American Hospice Foundation, Washington DC, USA

When we called for a hospice referral, my wife was reaching the end of a long fight with cancer (multiple sites), heart transplant, kidney failure, and lung problems. Her battle had been going on for many years, but was most intense for the last four years of her life. Toward the end, pain control became most important problem. Her primary physician, a very nice kidney specialist, was not able to fully relieve her pain. The hospice nurse quickly recognized her discomfort, and came to my wife’s rescue by issuing pain relieving medication. My wife was at ease in her final days, an invaluable blessing for me, my family, and our friends. My only regret is that we did not call in the hospice team much earlier.

After my wife died, the hospice kindly offered me and my family free bereavement services. I did not use the group counseling services, but I did make extensive use of the hospice library. The grieving period is hard when you've been married to a wonderful, courageous woman for 34 years. Friends were a major support system during this time, but I also found comfort in reading the hospice’s books about grief, and understanding the stages of grief. Reading anecdotes from others that experienced the deaths of loved ones helped me with my own grief journey.

-Woody