Sandy, mother of Jack and Ben. Jack was diagnosed with the rare blood disease Kohlmeier-Degos and died 15 years ago at the age of 5 – only 9 months after his diagnosis, most of which was spent in the ICU.
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From diagnosis to death: “It was 8 months of an incredible psychological terrain.”
I convinced myself my job was to be competent. I was ‘at the table’ and it was a lot of pressure. It took a toll.
“I internalized that to be competent meant not to cry; You do what you think is needed to get good care for your child.”
My grief was exacerbated by the trauma of being in the hospital in a really intense setting.
Getting out and walking was a saving grace.
A bereaved mom: It was important to me to stay in contact with some of Jack’s providers.
Processing the grief: I needed a narrative. It was helpful to go through the medical records, make sense of what had happened.
Worrying about past decisions, the past, does have an effect on your body. … Yoga just felt good to me.
My Present-Self message to my Past-Self: “You are doing a good job. You can take a rest.”
To help process grief - I think any kind of physical movement is imperative.
Meditation in bereavement has been important for me.
Hard terrain for any human being to navigate: What am I in control of? What is the universe in control of?