The Calling of an End-of-Life Doula
A guest post by my friend and colleague, Bobbi Bryant:On a warm summer day in August, I intentionally wandered into the Cemetery of Our Lady Guadalupe in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. I spent the next three hours slowly making my way through the cemetery in wonder at...
Ketamine (and Lady Gaga) Calmed my Cancer
When I embarked on my ketamine training in a slightly worn, yet naturally magnificent cult-like setting in the Colorado foothills, I had no idea I had breast cancer. The health of my breasts was the farthest thing from my mind – the conscious part, that is. My goal was to learn as much as I could from the leaders in psychedelic medicine, using a well-established, legal and life-saving drug that I was already so comfortable with using in the emergency room setting.
Shot Through The Heart
Her quizzical look as she answered the phone soon became one that was all too familiar. It made me sharpen my own awareness as I inched closer to this one-sided conversation. She wore the controlled face of a warrior who had just...
A Little Dose of Cancer
This July, at the age of 47, while visiting my family for the first time in a year due to the pandemic, my sister - the radiologist - diagnosed me with a very early-stage breast cancer that was missed by another highly-skilled...
The Last Ride (White Horse Jim, Part 3)
White Horse Jim became somewhat iconic throughout hospice and our community. He was not shy and wanted people to know “aliveness'' was possible, even when you are dying. He hoped his life and his ride would help others. My good...
A Death Wish (White Horse Jim, Part 2)
This is the second of three parts. You can find part one here. The idea of a “Death Wish” took on a whole new meaning the day I met Jim. His death was imminent. He had no dominion over that. But how he spent and envisioned his...
From Me to Thee
To Believe in God is to have somebody who knows you through and through and like you still and all. “It is so easy to love you” he said, his blue eyes dancing as he searched my face for what would be one of the last times....
A Foreign Body
A few words of caution….if raw reality, vulgar language, and the human condition offends you, do not read this particular blog post. It is written as a fictional piece based on real-life events that I have observed in the...
The Game of Life (White Horse Jim, Part 1)
Before my fist even motioned to knock, the door flew open and out stepped a drained yet angelic face who at first glance, appeared to have had a hit of that celestial dust just prior to my arrival. Had she been in my ER, I...
The Sky Is Falling
This month’s blog features a contribution from a North Kohala community member, Carolyn Mondress. Carolyn has been a pillar of our community and a strong advocate for the mission of Life & Death Wellness, our nonprofit...
