It occurs in ‘approximately a third’ of all dying patients and can be upsetting if you are not prepared.
A hospice nurse has been raising awareness about a bizarre phenomena that occurs only a few days, if not hours, before ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ.
Julie McFadden, a palliative and intensive care nurse in Los Angeles, has been educating her social media followers on what actually occurs when someone ᴅɪᴇs.
Specifically, there is a rather common occurrence in persons who are ready to ᴅɪᴇ that may perplex – or even grieve – their loved ones.
McFadden said she’s seen this phenomenon in about a third of her hospice patients, and if you’re a Grey’s Anatomy fan, you may recall a sh0cking episode in which fan-favorite character Mark Sloan aka McDreamy (Eric Dane) experienced what is known as ‘the rally’ or ‘terminal lucidity’ just before his death.
McFadden mentioned in a video that a person who is ready to ᴅɪᴇ may experience a sudden rush of energy and resume their normal speech and behavior.
“Here’s one phenomenon that happens during the ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ and ᴅʏɪɴɢ process that medical professionals, like myself, cannot explain,” she said.
“This is when someone is really sick and almost towards actively ᴅʏɪɴɢ, meaning dying within a few days, and then suddenly they look like they are ‘better’.
“This can manifest in different ways but a lot of times they suddenly will eat, they’ll suddenly talk, maybe even walk, they act like their old selves.
Some can misinterpret terminal lucidity as an indication that their loved one is getting better. (Getty Stock Images)
“They have a little more of a personality, kind of laughing, talking, joking but then usually they ᴅɪᴇ within a few days after this, sometimes even that night and it happens to probably a third of our hospice patients, so it happens quite a bit.”
McFadden emphasized the need of informing families about the rally, also known as terminal lucidity, so that they are ready for what follows next.
“We try to educate the family about this before it happens so it doesn’t devastate them when they suddenly pass after doing so well for a few days,” she said.
Knowing about terminal lucidity can transform it into an opportunity for patients to interact with their family and friends, allowing for final goodbyes and closure during a difficult time.
It is still unclear what causes terminal lucidity, but experts believe that oscillations in brain functioning can explain the brief period of sharpness before ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ.
