Death. It's an eerie part of life, isn't it? Some people can't speak about it at all, others find comfort in doing just that.
Most people have a tale to tell about a time when something uncanny and all too coincidental happened to a loved one as they were nearing the end of life.
I once heard one about a lady who told her family she could see someone on top of her wardrobe, before explaining that the person was 'shining'. There was of course no one on top of the wardrobe but the entire family were consoled by the prospect that the 'person' was an angel.
Well, the subject of 'last words' or actions was broached on Reddit (where else?) and the responses came flooding in from far and wide.
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One user, who identified themselves as a nurse, said: "In hospital caring for 40ish man with brain tumor, coming in and out of consciousness. Not to be resuscitated. His 16 year-old daughter was crying non-stop for 12 hours.
"His wife, who had been given a few months to prepare herself, was calm and focused on her husband. I had to routinely check his level of consciousness which involved talking to him in a loud voice (responds to auditory stimulation), which I did not like to do.
"So I asked his wife to do the loud voice part, so the voice he would hear would be hers not mine, and she did so without hesitation. The only response we observed with her vocalization was that this by now profoundly unconscious patient took her hand to his lips and kissed it. He stopped breathing very soon after that. I am haunted, but not in a bad way."
Sharing their experience, another wrote: "Paramedic here. I was transporting a cardiac patient and while we were both watching my EKG monitor, he went into Vfib, a lethal heart rhythm.
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"His heart stopped pumping blood effectively at that point but there was enough blood pressure for a few seconds of consciousness. He looked at me and said 'But I don't see the light'. and went unconscious.
"Coded him, shocked him a few times, meds by the handful, but he died."
And some alluded to the possibility that people choose their 'moment' to pass away, usually after seeing family or friends.
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One explained: "This is a common occurrence. I'm a tech in a hospital, I've seen this before. Patients pick their moment, often.
"The first I ever saw as a professional was a guy who said he was scared to die alone when he was lucid. He was DNR, me and my coworkers held his hand for the first 3 hours of my shift, taking turns.
"His family finally showed up at about at 2am. His wife, and adopted daughters were there. They went in, and he was dead in 10 minutes. He was waiting for his family to go.
"More recently, I had a guy in his 60s with lung cancer. He was a DNR. His wife said 'Honey, if tonight is the night, that's okay, I understand, I love you and I always will." He gave a thumbs up, smiled, and died 10 minutes later."
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Death, News, Interesting