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    Adventures of the Terminally Ill
    Adventures of the Terminally Ill
    Adventures of the Terminally Ill
    Ebook79 pages49 minutes

    Adventures of the Terminally Ill

    By Rebecca Burg

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    About this ebook

    Written by a hospice patient, this book’s intention is to illuminate death; a touchy subject usually avoided in our society. Confronted with the advanced stages of an aggressive form of breast cancer, Rebecca was no longer able to continue the productive path she’d enjoyed while healthy. Death’s proximity demanded a new approach to life. Disappointed but determined, the author engaged in activities she wouldn’t have otherwise dared to do.
    Many people wish to know what terminal patients close to death are thinking, yet they’re afraid to ask. Rebecca shares the gritty realities of facing a limited lifespan while embarking on adventures that explore human spirituality and the nature of the soul. This little collection of stories and informative articles intends to educate and enlighten as well as entertain.
    In dominant American culture, as well as in many other “modern” societies, the subject of dying is heavily sanitized if not avoided altogether. Death is personified as a fearsome, dark robed skeleton swinging a scythe, eager to snatch our loved ones away to the unknown. Society’s spurious impression doesn’t foster honest and open communication regarding the subject and it’s a shame.
    Because of this avoidance, when we’re faced with our own mortality we don’t know what to do and we’re terribly unprepared. Physical death is as normal as birth but we have become woefully out of touch with this aspect of life. People fear it, deny it, and flee from it. The author defies social taboos and tells us what we really want to know but are afraid to ask.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRebecca Burg
    Release dateNov 4, 2018
    ISBN9780463805169
    Adventures of the Terminally Ill
    Author

    Rebecca Burg

    After working to pay her way through college (mechanical design, electronics & a BA in communication), Burg purchased an antique 31-foot cruising sailboat. She relied on her mechanical and engineering training to restore the vessel, and then moved aboard. Singlehanding in the company of others, she seasonally sailed to tropical ports. Her philosophy includes working hard, yet not waiting for retirement to have fun in life. Finding a balance between employment and play, Rebecca worked seasonal retail jobs and, year-round, worked as a marine mechanic and marine electrical technician. She also enjoys a hobby in the visual arts, sometimes selling her realistic paintings on the side. In her late 40s, she was diagnosed with an aggressive stage III breast cancer and has so far endured two and a half years of treatment. This did not stop her from enjoying life as much as she realistically could. Home port is a tiny marina surrounded by the Florida Everglades.

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      Book preview

      Adventures of the Terminally Ill - Rebecca Burg

      Adventures of the Terminally Ill

      Magic mushrooms, spirit beings, and crazy things dying patients think and do

      Smashwords Edition

      Copyright 2018 Rebecca Burg

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      Thank you for downloading this ebook. You are welcome to share it with your friends. This book may be reproduced, copied and distributed for non-commercial purposes, provided the book remains in its complete original form. If you enjoyed this read, please return to your favorite ebook retailer to discover other works by this author. Thank you kindly for your support.

      Cover and interior artwork/photos by Rebecca Burg www.rebeccaburgart.com

      Table of Contents

      Introduction

      Chapter 1: No Pity Please

      Chapter 2: Magic Mushrooms, Entheogens, and Spiritual Seeking

      Chapter 3: Walking with the Dragon, 2016

      Chapter 4: Telepathic Journeys with Ayahuasca, 2017

      Chapter 5: The Final Choice, 2018

      Chapter 6: Cancer Journey What Where?

      Chapter 7: Dying in Private or in a Crowd

      Chapter 8: Faith and Morality

      Chapter 9: Coping and Grief, What do I do?

      Chapter 10: Thoughts from the Hospital Bed

      Other Books by the Author

      Chapter 11: Paranormal Proof Pics?

      Top

      Adventures of the Terminally Ill

      by

      Rebecca Burg

      Magic mushrooms, spirit beings, and crazy things dying patients think and do

      ~

      Introduction

      When faced with a terminal illness, every human being responds in their own way. When an incurable form of breast cancer commandeered my physicality, I couldn’t continue the productive path I’d enjoyed while healthy. Death’s proximity demanded a new approach to life. Disappointed but determined, I engaged in activities I wouldn’t have otherwise dared to do.

      Not everyone is interested in chewing on magic mushrooms or brewing their own hallucinogenic ayahuasca since the consumption of these items is mostly illegal in the United States. There are plenty of lawful endeavors hospice patients engage in. Individuals will have their own unique ways of coping and there are no definitive right or wrong answers. A multitude of factors such as cultural background, upbringing, personality, etc., will influence a person’s reaction to death and how they view the unknown.

      I hope this little collection educates as well as entertains. The intention is to illuminate death; a touchy subject so often avoided and ignored. Though I’m not attempting to make excuses, I will anyways. This work was assembled and written while in hospice care under the influence of strong pain medications, which obstruct cognition. Blatant grammatical errors are cheekily attributed to the meds.

      ~ ~ ~

      Chapter 1: No Pity Please

      As a hospice patient, when I report physical pain nearly everyone presumes emotional pain is present as well. Of course acute bodily discomfort commonly triggers anxiety, but these two forms of distress do exist independently of the other. Some people can’t seem to grasp the possibility of a terminally ill patient feeling mentally and emotionally content despite experiencing various bodily hurts and crippling physical degradation. To combat these misconceptions and help caretakers understand, I wrote the article below.

      Dying Patients and Social Expectations

      The ability to empathically commiserate with someone in distress is a fundamental of being human. It’s how we connect. Sincere empathy is different from the careless conveyance of rigid societal expectations or cool pity.

      Modern society entertains the strange rationale that terminally ill patients are obligated to be less happy than healthy people. We are convinced an ailing person’s degree of contentment is unequivocally tied to their level of health. Not everyone assumes this perspective and those who do are usually unaware of it.

      Some of us believe sick people are incapable of achieving the same quantity or quality of joy in life. If a dying patient reports a lack of fear, or displays emotional stability and positivity, it’s presumed they’re being deceptive. Even delusional! Someone who exhibits such brazen contentment despite being near death is suspected of concealing anxiety or depression. This erroneous perspective couldn’t be farther from the truth. This reasoning invalidates the ailing individual and distances them from those who make

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