Tag Archives: grief

Salt water

Posted on December 26, 2024 | Leave a comment

A non-exhaustive list of things that have made me cry this week:

Images of a sombre Christmas in Bethlehem in Israeli-occupied West Bank
A squirrel without a tail spotted on my commute
The poem In Praise of Mystery: A Poem for Europa, read by U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón
A short video of a cute tortoise
The poem Don’t Name the Dead Children by Michael Rosen
An unexpected message from a friend
A card from Vandrew, the Moon Bear I sponsor, rescued from the bile bear industry
A thoughtful gift
Pleas from the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital for the International community to act “before it is too late”
A podcast episode of This Is Love about bees and grief

Death is part of life in hospital. Indeed, half of all deaths in England occur in these hives of activity, where we help many to evade the end for a little longer [1]. Death is such a frequent part of our work in fact, that it can become routine. Last week a man died before we got to see him on our morning ward round. He died some time between having his breakfast and the 9am observations round. He was old, had been unwell for a long time, and his death was expected, although no-one predicted it would be that morning. It caused hardly a ripple. Nurses, doctors and physiotherapists exchanged surprised glances, then shrugged and immediately focused their attention on their next tasks. His death became an admin task, as the junior doctors planned when they would find the time to complete his death certificate, discharge summary, and paperwork for our departmental morbidity and mortality meeting.

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Posted in Death

Tagged death, grief, healing, mortality, NHS, team, trauma

In the company of death

Posted on May 27, 2017 | 2 comments

The Huffington Post have published an article I wrote on art and death. The edited version can be seen here. The original blog follows.

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Posted in Death

Tagged art, art therapy, artists, communication, creativity, death, grief, human, medical humanities, mortality, wellbeing

Living loss

Posted on October 28, 2015 | Leave a comment

I got to know Joseph * over a number of months. He was first admitted to hospital in April, when his bed overlooked the garden with trees in bud. As Spring turned to Summer he was readmitted, and when Autumn came he watched the leaves change colour and fall. Each time he was admitted he spent more time in hospital and less time at home, and we worried more about whether this admission might be his last.

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Those who go; those who stay

Posted on November 11, 2013 | 3 comments

A large proportion of my life is spent within the walls of the hospitals of North East London. But when I’m not at work, I can often be found in one of London’s fantastic art galleries. Art is essential for my personal wellbeing, and a great way to dissociate myself from the trials and tribulations of being a doctor.

But every so often these two worlds collide.

Those who go

A few years ago I went to an exhibition at the Tate Modern on Futurism. It was a fantastic exhibition, highlighting a brief but incredibly influential period of modern art. I was profoundly struck by a specific piece: a tryptych by Umberto Boccioni entitled “Farewells; Those who go; Those who stay,” now on view at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Not only is it beautiful, but the artist effectively captures the emotions inherent in farewells. It has stayed with me ever since. I was reminded of this piece recently after a particularly emotional on call shift.

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Posted in Death

Tagged art, Cardiac arrest, compassion, CPR, death, Futurism, grief, holistic care, Hospital, patient, wellbeing, witness

An invitation to An Evening with Death

Posted on April 4, 2013 | 2 comments

Where do you want to die? How do you want to be remembered? What is it like to be present when someone dies?

Death is a subject that it is often difficult to talk about, but is something we all have in common. On this blog I have shared some of my thoughts and experiences as a healthcare professional, having seen death, dying and grief more than most people I know. I have advocated for more open discussions about the fragility of the human body, the limits of medical interventions, and the freedom to live life to the full that might be gained from embracing it’s finite nature.

As a teacher I believe I have a responsibility to prepare medical students to deal with death and grief, and wonder whether we need new ways to do this effectively. Can sharing our experiences with the public be a learning experience for all? Can the arts and humanities help us to cross the ‘us and them’ doctor-public divide?

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Posted in Death

Tagged death, event, grief, health, Poetry

A Grief Encounter

Posted on May 1, 2012 | 5 comments

Last week was particularly stressful; marked by staff shortages, anguished relatives, conflict over complex discharge processes, and pressure to create beds. The amount of time I spent with each patient on my ward rounds was less that what I, or they, would have wanted but despite coming in early and leaving late there are only so many hours in a day. In weeks like these I often feel guilty as I leave work that I am unable to give more time to those patients and relatives facing the end of life.

More than many other people I know, I am acutely aware of the fragility of life.

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Posted in Death

Tagged C. S. Lewis, compassion, death, doctor, empathy, grief, health, life, medicine, patient, sympathy, time

Tag Archives: grief

Salt water

An Unexpected Death

In the company of death

Living loss

Those who go; those who stay

An invitation to An Evening with Death

A Grief Encounter

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My vital statistics

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