Tag Archives: terminal illness

It’s Time to Change our Language Around Illness and Death

The words we use to describe the experience matter more than we think

“To fear death, gentlemen, is no other than to think oneself wise when one is not, to think one knows what one does not know. No one knows whether death may not be the greatest of all blessings for a … Continue reading

Posted in So, You Got the News | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Terminally Ill Father “Walks” Daughter Down The Wedding Aisle

Pedro Villarin was able to escort his daughter down the aisle despite suffering from terminal liver cancer

The story of a terminally ill father “walking” his daughter down the wedding aisle has gone viral. Pedro Villarin had been living with liver cancer for the past year. His final wish was to escort his daughter Charlotte down the … Continue reading

Posted in Something Special | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

How Can You Say Goodbye to Your Kids?

A young mother talks about how she is preparing for her death

When I was a pediatric oncology nurse, people often asked me,“How can you work with children with cancer? It’s so sad!” And I would invariably tell them, “Yes, it is, sometimes. But children are so resilient. They don’t feel self-pity … Continue reading

Posted in So, You Got the News | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

“A Good Death” by Deborah Masters and Matthew Carney

The Australian documentary touts the benefits of palliative care for terminally-ill cancer patients

“A Good Death” (2010) is an Australian documentary film about four cancer patients. The film revolves around the patients, their loved ones and the palliative care team/unit that tends to them. The short movie is, like most documentaries about terminal … Continue reading

Posted in Lending Insight | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hiding the Truth About Heart Failure, Part Two

Patients lose out when doctors aren't honest about what's to come

Things come apart so easily when they have been held together with lies. ~ Dorothy Allison Last month, I introduced my readers to Jim, a 77-year-old man who had been living with congestive heart failure for several years. He and his … Continue reading

Posted in So, You Got the News | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hiding the Truth About Heart Failure

Doctors and their patients often keep silent for far too long

“Have I, have you, been too silent? Is there an easy crime of silence?”― Carl Sandburg Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States and has been for over 15 years. Over 600,000 Americans die from heart … Continue reading

Posted in So, You Got the News | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment