We have heard of it. A bedridden, comatose hospice patient, near death, suddenly becomes quite lucid and alert
, and able to communicate quite effectively with medical staff and family. Then the person passes on a short time later.
The phenomenon is medically called "terminal lucidity," but "end of life rally" is the more popular term for it.
There are actually a good number of articles about
it on the web, although all of them note it is a phenomenon that is not well understood.
From the article below about
it:
"Palliative care experts say revivals are common, although no one knows exactly why."
"Anecdotally, doctors and nurses interviewed for this article said that a striking number of their dying patients had experienced a rally, also known as terminal lucidity. Bounce-backs generally last only a couple hours, but some go on for so long that the patients can take a break from a hospice for a few months."One theory attempting to explain it goes
" ... as organs shut down, they can release a steroid-like compound that briefly rouses the body."
"In the specific case of brain tumors, swelling occurs in the confined space of the skull. The edema shrinks as hospice patients are weaned off food and drink, waking up the brain a bit."
"These windows of energy can startle family members sitting at the bedside. Those who hold out hope that their loved ones may somehow recover may see the comebacks as encouraging." (But it's a false hope).
"Physiologically, experts believe that the mind becomes more responsive when a hospice patient is taken off the extensive fluids and medications such as chemotherapy that have toxic effects. Stopping the overload restores the body to more of its natural balance, and the dying briefly become more like their old selves."
"Then there’s a spiritual or psychological component, which defies scientific explanation. Hospice professionals note a compelling desire to say goodbye or bond with loved ones in those last moments. There’s no way to test this hypothesis, but there’s no way to falsify it, either."
"They (observing doctors) said that often ralliers will ask for a particular food associated with childhood or comfort. The request is generally explicit, say, a Diet Sprite rather than any old beverage."
"(Sometimes) ... patients become alert only for the doctor ... Maybe they get annoyed with family, but they might make an effort to respond to the doctor.”
"We had one patient whose son was in the military,” Dr. Twaddle said. “There was no way the son could get to her for a month. The woman was out of it during that time. He finally came. She responded, and then passed 15 minutes later.” So here is another medical phenomenon that exists and is puzzling to medical staff and family who see it.
Two ways to look at it. First, it may seem cruel, in a way, that nature allows this to happen, possibly giving false hope to family that a miraculous recovery may be about
to happen, when it is not. But it may also be seen, whether nature is intending it or not, as a wonderful opportunity to say a meaningful goodbye to a dear loved one.
Future research may come to shed light on exactly what is going on here. But in the meantime engaging with terminal loved ones in these "rallies" can be a wonderful final time spent with dear ones.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/24/well/the-mystery-of-end-of-life-rallies.html(NOTE: this article has a large (over 100 posts) Comments section at its end. People have posted to tell of their own experiences with this. I read through some of them, and a number of their accounts are quite remarkable)