Thursday, March 12, 2009

It Ain't Love in the Air


What a night I've had.  There was drama, there was craziness, there were worms, there was death and there was one ghoul.  No doubt about it, the moon is full.

The worms were found on a patient.  I've seen this before-parasites like anything that's rotting or decaying.  I could never be a forensic pathologist-let alone a forensic entomologist.  The bugs would do me in.  I much prefer the more deadly bugs one can't see with the naked eye.  Out of site, out of mind.  

The ghoul was the funeral home employee.   Some people who retrieve bodies for funeral homes have a ritual of leaving a rose on the pillow after they remove someone from a home.  I've thought about this for many months, and I can say that without a doubt, this just creeps me out.  Some may not mind it, but for God's sake, if it's ever me, I hope they don't do that to my family.  Is that supposed to make somebody feel better after the loss of a loved one?  I think it falls a little short.  Want to make my family feel better when I die?  Cut them a deal on the cost of the funeral.  That beats one lousy rose all day long.

Would the rose on the pillow seem creepy to you?

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes

Lisa L said...

I've been a hospice RN since 1992. This leaving a rose on the bed shit? Makes me gag. My fave mortuary people here? In Hawaii? After they remove the body, they pull up the covers of the bed and make it neat and tidy. To me that makes more sense.

Jane said...

ooh, what a night! Think I prefer the tidy bed to the rose

Brenda said...

I wouldn't like it and never knew this was done. I recently was there when my sister-in-law died and all her children stayed at the bedside long after death and one son went down and bought flowers and put them in her hand. This was the second time I was actually there when a person passed away. So, I did not know funeral parlors did this. Not good in my opinion.

laurie said...

aw, the rose seems benign. how about a cut rate on the funeral AND a rose?

debra said...

For me the rose would be invasive. Who is this guy whom we've never met and will never see again doing something that seems intimate and personal? Tidying the bed and quietly doing the job would be best for me.

Rudee said...

OK! That's five creepy votes and one benign vote on the rose, but not one of you was bothered by the worms.

Brenda said...

Came back to see if I left a comment today and read your response. I think we may have been too bothered by the worms to mention it. Not sure I am wanting to know that....sorry.

debra said...

Oh yeah, the worms. They'd creep me out, too :-/

Anonymous said...

Oh, yuck. Both the worms and the rose.

Have you read Mary Roach's book Stiff? Great book. Worms, but no photos, so it's not so bad. And funny to boot.

Unknown said...

The worms didn't bother me, but I keep a HazMat suit at home for these very type of postings.
The rose on the bed...seriously...? Did they get that off The Bachelor or something??

Rudee said...

Brenda, I was bothered too, but lucky for me, it was a phone call that didn't require a visit. Blech.

Amy, I did read Stiff. I'm a huge fan of the macabre. I always loved Autopsy on HBO, but I think I was more mesmerized by the narrator's voice than I was by the stories.

Yes Distracted, they leave a rose. I never saw the Bachelor leave a rose on the bed. Which episode was that? I always miss the good ones.

sandy said...

hahhahahahah, cut them a deal...that's what I'm talking about yeah..forget the stupid rose.

Do you mean maggots when you say worms. Cause this is freaking me out.

owiatw said...

For the Worms:


Great green gobs of greasy, grimy gopher guts,
Mutilated monkey meat;
Chopped up birdie feet;
French-fried eye balls rolling up and down the street...
Oops! I forgot my spoon.

Lisa L said...

The worms...I kind of glided over the worms because I've seen them too. One time a patient with lower leg abrasions (from falling) went outside to sit in the sun and insisted that I change his dressings outside. I was all..day-um...cos of the flies etc. So I cleaned everything really well and applied the new dressings, and damnit if he didn't call me 3 days later with freakin maggots on the wound. Oh yes he did. Ever picked maggots outa someone? It ain't pretty.

Rudee said...

owiatw-thank you for the ditty.

Lisa-I have picked them out of trachs and noses. Ewwww. Nursing can be disgusting.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the Graphic post.R..I will now puke!

Lisa L said...

Nursing can indeed be disgusting. I've seen things that I thought I would never be able to get past.Honestly..just shocking images. Somehow you do though (get past them)...

Gail said...

A rose???? I'm sure they think it's thoughtful but I would be saying where's my person and why the heck is this rose here?

Could just mark the pillow with a D...

Who would want to keep that rose?

Worms for fishing is fine but not the type you are talking about.

God bless you. I could not do your job.

Rudee said...

Oh come now Gail, you have to see worse than that on a farm, don't you? I think just going through an animal's birthing process must be hair-raising enough. Sure you could do what I do.

Ruth said...

leaving a rose nah - I also don't like it when in my hopital, after someone has died and we have tidied them for family to come in some staff like to put a flower in the dead persons hands - werid i think - if there are already flowers in the room leave them just there I Like to tidy the person ( remove obvious medical stuff lay staright in bed etc )and put their hands outside the blanket -

Winifred said...

Arghhhh worms, maggots!!!

What's with the rose stuff. Never heard of this. What's the point?

Renie Burghardt said...

EWWWWW! Worms!! And the rose would creep me out, too! I'll probably have nightmares tonight!