Imagine for a second that your doctor is telling you point-blank that you’re going to die.<\/p>\n
Now imagine that there’s a reporter standing on your doorstep, asking you to talk openly and candidly about that experience.<\/p>\n
This is exactly the situation that Bill and Tomi Gallagher have faced since last winter.<\/p>\n
“I think we didn’t realize that Bill wasn’t going to get better until the doctor said it very frankly,” Tomi says.\u00a0 “So you kind of have to face that.”<\/p>\n
The Gallaghers signed up for hospice care with High Peaks Hospice and also agreed to meet with me every week or two to talk about their experience.<\/p>\n
That kind of generosity isn’t exactly rare in the North Country.<\/p>\n
But it is a kind of trust that does sometimes give me pause about the work I do.<\/p>\n
When someone shares with me a story this important and sensitive and difficult, it’s a blessing and a gift to be sure.\u00a0 But it’s also a daunting responsibility.<\/p>\n
So in case it doesn’t come through loud and clear in the series The Hospice Path that begins today, here are the two big take-aways.<\/p>\n
First, hospice can be incredibly valuable for people trying to find as much richness as possible at the end of their lives.\u00a0 Here’s how Tomi puts it:<\/p>\n
“We needed some help and direction in kind of trying to continue on with life.\u00a0 I mean, hey — let’s not pull the lid over yet, you know?”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Secondly, the Gallaghers are people who find a way to give and show hospitality even when their own challenges are monumental.<\/p>\n
I think you’ll hear how open and vulnerable and honest they’ve been in describing this time in their lives.<\/p>\n
But you’ll also get a sense for their courage.<\/p>\n
My hope is that their story will help others in the North Country to understand that there are people and services available when their own crisis comes.<\/p>\n
If you’ve had experience with hospice and feel comfortable talking about it, please post comments below.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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