Taking care of Kate, before and after her death, was my first experience as a “death midwife.” Up until the 20th century, death care such as that our community gave Kate, was a common family and community undertaking (forgive the play…
Most people avoid death conversations like the plague. When I have the opportunity, I try to stir up conversations around the topic of death, dying and grief. I know most people prefer to talk about lighter things, but I find…
How many of you remember cassette tapes where you could fast-forward through a song that you didn’t like and find the one you preferred to listen to over and over again? It was never easy to guess when to…
Advance Care Planning aka “Auntie Annie wanted chicken…” “What would happen if you had a sudden illness or injury and could not make your own decisions? How would your family, friends or health care team know your wishes? Who would speak…
Imagine: a teen in a high school guidance office is eagerly showing the counselor a pamphlet about nursing courses in the community college. You can see the excitement in the youngster’s face – new horizons, new adventures – it’s all…
It was forty years ago, in a large downtown hospital that I worked my first Christmas Eve shift as a new nursing grad. As was the hospital tradition, a call went out during the night for nurses willing to sing…
The temperature is dropping, the snow is falling, and you’re dreading that loathsome winter disease – the common cold. You remember; the sniffing, coughing and heavy head that beg for decongestants, cough syrup, and boxes of tissues. You may not…