Articles
Lisa Cole has been writing health-related articles for laypersons and healthcare professionals for two decades and counting. Below are a selection of article synopses that address various aspects of Lisa's approach to living and dying well. "Gifts from the Grave: Lessons Learned for Living Well" was originally published in May 2005, Vol. 1, Issue 3, in the EXPLORE publication. All other articles were originally published at Multibriefs.com from 2019-2020. The central information in all articles is timeless.
When people ask what I do for a living and find out that I work with the dying, they often turn and run, but some do come closer and begin to speak about their losses. In a culture that shuns the aged, the infirm, and the disabled, for many of us, it is absolutely alarming to consider death, especially one's own. We are often so ill prepared.
GIFTS FROM THE GRAVE:
Lessons Learned from
Living Well
When someone is dying,
what can we do?
MAY 08, 2020. In the throes of the uptick of the COVID-19 pandemic, my son sent me a text from a colleague of his lamenting that while thousands are and will be dying, the public is only hearing from scientists, politicians, and economists. He implored experts grounded in the humanities speak directly about death before it arrives.
Send me flowers now – don't wait for my funeral
MARCH 30, 2020. Who among us hasn't followed our intuition or waited too late to take action and, ultimately, dearly regretted it? Maybe that voice inside kept niggling you to contact someone; yet, you kept telling yourself you'd get to it later. Perhaps you fully intended to make amends with an estranged relative or friend yet never quite found the right time to do so. My elderly mother gave me the title for this article. If your family is anything like mine, there's always one of us who seems to be out of sorts with the other.
MARCH 10, 2020. For those of you who are yoga aficionados, you are familiar with Savasana or Corpse Pose. Yes, that's corpse, as in dead. You know what that looks like.
While many of us prefer not to think of such things, there are those of us who regularly do Corpse Pose and live better because of it.
Die daily and live better
JANUARY 28, 2020. Who amongst us wouldn't like to feel lighter, freer, less encumbered? I would! Maybe due to my time dealing with death as a healthcare professional, being an older U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Africa, or because of the "gypsy year" I'm in, I am convinced we don't need most of what we think we do.
Dump your stuff now,
before you die
The difficulty with goodbye
Back it up:
Let your death inform
your life
DEC 03, 2019. We've all heard about "bucket lists." You've probably got your own. It may include ideas about what we want to see and do and where we want to go before we die. These lists are great – I have a few of my own. Let's dive a bit deeper, though, and stretch even further. Go straight to your death now. How you wish to be remembered may change how you live your life. Here are five strategies to get you started.
The blessing and burden
of caregiving
OCT 14, 2019. Beyond the breathless years of raising "typical" children, many of us find ourselves again in caregiving roles. What do we do when those we love won't die, grow up, or leave and we must care for them? Some of us see caring for another as a burden; others see it as a blessing. Often, it is both.
Soulfully preparing
for the end of life
OCT 04, 2019. These past seven months I've been on a mission. Throwing caution to the wind. I moved out of state temporarily to be near Mom to set her up to "age in place." Amidst the plethora of preparations, we've shared many soulful moments. What began as an odyssey is ending with an opus.
Living life on the edge
SEPT 10, 2019. I'm not referring to folks who are bungee jumping, cliff diving, zip lining, or driving race cars here. Rather, the opposite. While we providers do patch up plenty of such patients in the aftermath of such death-defying (or not!) feats, more often we care for those whose entire lives entail living on the edge.
Hurry on over to hospice
SEPT 03, 2019. When given a prognosis of likely less than six months to live, most people – once the shock subsides – seek cure. Some go to the ends of the earth in search of treatment; others spend every available dime to ensure they stay alive. It doesn't matter how old or ill, we humans are hardwired for survival. Making this decision is each person's own prerogative. As healthcare providers, though, it's our duty to make sure we give folks choices. It's our responsibility to be educated about hospice and palliative care and to become comfortable having this conversation with our clients – early on.
Directives for our death
AUG 15, 2019. Whenever I work with clients, one of the first things I do is get them to complete their end-of-life documents or clarify them. It never ceases to amaze me who has yet to do theirs – attorneys, physicians, and folks with terminal illnesses have all put it off. It seems to be part of our American culture; if we just don't think about it, death won't happen. Yet, we will die. And when we can set up dying on our own terms, it becomes a little bit easier for everybody.
Anticipatory grief: Break on through to the other side
JULY 30, 2019. I received news about a friend recently – his seizures have now collided into a diagnosis of glioblastoma. A strong and steady man, trustworthy through and through, reliable, and ever-so-devoted is suddenly facing a life-limiting illness. His life has forever changed; and, so has ours. While grief will have its way with us, through feeling, caring, and with gratitude, we can "break on through to the other side."
Teachable moments
through death
JULY 08, 2019. "So how can we possibly incorporate some of the contemplative care practices we learned at 'Being with Dying' into real-life clinical practice? There's absolutely no time," he bemoaned. He was the director of medical education at a large teaching hospital. He also worked there as an attending MD – with outstanding teaching accolades. I had given him a call after attending one of the earlier iterations of this professional training program for clinicians. "Let's see," I said as he challenged me with an invite to participate in ICU rounds.
Take 5 minutes and pause
when providing care
becomes overwhelming
JULY 1, 2019. Whether delivering care at the bedside or ricocheting from one meeting to the next, we as healthcare providers can benefit by putting pauses into our daily professional practice. Why? Even the hardiest of us get tired, overstimulated or emotionally hooked during our day. We don't operate at our best when running on empty. So, as a kindness and a responsibility to ourselves and others, let's consider recognizing when we need to stop and rest – if only for five minutes.