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A celebration of a life, a story of a death, but most importantly an exploration of grief and loss relevant to all those in a position to make that experience more bearable.This book is essential reading for anyone working or preparing to work with young adults and others facing terminal illness, and their families. It is written by a bereaved mother of a 25 year-old son treated unsuccessfully for cancer. Heartbreakingly honest, Nina draws on relevant theory, research and narrative texts as well as personal reflections. She considers what might have made the hideous journey through treatment, dying and bereavement easier to bear.
This is a moving and memorable story for all of us, but there are also learning points throughout for medics and medical policy makers specifically and the health and social care professions more generally. Students and experienced nurses, doctors, counsellors, clerics and others will benefit from deepening their understanding in order to work more effectively with people facing the unthinkable.
List of contents
Preface 1. Not a Misery Memoir 2. Reminiscences 3. Calm Before the Storm 4. Applied Grief and Bereavement Theory 5. Denial as a Defence 6. Treatment: The Skeleton 7. Not Waving but Drowning 8. Death 9. God in the Storm 10. Our Life Raft 11. Margaret's speech 12. Life After the Flood 13. Ghost, Dreams and Reminders 14. Survivors 15. Avoidance 16. Getting on with It 17. An Imagined Life
Appendix 1: Sources of further support Appendix 2: Critical reflections Appendix 3: A summary of learning points for professionals References
About the author
Nina Praske is a Professor at a UK University. Her greatest achievement is being the mother of three fantastic adult children born close together in under two years. Sadly, one of her sons, James, died of cancer at the age of 25. She continues to love all her children in the present tense and is determined to hang on to her compassion, live a good life and continue to make a decent contribution to the world. With this in mind Nina has written this book to help healthcare professionals and others do the best they possibly can for families facing up to the premature death of a loved one.
