a toothette. HE SUCKED IT DRY!!!! I then left the room. I told the LPN that I didn't expect him to live more than 30 minutes, now that he had his "last request" filled. Twenty five minutes later I went back in to check on him. As I walked into the room, his daughter was laughing and crying at the same time. She had a cup of beer in her hand. She said to me, My aunt told me to finish the beer because you guys would just throw it away. I told her no, because I didn't want to drink BEER while my father was in the bed dying. But she handed it to me anyway. I sat down next to him, with the beer in my hand and he took one more breath then died. If I had known he wanted to have one last beer with me, I would have gotten him one yesterday!!!!

I told them I thought it was wonderful that he left on HIS terms and they were all smiling and laughing and crying at the same time. Everyone was in agreement that he decided to have "one more for the road" with his daughter!

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Wow! I would like to go that way!

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Specializes in psychiatric ER, Mental Health.

WOW, that was a great end of life story.

Isn't there always just that "one more thing" that people have to do before they are ready to go.

I am so glad that you helped fulfill that last wish!!!

~ear

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Thanks for sharing! My hat's off to hospice nurses - you are true nurses!

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Okay...tears in my eyes. Thank you for listening to your pt. That really was the best.

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Awesome story......

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:beer: wow! that was an awesome story! :nurse: i do similar work to you. death doesn't have to be sad. it feels good when someone can die with dignity and pain-free. you did a great job!

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Specializes in Med-Surg, , Home health, Education.

Wow that's awsome! Thanks for sharing!

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Specializes in Progressive Care.

Awesome. Period.

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

That is wonderful! Oh bless you for allowing that to happen!

I had a patient that was dying in the hospital, now I had worked in a ALF for 4 years and this was one of my patients there, so I knew him very well. Sadly there wasn't much time to get him back to his ALF to die, and he didn't much care. All he wanted was a shot of 18 year old or more scotch and a cigar before he died.

I worked like lightening with discharge planners, and my administrative nurse from the ALF! We did get the order to let him go home, and let the ambulance company (my hubby works for) know what was up and they came right away to take him home!

Once he got to his room, there was a large gorgeous gift basket with an 18 year old scotch bottle, and a great cigar, a gold plated cigar clipper, a golden lighter, and two gold rimmed shot glasses! Also included was the mans favorite music on CD and they loaned him a nice stereo to listen to it (big band sound!). He went for a nice wheel chair stroll via his favorite caregiver around the facility for his cigar, and they said he really enjoyed the fall colors!

He didn't have any family left, so he wanted to enjoy his goodies with his caregivers and nurses before he went! So everyone popped in as they could. He was on cloud nine!

He died that evening.

I am glad I had the opportunity to call and arrange something for this great guy! He was a wonderful man, and it was well worth the effort!

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How neat that in years to come his family will have a good memory.

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I think it is great when the nurses try to make the death better that way. When my Mother was dying, for some reason she started saying, "Christmas tree, Christmas tree,Christmas tree,Christmas tree," over & over. Nothing else made any sense. They asked us if there was a signifigance & besides the obvious, we couldn't come up with a reason for her saying the words. So, even though it was May, they hunted up a Christmas tree, complete with lights, & put it up in her room. I honestly don't know if she even noticed it as she was pretty far gone by that time but her family really appreciated the gesture.

You did a wonderful thing, helping him to die when he wanted.

Dixie

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