A palliative care nurse has revealed the three things that shocked her most about dying when she started her career – from people being able to hear even when they are unconscious to dehydration making the process less painful.
Julie McFadden, 41, a Los Angeles, California-based registered nurse who specializes in end-of-life care, has amassed hundreds of thousands of followers as she shares insights into people’s final moments in hopes of destigmatize death..
More recently, he uploaded a video to his YouTube channel detailing the three most surprising things. who has learned what happens to the body before someone dies.
“Here are the most surprising things I’ve learned about the end of life,” he began in the video, which has been viewed more than 23,000 times.
Julie explained that the first thing that struck her about death was that it is believed that people about to die can still hear, even when they are unconscious.
A palliative care nurse has revealed the three things that shocked her most about death when she started her career.
Julie McFadden, 41, a Los Angeles-based registered nurse who specializes in end-of-life care, shares insights into people’s final moments in hopes of destigmatizing death.
“When someone is unconscious and not responding to us, we think they can hear us,” he explained.
“There have been studies done on people who were dying and had ECGS in their brains that showed that the hearing sensor was the last one to turn off.”
He suggested that you always “talk to your loved one as if they were there,” rather than talking about them as if they had already passed away.
“Say the things you need and want to say,” he added. And don’t talk about your loved one as if they weren’t there.
‘As a palliative care nurse, I always try to talk to the patient as if they can respond to me.
“And I will talk to loved ones at the bedside as if the person is still there because studies have shown that they can still or have the ability to hear.”
Julie, who previously worked as an ICU nurse, added that she witnessed many people coming out of comas tell her that they “could feel” what was happening while they were sleeping.
“They told us they could hear certain things, that they could feel the people in the room,” he said.
Most recently, he uploaded a video to his YouTube channel in which he details the three most surprising things he has learned about what happens to the body before death.
Their list included people who can hear even when unconscious and the fact that dehydration actually makes the process less painful.
‘They kind of knew what was happening. We believe the same thing happens with the dying person.
“So really, at the end of life it’s just about being present, it’s about creating an atmosphere and an environment that they find comforting.”
The second thing that caught her by surprise when she began working as a palliative care nurse was the “deathbed phenomenon.”
The term is used to describe a series of experiences that occur to someone moments before death.
Sometimes patients describe seeing dead relatives or tell their caregivers that they are about to go on a trip.
Julie said she has witnessed some people receive a “surge of energy” just before they died, while she saw others “waiting” to get through until their loved ones “come into the room.”
“(These things) were mind-blowing to me as a new palliative care nurse and they are still mind-blowing when I look at them now, eight years later,” Julie said.
While he described the phenomenon as “shocking” and “unbelievable,” he also said it was “heartwarming.”
“That’s why I always educate about it,” he continued. ‘I feel it is important for me, as a palliative care nurse, to educate the general public that these are things that really happen. We don’t know why, but they know.
Last but not least, the third and final thing that surprised her about death was that dehydration “helps people have a more peaceful death.”
‘Dehydration at the end of life will help you die more peacefully. Because? Because a dying body can’t handle the hydration that a living body can handle,” she shared.
‘If we try to hydrate a dying body at the end of its life, it will become overloaded with fluid.
“The body cannot handle the fluid, it will not stay in the person’s veins or arteries, it will leak and cause swelling and eventually cause respiratory distress.
‘The more I saw that as a new palliative care nurse, the more I was amazed at how our bodies actually help us die.
‘Our bodies will start to help us become more dehydrated because the body knows that the more dehydrated you are, the better you will feel.
Julie previously posted a video detailing something known as the ‘death stare’ – a blank look that appears on someone’s face that usually indicates they are about to die.
He also posted a video about how the body is “built to die,” explaining that everyone has built-in mechanisms that “shut down” when you’re close to death.
“You’ll go into ketosis (if you’re dehydrated) and your body will release endorphins that will actually give you a feeling of euphoria and help relieve pain and make you feel really good.”
Julie explained that being honest about her experiences would help people feel less “afraid” of death.
“There are many unknowns about the end of life and I think that is what makes people afraid,” he concluded.
“But the more I’ve been around people at the end of their lives, the less afraid I am because I’ve seen with my own eyes the way our body helps us prepare for that and the different things that comfort us.” What happens at the end of life.
‘Witnessing death regularly has made me fear it less. That’s why I bring you this information. Hopefully this will also lessen your fear.’
Julie, who used her experience to write a book, called Nothing left to fearpreviously posted a video detailing something known as the ‘death stare’: a blank look that appears on someone’s face that usually indicates that they are about to die.
“It’s when someone focuses a lot on a certain part of the room, and no matter what you do, you can snap your finger right in front of their face and they won’t move their gaze,” he said.
‘Sometimes they just stare. Sometimes they will talk to someone you don’t see. Sometimes they will have a big smile on their face, as if they are seeing something that obviously makes them very happy. That’s why it’s called the “death look.”
He added that the “death look” is often accompanied by an “end-of-life vision,” which is when the dying person claims to see someone they “love and know” who has “already” moved on.
“Sometimes they have conversations in front of us with these people that we don’t see,” he added about the strange event.
Julie also posted a video about how the body is “built to die,” explaining that we all have built-in mechanisms that “switch off” when we are close to death so that passing feels more “natural” and “peaceful.” ‘
He explained that this is why a person who is on the verge of death often begins to “eat and drink less, while sleeping more.”
‘Why is that happening? Because the calcium levels in the body are increasing and because the calcium levels are increasing, the person is becoming more sleepy,” Julie said.
‘Our brains have incorporated mechanisms to make us hungry and thirsty. Biologically, when the body knows that the end of life is approaching, those mechanisms shut down, so the person does not usually feel hunger or thirst, which helps the body to slowly shut down.’