When I was about 5 years old I saw a young boy being removed from a river where he had drowned. It was weird but I was too young to understand and was probably more disturbed by the reactions of the adults than the sight of the body.
Over the years I've subsequently seen several road accident victims, and the body of an old woman who died of natural causes.
Last year I discovered my neighbour's body, who had been murdered. That was truly shocking.
I've seen quite a few after working in a nursing home for a good few years. We had to wash and dress them ready for the undertaker to pick them up. .. I also went to the funeral directors to see my Nana, I wish I hadn't, it was awful. Just not her at all. She was very bloated and they had dressed her in a horrible pink and white very frilly nightdress thing. I touched her cheek and it wasn't the smooth,powder covered face I remember. I loved my Nana dearly, and wished my last memory of her wasn't that.
Several as i saw active service in the Falklands in "82 but the saddest were my parents.
I was there when my mother passed away in 2000 from cancer and in Nov 2012 i watched my father lose his battle with cancer as well
I was at my dad's bedside when he died. He had been suffering, so we were happy to see him at peace at last. My mum and brother reckoned his face after death had suddenly changed into the way he looked when he was young, but I can't say that I could see that. The whole scene was surreal - it was a hot night in late summer, midnight, and we could hear seagulls squawking outside the open hospital window. Experiences like that stay with you forever.
Sadly yes, on a few occasions, it came with the job of being a journalist. Also my grandma in the nursing home where she'd gone for the last few months of her life.
Yes, a young family member after he was killed in an accident. Was probably one of the most unpleasant things I've seen and your eyes/mind play tricks on you, like he was breathing.
Yes. A family member passed and we kept her at home for a couple of days before the funeral. Although it was very strange at first it was comforting looking back. She really did look like she was just sleeping. Very sad when the undertakers came to close the coffin though. Last goodbyes, never easy.
It was 10 years ago. Still miss him very much but I am so glad he was at home and I was with him. Unlikely as this might sound his last words were "I love you". First and only time he ever said it..
Oh and obviously my boy. He spent the night in my bed, then 2 weeks later I tucked him into his coffin in the chapel of rest. Again, I wish he wasn't so cold. My lips were numb from kissing him.
Aw and so did that. Sorry to both of you for your loss.
I bang on about it too much imo
He was only 21/22 weeks gestation and quite poorly so he was very tiny and fragile.
Glad I had the knowledge of the funeral service otherwise he would have just been tossed in a mass grave.
Now his ashes are in a teddy in my son's bed
Indeed, as happened to my brother when he was born at 28-ish weeks. My mum was quite ill and when my parents contacted the hospital to arrange his funeral they were told he'd already been buried. He shares his grave with 2 men, 2 women and a baby girl.
I've seen a few, most recently was with my aunt when she died of cancer in 2010. We had a little party round her bed whilst she was still with us, fed her gin & tonic on one of those little sponges (:D) and all kissed/cuddled her when she passed. It was a relief to see her escape her suffering, especially as the day before she had told me she was ready to go but was holding on for our sakes.
When I was in the army in Germany they wanted a volunteer to regularly go to various krankenhauses and pick up a dead soldier that usually had wrapped their car around something after drinking alcohol and place it in a casket and take it to BMH Hannover.
My first one, had half his brain hanging out and I thought I recognised him. Six weeks later I saw the person I thought I had collected walking around the barracks. I was shocked. Obviously, I didn't recognise the body.
Yes, my grandfather in his coffin. He was exposed in our family home for two days before the funeral. I remember he had the more peaceful face I ever seen. But I couldn't bear myself to hug him or kiss him, being 16 at that time I was crying too much.
Yes, my Gran. We sat with her after she died while we waited for the doctor (cancer) She looked so peaceful. A couple days later we went to see her in the chapel of rest. I kind of wish I hadn't because her face looked so different, I can't even explain it. We were glad to see that her arms weren't swollen anymore though because they had been causing her great pain and she couldn't move them at all.
I was doing some work at a hospital which meant we'd have to have access to the morgue. The doctor in charge gave us a guided tour and I found it fascinating, not in the least bit scary or gruesome.
What impressed me the most was the compassion and respect shown for the deceased. The doctor made it clear that although the people may be dead, they were once someone's loved one and that shouldn't be forgotten.
My sister and I received a call from the hospital to say that our elderly aunt was comatose and close to death. When we arrived from quite a distance in different directions we sat on either side of the bed and stroked her hands and chatted to each other catching up on family gossip. It was only quite some time later I realised my aunts hands felt quite cold. She had slipped away shortly after we had arrived. It was so peaceful neither of us noticed but I felt bad that we had been chatting when she passed away.
I have,unfortutely.It was my Dad,he was only 48 and a bloody handsome man,he still looked good in his coffin.I remember the way he looked,just a shell,i kept saying to my Mum "But where is he?".You could tell he had gone.It was the most horrific time,miss him loads 10yrs on x
My Dad died suddenly and was laid out at home waiting for the funeral directors to come. I was scared to go into the room but once I knelt by him I could see it was just a shell left so the fear went quickly.
Held my baby son as he died aged 2 weeks old. We knew it was coming but didnt make it any easier. When we went to see him in the chapel of rest before the funeral he was laid out in the coffin with his teddies around him, That was a lovely thought to leave us with.
I bang on about it too much imo
He was only 21/22 weeks gestation and quite poorly so he was very tiny and fragile.
Glad I had the knowledge of the funeral service otherwise he would have just been tossed in a mass grave.
Now his ashes are in a teddy in my son's bed
That must have been horrific,but how nice he stayed with his Mummy in bed.Im very sorry for your loss.To lose a child must be the worst thing in the world,bless his little heart x
Yes several. My husband died by my side in bed . Touched him stroked his face and kissed him. Went to the undertakers the day before his funeral and kissed him goodbye.
,i need to stop reading this thread now,this has upset me so much.Sad but nice at the same time x
I saw my grandfather an hour after he died. I found it pretty creepy as, without wanting to sound horrible, his mouth was hanging open. I'm not sure it was the right decision to see him but I felt strongly at the time that I needed to see him once more so I don't regret it in that sense. It was hard to get that image out of my head for a while though and remember him how he was.
I have also seen a dead 14 week old fetus. Not sure if that counts as seeing a dead body but I suppose it does in a way. I wasn't particularly traumatised by it as it didn't look anything like a baby to me and it had a very obvious abnormality so it was interesting looking at it from a medical point of view. We put it in a blanket and took photos of it to keep on record and although I didn't think of it as a baby it was still sad. I dread having to do the same thing with a full term baby one day.
Lots unfortunately.
One thing it has taught me is that your life can be snatched away in a moment, when you least expect it , in the blink of an eye and in the most stupid of circumstances.
While you cant live every day like it is your last,
it has taught me never to take it all for granted.
Was scared silly on my first one as a student, I made the healthcare assistant hold my hand whilst I went behind the curtain to see the patient.
When laying them out, I tend to just talk to them as though they're still there ie, just going to turn you now Mrs Smith and give your back a wipe. It's for my sake, not theirs.
Luckily I've not yet seen the dead body of someone I know.
Yes, I used to be a nurse, so saw many dead people, and laid them out of course.
When my parents died I was offered the chance to see them afterwards, but I chose not to.
Another former nurse here, for 15 years, so gave last offices to plenty. During the process, I always did my best to treat them with the respect and dignity I would have wanted someone to treat my relatives. I always found myself imagining the joy their parents must have felt when they were born, and somehow felt privileged to be helping them with the last part of their life on this Earth. It might sound weird, but it was my way of dealing with the process.
Out of people I've known personally, I saw the body of my Granddad, and also my mother-in-law and father-in-law, as well as my brother-in-law and sister-in-law. My husband's family are Hindus and it is their tradition to bring the body home where it lies in an open coffin prior to the cremation ceremony.
The most recent dead person I saw was my next door neighbour just after he died. This was at the request of his wife, who wanted someone to be with him when the undertakers came to take him away, and she couldn't face doing it herself.
Comments
When I was about 5 years old I saw a young boy being removed from a river where he had drowned. It was weird but I was too young to understand and was probably more disturbed by the reactions of the adults than the sight of the body.
Over the years I've subsequently seen several road accident victims, and the body of an old woman who died of natural causes.
Last year I discovered my neighbour's body, who had been murdered. That was truly shocking.
I was there when my mother passed away in 2000 from cancer and in Nov 2012 i watched my father lose his battle with cancer as well
Brought tears to my eyes.
Aw and so did that. Sorry to both of you for your loss.
Indeed, as happened to my brother when he was born at 28-ish weeks. My mum was quite ill and when my parents contacted the hospital to arrange his funeral they were told he'd already been buried. He shares his grave with 2 men, 2 women and a baby girl.
I've seen a few, most recently was with my aunt when she died of cancer in 2010. We had a little party round her bed whilst she was still with us, fed her gin & tonic on one of those little sponges (:D) and all kissed/cuddled her when she passed. It was a relief to see her escape her suffering, especially as the day before she had told me she was ready to go but was holding on for our sakes.
When I was in the army in Germany they wanted a volunteer to regularly go to various krankenhauses and pick up a dead soldier that usually had wrapped their car around something after drinking alcohol and place it in a casket and take it to BMH Hannover.
My first one, had half his brain hanging out and I thought I recognised him. Six weeks later I saw the person I thought I had collected walking around the barracks. I was shocked. Obviously, I didn't recognise the body.
What impressed me the most was the compassion and respect shown for the deceased. The doctor made it clear that although the people may be dead, they were once someone's loved one and that shouldn't be forgotten.
Held my baby son as he died aged 2 weeks old. We knew it was coming but didnt make it any easier. When we went to see him in the chapel of rest before the funeral he was laid out in the coffin with his teddies around him, That was a lovely thought to leave us with.
That must have been horrific,but how nice he stayed with his Mummy in bed.Im very sorry for your loss.To lose a child must be the worst thing in the world,bless his little heart x
I have also seen a dead 14 week old fetus. Not sure if that counts as seeing a dead body but I suppose it does in a way. I wasn't particularly traumatised by it as it didn't look anything like a baby to me and it had a very obvious abnormality so it was interesting looking at it from a medical point of view. We put it in a blanket and took photos of it to keep on record and although I didn't think of it as a baby it was still sad. I dread having to do the same thing with a full term baby one day.
One thing it has taught me is that your life can be snatched away in a moment, when you least expect it , in the blink of an eye and in the most stupid of circumstances.
While you cant live every day like it is your last,
it has taught me never to take it all for granted.
Another former nurse here, for 15 years, so gave last offices to plenty. During the process, I always did my best to treat them with the respect and dignity I would have wanted someone to treat my relatives. I always found myself imagining the joy their parents must have felt when they were born, and somehow felt privileged to be helping them with the last part of their life on this Earth. It might sound weird, but it was my way of dealing with the process.
Out of people I've known personally, I saw the body of my Granddad, and also my mother-in-law and father-in-law, as well as my brother-in-law and sister-in-law. My husband's family are Hindus and it is their tradition to bring the body home where it lies in an open coffin prior to the cremation ceremony.
The most recent dead person I saw was my next door neighbour just after he died. This was at the request of his wife, who wanted someone to be with him when the undertakers came to take him away, and she couldn't face doing it herself.