Losing A Loved One

The death of a loved one is not something that is easy to live through. For Cheryl Strayed that was no different, but Strayed used it as her driving force at a chance to pursue her dreams as well as an opportunity make her grieving heard. She battle with the death of her mother as well as her whole life being turned upside down as acknowledged in, “I’d find my strength again, far from everything that had made my life ridiculous” (Strayed 57). One thing that did not change throughout it all was that she still enjoyed literature and her dream to pursue to be a well know writer. Throughout her entire journey of the PCT she continued to read and to expand on her knowledge, not only about the PCT but as well as about herself which is addressed in “Even the Faulkner novel had more right to be in my pack, if only because I hadn’t read it and therefore it could be explained as entertainment. I’d read The Dream of a Common Language so often that I’d practically memorized it” (Strayed 60). Her mother’s passing was her reason for embarking on such an unknown adventure, which in return was her driving force behind putting out her book in order to prove to people that if you are in a dark place in your life it does not always stay that way.

When we get older and when we deal with someone else who is nearing death we misunderstand what happens and how to understand the death process, we do not know what to expect and how to handle the process.

Death with Dignity is a unique topic, it's not easily discussed because the topic of death makes the average person uncomfortable. But if you meets all the requirements and has exhausted all other healthcare options you should be allowed to take that route. Proper knowledge of all other care options and knowledge of the medication is essential. If you or someone you love is contemplating Death with Dignity do not be mad or sad for them. But support them and their decision. If they'll be taken away from you inevitably why not give them the comfortability to make that decision on their

Loved Ones and the Death Process. The process of death and dying and stages experienced by the person surviving the death of a loved one are often less predictable than those of the dying person. Being a survivor of death is quite different from being the one dying.

The death of an individual who was once very close to you can be hard to cope with. Dealing with death isn’t easy for everyone as it can result in one’s mental, emotional or even financial downfall.

Terminally ill patients also adapt to a level of disability that they would not have previously anticipated they could live with. They come to value what little quality of life they have left. Many elderly people already feel a burden to family, carers and a society which is cost conscious and may be short of resources. They may feel great pressure to request euthanasia 'freely and voluntarily'. These patients need to hear that they are valued and loved as they are.

Terminally ill patients should have the right to die upon their request . It is their right to choose to when and if they want to end their pain and suffering . No one can say to keep pushing when they person themselves can not continue any further and start thinking this must be the end because they can no longer fight any more battle. There must be reasoning among both a medical standpoint and patient standpoint that it is within the best interest of the person this is the best way for them to go peacefully. Seeing one who is terminally ill can take a toll of the closest members to them. Their suffering can be so painful to watch but more so so very treacherous for them to experience to where mentally, physically, or emotionally they can no longer take it. This does not mean anyone with an illness can say that enough is enough just because they feel like it nor for anyone to say to keep the treatment plans and surgeries coming because one might

* Shock – this is often experienced when a person learns of an unexpected death. Although it can also affect those who have experienced terminal illness with a loved one. Even though we may know someone is going to die, it does not remove the shock of it actually happening.

Unfortunately, during the dying process patients become weak and more fragile.  Eventually, they become less independent and more

Researchers MacCallum and Golombok (2004) argued that results from previous studies focusing on the loss of a father could not be generalized to children who grew up in households without a father from birth. This is where lesbian mothers and single mothers come into their research, because these families did not necessarily have an absentee father due to family disruption or realignment. For example, lesbians have used assisted conception and/or adoption. In earlier times, lesbian mothers weren’t always allowed these options. Many often lost their children due to the belief that children of homosexuals would have psychological and developmental problems, and at the time, many believed the children of homosexuals would be ostracized,

Currently, only four states, California, Oregon, Washington and Vermont have death with dignity laws. Now there are twenty-six other states considering these laws (Death with dignity). The Death with Dignity laws are a great addition to practices already in place. They give patients of all stages of terminal illness the right to end their life before the end stages of pain and suffering occur. Perhaps patients would not have had to endure such suffering which may lead to the removal of life support had she had the right to choose her death long before such life saving devices were needed. I believe that every patient who is suffering has the right to choose to end such suffering. In my first year of critical care nursing, I have also assisted in easing patients suffering during their last few days, hours and breaths. Death and dying acts pertain more to patients who still maintain the ability to seek and obtain specific medication in order to choose when to specifically end their life. I fully support this act as I believe that anyone, at any stage of their illness, has the right to end their suffering. We as medical providers have a legal and moral obligation to not promote pain and suffering,

Having to experience the death of a loved one is an extremely devastating thing one has to experience in life. It can affect people in many different ways as well. A majority of people who experience this will probably have different reactions and obstacles to overcome. I know the feeling, because I went through the pain as well. A few years ago, my grandma passed away due to Alzheimer's, and it was a somber time for my family. Even to this day, we still honor her every year, when my family gathers together to remember her in her day of passing.

Absent or delayed grief is when the bereaved shows no grief or the grief is delayed. The delay can last for months or years and the bereaved acts as if the death of a loved one did not occur. At a future date the bereaved may have a full grief reaction elicited by either a minor loss or someone else’s loss. Or they may experience an unexpected flood of emotions when they least expect. Absent or delayed grief often occurs when a person is unable to take the time to grieve or if the death was traumatic.

The death of a loved one is an event that all of us is likely to experience during our lifetimes, often on numerous occasions. For many human beings, the subject of death could be creepy, undeniable, frightening and something too dark to face. The reality is that when a human being is born death is also born. Since we left the womb of our mother 's, death is part of our journey through life and becomes a shadow forever. While such loss often transforms lives, it does not necessarily need to be for the worse in the long term. However, grieving it can be the most difficult aspect of life, also everyone grieving process is different, and the loss of a loved one can happen in a moment but it can last a lifetime. Many writers like Mary Rowlandson on her narrative of the captivity and restoration, Katharine Sedgwick’s on “Hope Leslie”, Edgar A. Poe’s on “Fall of the House of Usher” and Harriet Jacob’s on “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl” have written about the loss of a loved one to death and how to carry on with their own lives. Dealing effectively and positively with grief caused by such a loss is central to your recovery process and your ability to continue with and fulfill your life for the better.

Throughout this semester, we have learned about death as both a process and an event. Much of the information has come from Death & Dying, Life & Living (Corr & Corr, 2012), which offers a fairly comprehensive look at death, dying, and bereavement. This textbook has taught about death and dying from many perspectives, including the legal, philosophical, psychological, and social aspects of it. We began the semester by looking at our own history of loss and how it has impacted our attitude towards death. To continue extending our study outside of the classroom, we were instructed to discuss loss, grief, and bereavement experiences with someone we do not personally know well. This was quite a learning