Hektoen International

A Journal of Medical Humanities

Tag: End of Life

  • Cold autumn nights

    Maria Magdalena GeanovuStroesti, Romania It is said that balance exists, that for every misery an equal amount of happiness is about to come . . . Sometimes I wonder . . . when you see death every day of your life, those random strains of thought begin to gravitate around one single, simple question: WHY?…

  • Unfinished business: End of life care and regrets in the films of Akira Kurosawa

    X.M. GriffithsTuckahoe, NY, USA Death and mortality were recurrent themes in Akira Kurosawa’s works but the director examined the issues most acutely in the films Ikiru (1952) and Madadayo (1993). Though the two films hail from different periods of his career, in each the main character is forced to face their own mortality, which provides…

  • The dying room

    Gregory O’GaraNew Jersey, United States The first Sunday in December was a typical winter day; cold but clear, leafless trees, overcast sky. It was the kind of morning I dreaded as a child, having to get out of bed and go to the 11am mass at St. Margaret’s, no time to relax and watch a…

  • Is Daddy a good doctor?

    Gregory W RuteckiCleveland, Ohio George Lundberg posed an intriguing question for a generation of physicians: why don’t more doctors go to the funerals or calling hours of their patients?1 In fact, he boldly predicted that the only funeral you can be sure your physician will attend will be that of his own.1 I attended several of patients’…

  • The end of sight at the end of life

    Vincent de Luise  Physicians find it difficult to confront and accept end-of-life issues in their patients because their professional education and ethos inform them to do all they can do to treat disease and prolong life. This is particularly difficult for ophthalmologists, who for decades have proudly trumpeted their splendid victories over various causes of…

  • Where is the dignity in death?

    Therese KwiatkowskiChicago, Illinois, USA In my experience, the end of life is neither peaceful nor dignified. I wish I had been told that death is hard work for both the patient and the loved one. I did not expect that losing my mother would be easy. I had read books about impending death and had asked…

  • A dying patient’s perspective on truth-telling

    Shimon M. GlickBeer Sheva, Israel Mr. H, a 60-year-old farmer with liver metastases from a gastric carcinoma, had been in the hospital for quite some time. Jaundiced from his condition, he turned to one of the residents on rounds and said, “Several days ago, I asked you how much time I have to live, and…

  • Opening

    Shelley Schoepflin SandersPortland, OR, United States “Sure, I’ll take her ashes.” I heard my own voice from far away, but with real clarity I knew the decision was right. I know what to do with ashes. I will do something beautiful for Genevieve. The kind hospice nurse helped me finish signing Ginny’s Medicare benefits over…

  • Since I could not stop death, he kindly stopped for me

    Ruth DemingWillow Grove, Pennsylvania, United States Never were two sisters as close as Lori and I. It hardly mattered we were married and had our husbands, our passel of kids, and each earned a nice living at our jobs. Lori owned a string of nail salons in suburban Philadelphia called “Lorelei’s” while I was co-owner…

  • The good death

    Raeford E Brown, JrLexington, Kentucky, USA Physicians and nurses experience death all too often. We recognize the gray hue, the fetid odor, and chill of a body that has been failing for days or months. In hospital halls, we hurriedly pass families as they struggle to deal with the loss of their loved ones. In…