s.owens's blog

by Emma Clare

Dr Claire F Smith, Brighton and Sussex Medical School

Have you ever had one of those days where one phone call changes the pattern of the rest of your life?

That happened to me on 19^th December 2011 when I received a call from my Dad explaining that Mum was in severe pain. A few weeks later she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Then to add to that my Dad was diagnosed with terminal oesophageal cancer in May.

 by Gemma Allen, Dying Matters Dudley/ The Mary Stevens Hospice

Why is talking about death and dying such an uncomfortable topic?

Why we are happy to share birth stories with near strangers, yet not speak openly about end of life wishes?

Is it the fear of upsetting others, or superstition of tempting fate?

Norwich School are welcoming pupils in Year 8, 9 and 10 across our region to take part in a creative writing project in partnership with Dying Matters. Young people are invited to produce a piece of writing as a response to the prompt “I Wish We’d Spoken Earlier”.

By Gary Andrews
 

I was an only child and both my parents died by the time I was 31. It was too soon to lose them but I grieved in the ‘normal’ way and life went on. A few years later I met and married Joy, the woman of my dreams: tall, funny, kind clever and beautiful - I had no idea what she saw in me (short, balding, 15 years older) but I was happy she obviously saw something! We had 2 gorgeous children and our own company. Life was pretty idyllic.

This blog post is written from an American perspective. If you or anyone you know are in the New York area, then East End Doula Care can provide support
 

by Susan Capurso

Commissioning a memorial to celebrate the life of a loved one can be the hardest task facing us, but it can also be the most rewarding. The Lettering Arts Trust can help you find an artist to create a memorial designed and carved by hand, whether a traditional headstone, or a sculpture for your garden.  Working with an artist, your memorial will be a piece of solemn beauty and a truly personal reflection of the lost life.