The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Life's Final Moments

by Hadley Vlahos

For as much as working with other nurses showed me how I wanted to be with patients, sometimes it also showed me how I didn’t want to be.

“The surge of energy almost everyone gets before dying,” he said, as if this was a well-known medical fact. I now know that the surge is a common occurrence. Often, loved ones who witness it think that the patient is somehow miraculously in the process of recovering. But to those in the know, it’s a sign that death is imminent and will likely occur within the next few days.

When the time comes, we all want the same things: care, comfort, and connection.

I am continually amazed at how life just continues on as usual, despite the tragedy that exists all around us.

It’s easy to focus on the fact that, in so many ways, they don’t seem to be here anymore. But what we don’t think about as often is: Where are they?