Sex Education. Everyone who went through secondary school remembers this. Parents remember the permission slips and kids remember teachers telling their students to “grow up” with the cringey displays of how the miracle of life happens.
There isn’t much taught about Death Education.
A random video came across my eyeballs on facebook that helps make this one of the most exciting topics to learn about, complete with the “miracle of death.” The clip is from the FX Network show “Dying for Sex“, Season 1, Episode 8.
I thought that if I were to teach about death this is the way it should be done.
Props for whomever wrote the dialogue for this scene. It’s lightweight, enthusiastic, and direct; exactly how knowledge should be passed along.
The Dialogue
Who would like to hear about what happens when you are dying?
Death is not a mystery. It is not a medical disaster. It is a bodily process, like giving birth, or going to the bathroom or coughing (having an orgasm) cause your body know what to do. Your body knows how to die. How cool is that?
Here’s what to expect. In the last month of your life you’re gonna stop getting out of bed. You’re gonna eat and drink a lot less and you’re gonna sleep a lot more. Now, delirium is very common and some people say they get this feeling like time stops being real.
2 to 3 weeks out you’re gonna need help with all daily activities, but my FAVORITE PART of the dying process <> You’re body knows what’s coming, and it goes into a state of ketosis, which decreases hunger and pain and it increases the sense of euphoria.
When you start active dying (the moment where you’re very close to death and your body starts shutting down) you’ll be fully conscious, and your jaw muscles will relax, your breathing changes, and there might be this gurgling in the back of your throat, caused by something unfortunately called terminal secretions.
When you are very close to death your breathing goes into a cycle of deep, slow breaths and long pauses, and then eventually there is a breath out that is not followed by a breath in, and that’s it.
At a certain time if you feel too weak or too much pain or your done you can talk about sedating, and then you’ll be unconscious.
The last week of life some people experience The Rally, and it’s this surge of energy and mental clarity, so enjoy The Rally! Just know you’re another step closer to death.
- Nurse Amy | Dying for Sex | Season 1, Episode 8