Hospice nurse still left 'mindblown' by three 'amazing' things body does before you die
An end of life nurse is still left 'mindblown' by three 'amazing' things the body does before you die.
Hospice worker Julie McFadden, from California, US, aims to make patients feel as comfortable as possible in their last moments.
The 41-year-old has previously revealed what the last thing people see before they die is, as well as the six 'unimaginable phenomena' people experience on their 'death bed'.
"But the more I've been around people at the end of their life, the less I am afraid because I've seen with my own eyes the way our body helps us prepare for that," she said on her YouTube channel Hospice Nurse Julie.
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"And the different things that are comforting to us that happen to us as we die."
She unpacked three little-known things that happen to the body when we're dying.
Dying people can still hear us
Though the body can remain extremely still just before death, it seems that people who are on the brink of dying can still hear us.
"There have been studies done on people who were dying which showed the hearing sensor in the brain was the last bit to shut down," Julie said.
"Please don't argue, or don't talk about them like they aren't there because we do believe they can hear you.
"As a hospice nurse, I always try to speak to the people who are unconscious like they could answer me back."
Dying people can experience 'mind-blowing' phenomena
Many dying people experience 'visioning' around a month before they die.
This is when people on their deathbed remember their family members and friends who are no longer here.
"It happens most of the time at the end of their life, but they aren't delusional," the former ICU nurse said.
"It's called 'visioning' and it's often very comforting for the person.
"It's never scary - if they're scared, it's likely they're experiencing delirium or paranoia, not visioning.
"People don't talk about it much but it's really common and more than half of people I have looked after have experienced it.
"It's so normal to fear death and I've had several patients who have expressed their fear - but then a family member came to them and they were no longer scared."
Dehydration can mean people have an easier death
Being dehydrated before you die can be strangely beneficial.
"This is because a dying body cannot handle the hydration a living body can," she said.
"So if we try to hydrate a dying body at the end of life, they will become overloaded with fluid.
"The fluid will not stay in the veins but seep out and cause swelling, and eventually respiratory distress."
Anish Vij