Week 10

The article about explaining the death process to a child interested me. It said that you should explain about death and the changes that comes with it. The article says that it's also important to include spiritual values as well to decrease fears and to keep them from imagining things worse than the truth. I found this interesting because in my faith, death is celebrated as a wonderful change or transcendence into the next worlds to be with our patrons. We celebrate when one of us passes because it is another transition of life, just as we celebrate births.

I can't imagine lying to my child over something natural. In the article it says that if we're old enough to die, we're old enough to grieve. Grieving isn't a bad thing. It's an important part of life. Supporting our children in grieving healthily is vastly important. I feel like by celebrating the person's passing as a positive change that we all look forward to, we are showing our children how to accept death as a facet of life.

Thanks for a great quarter! It's been lots of fun and I've learned a lot!

Week 9

The thing that popped out to me this week was the part about Alzheimer's disease. On page 544, is says, "Alzheimer's disease causes people to change from thinking, communicative human beings to confused , bedridden victims unable to recognize their family members and close friends." As a Certified Nursing Assistant, I have worked in an Alzheimer's unit before. I have watched the symptoms over come people. According to the book, the symptoms are: "declines in memory, learning, attention, and judgment; confusion as to time and place; difficulties in communicating and finding the right words; decline in personal hygiene and self-care skills; inappropriate social behavior; and changes in personality." It is no wonder that Alzheimer's is so dreaded and terrifying.

I honestly would not want to live through the horror of degrading farther as the Alzheimer's progresses. I've watched as family members struggled as people who are so important become empty husks. I've heard people cry themselves to sleep because they knew they were sick and dying but couldn't remember who they could talk to about it. One woman I knew cried every day because her husband had left her. He had passed away a long time ago, but she was reliving that day over and over.

Honestly, I'm not sure whether it's a blessing or a curse to live so long.