27/07/2023
š¤I have been trying to find the right words to express my thoughts, and still cannot figure it out. My Grandad has sadly passed away, and grief is moving through my mind, heart and body.
šļøillness and old age meant that there was time to prepare for his end of life. The informed choice of medical treatment or no medical treatment. When he would receive additional tests or scans. In the final dayās the choice of where he could be; hospital, hospice, or home.
š¤This has got me wonderingā¦
Why do we treat the end of life so very differently from Birth?
āØAt the end of life we ensure our loved ones are surrounded by those who love them and treated with respect no matter what choices they make. To be treated with dignity, kindness and respect. Itās often the hope that they wonāt be in the hospital to avoid any further illness or infections, we hope they can be in their own home comforts or at a hospice.
šIt feels like the complete opposite narrative for how we talk about labour and birth. We are very quick to believe that hospitals are the safest option. We are conditioned to put all our trust in the health care professionals rather than listening to the birthing personās intuition.
āāLeave your dignity at the door, pick it up on your way outā (hospital door)
āāWeāve seen it all beforeā
āāOh yes, I understand itās not nice, but I just have toā¦(insert applicable intervention)ā
ā¤ļøWe are all worthy of dignity, respect, autonomy, privacy, safety, comfort and compassion during any stage of life.
I feel incredibly saddened for the loss of a special man in my life. Iām hopeful that I can work through my grief and overcome the pain that it brings. Any suggestions on how to deal with grief is welcomed in the commentsš¤