J Clin Oncol. 2013 Nov 1;31(31):4022-3. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2013.51.2467. Epub 2013 Sep 23.
Sitting with grandma.
Source
From the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI
Instinctively, he wanted to sit with Grandma one last time. The arrivals of both the hospice nurse and the funeral home staff were delayed, giving him several hours at her bedside, during which he was able to express his appreciation that he was present for his grandmother during her final hours.
What if she had been in the hospital during her final days, as so many of our patients used to be, and as some still are? Would Ben have had the privilege of sitting with Grandma after she died? I don't know, but I do have an enhanced respect for what those minutes can mean. Both of our sons will always remember the joy of their outings with Grandma, but Ben will also remember the stillness, calm, and spiritual intensity of the final hours after her death.
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