Transitional Life Care, Inc

It dawned on me recently that I have a lot of information here on the website about cancer and parts of the researching I have done in general but not much information on exactly what I envision Transitional Life Care to become someday. Knowing that the site is receiving numerous hits daily, I’ve decided to put the researching aside for the day and take some time to try to explain my vision. This is done in an attempt to help bring understanding of TLC and my desire to open it to everyone who doesn’t talk directly with me. And I need to bring understanding to others to begin obtaining funding in an attempt to get out of the business of massage so that I can work on building Transitional Life Care, literally.

Many of you already know, as a massage therapist I work in part with cancer clients. I’m most often utilized at the end of someone’s life. This is my passion. This is my pride. This is my desire. Working with people this way brings me more love and understanding then I could ever begin to write down. There is no way I could ever explain in black and white just how beautiful each and every person is that I’ve had the pleasure to work with but I’ll give it a try. Just last week, I was fortunate enough to share some time with Lucy.

Lucy has ovarian cancer and has been battling with it for more than five years now. When you look at her, you will see that Lucy has little hair left on her head because of taking chemotherapy treatments. The whites of her eyes are yellow, similar to the color of her skin because she has jaundice. Her cheeks are sunken from the lack of ability to eat much. Her kidneys and liver are shutting down. A clear hose is snaked into Lucy’s nose and around her ears bringing her pure oxygen to breathe. Lucy has an estimated two weeks left to live. I took one look at Lucy and fell in love. She is one of the most beautiful women I have seen. As I looked into her eyes, I was allowed to see into her soul. I was allowed to see past the physical features and into the real woman. Tell me, how could it get any better than that?

Lucy is a very lucky woman. She has many family members who love her dearly and are able to take care of her. She has chosen to die at home, surrounded by her loved ones. Lucy can see the familiar scenery of her outside world, the one she has lived in for many, many years. She has all the comforts of lying in her own bed, watching her own TV, listening to her own music. Everything you and I take for granted every day, Lucy has. She is fortunate. Not everyone is afforded this pleasure. Some people do not have family members who can arrange to be with them all day and all night long. Some people do not have access to go outside whenever they gain the strength and desire to do so. Some people are forced to live out the last days of their life in the hospital.

In the hospital, you do not get to hear the birds singing next to your window. You do not get to feel the heat of the sun on your skin nor watch as the wind gently blows the leaves on the trees. You do not get to have your purring cat curl up next to you and you don’t get to pet the dog you love so much. In the hospital, the little things that used to bring you so much pleasure are taken away from you. In return, you get to hear everything that is going on in the room next to yours, down the hall from you or worse yet, in the bed right next to yours. Why would anyone want to spend the last of their days in the hospital?

Only because their loved ones cannot bare to have someone they love die at home. Can you imagine how hard it would be to stay living there once that has happened? How could you ever sleep in the same bed again? Look at the room the same way again? I think it would be bittersweet to have someone I love die at home. Why would anyone want to die in the hospital? Only because their loved ones cannot take care of them the way the dying need to be taken care of. Day to day life must go on, even when people we know and love are dying. Jobs still need to be attended, bills still need to be paid, children need to be taken care of and the clothes won’t wash themselves. Nothing stops in order for you to have the time and money needed to spend with your dying loved one. When they are in the care of the hospital, you can rest assured that they are being taken care of the best way possible and the government takes care of a lot of the medical bills for you.

Transitional Life Care was born after talking with the loved ones left behind after someone died in the personal home. Transitional Life Care was born after dealing with terminally ill clients that had to die in the hospital. Transitional Life Care was born after taking my brother into the hospital to die almost twelve years ago.

The way I see it, Transitional Life Care will be like home away from home. Bring your dog. Bring your cat. Bring your bird, your books, your children, your pictures. Bring whatever will make you feel best and will bring you peace in your final days.

Picture, if you will, ten units attached to each other, yet insulated very well so that we cannot hear what is happening next door. I envision a V shape with a common area in the center. Call it a TV room; a library; a kitchen/dining area; a place where we all can gather to share stories of death and dying, and/or of life and living. Why do we have to be alone when we die? Why not share our energy, our love and our memories right up to the end if that is what we desire most? The choice to be alone should be that . . . a choice, not a requirement because we are dying. Built similarly to a one room cabin, each unit will have two floors. The first floor is for the patient. Very basic, there will be a bathroom, a closet and the rest is open. Complete with couch, chairs, tables and bed, the room will have a large bay window so that we can enjoy the outside. The second floor will be what I call a half floor, an open bedroom area where family members can stay if they wish. Getting the picture? Good. Let’s go outside . . .

Outside, I see a botanical garden of sorts. Trees, flowers, shrubs and grasses, a pond with gold fish, butterflies, birds and who knows? Maybe even a deer or two. I believe the people who will take advantage of Transitional Life Care will be people like me; people who love the outdoors and nature. I think to have a small lake with fish for the people who love to fish would be wonderful. And each time a person would pass on, their loved one could plant a tree or flowers honoring their special person, along with a plaque with the person’s name in our garden. We could turn the area into quite a lovely sanctuary, couldn’t we?

I could go on but I think you are getting the idea now. I hope this has helped answer some questions. Please pass along this site link to anyone you think would be interested or who may be able to help out in any way.

Until next time, with light, laughter and love,

I am Diane