Gina has had some confronting news. “I am a 62-year-old woman. I’ve been diagnosed with heart failure, (six months ago) and this will likely cause my death. At what point should I start seeing palliative care specialists? My cardiologist is coy about discussing this with me.” The diagnosis took … Read more
Acute Rheumatic Fever (ARF) still causes death in Indigenous Australians, who also have a higher risk of general heart disease death. And currently only one in five people who need treatment for the Rheumatic Heart Disease that results from ARF can get this, according to a Flinders University study. Between … Read more
Here is a wonderful example of how we can bring our talents and who we are right up to the experience of the death of someone we love. Being with the people we love as they die and actively participating in how we say goodbye to them makes death easier … Read more
Could an end of life doula, or amicus mortis help to midwife your death? ‘Doula’ is a Greek word for a woman who gives support, help, and advice to another woman during pregnancy and during and after birth. The word has now spread to cover the same style of care for someone who is dying.
Other expressions which cover support at the end of life are “midwife to the dying” and the Latin term “amicus mortis”, the friend of the dying.
Vale Andrew, 20 February 1959 – 12 May 2015 “When you flew to the sun we were the first to hear about it…” From my sister Cecilia’s tribute to our cousin Andrew, who died too soon. Read it at: https://www.ceciliarice.com/posts/2017/2/19/dear-andrew