With the right support, a chance to plan the end of life can be a relief

1. The positive aspects of terminal illness
There is no avoiding the fact that no one gets out of life
alive but for the majority of us the hope is for a
peaceful death in our sleep, at home, after a long,
successful and healthy life. We know this may well not
happen and that we are pretty unlikely to get the end
we would wish but the thought of a terminal illness is
particularly terrifying. To be faced with the certainty of
impending death goes against our most basic instincts
and we inevitably focus on our natural fear of disease,
incapacity and pain.
Leaving all of that aside, however, and there are
positives. There is time to arrange your affairs, to say
goodbye and to tie up life’s loose ends. There is the
opportunity to ensure that you leave things as you want
and make clear your final wishes. However, people in
this position often need support to face these decisions
and take the next necessary steps.
This is where charitable organisations often come in.
Macmillan cancer support nurses will talk patients
through not only treatment but also end of life
arrangements. Marie Curie, which works exclusively
with the terminally ill, offers a similar service. Sue
Ryder provide not just hospices but support and
planning advice…the list of organisations supporting the
dying – and those who care for and about them – is long
and varied.
Whilst no one wants to be in this situation, it is clear
that, once these organisations become involved,
patients learn not only to manage their illnesses but
also to view their final arrangements with a degree of
equanimity. Trivial and mundane concerns fall away
and a focus on the fundamentals of life take over.
Patients exhibit or talk about feelings of acceptance and
calm. They become ready to leave, confident that they
have left things as they wished and made their final
decisions, whilst those they love can prepare to carry on
without them. So for many, terminal illness can be seen
as a gift, for although we can’t control the inevitability
of death, we can certainly manage our manner of facing
it.
Get in touch with us!
Join our LinkedIn Group, Safer Embalming
Follow us on Twitter @Naturensbalm
Or find us on Facebook
Naturensbalm.com