Death Cafe profile for Teddy
Location: United States
https://www.facebook.com/DeathCafeOcala?ref=hl
About Teddy:
I lost my husband 12 years ago to lung cancer. We were prepared, he opted not to go through chemo, but to enjoy the time he had left.
He died very peacefully at home 13 mos. after being diagnosed. He had his cat in his lap, our dog and me at his side.
Having lost my mother when I was almost 5 and my favorite grandmother at age 16, I've always been very much aware of death.
What brings you to Death Cafe?
I have noticed how hard it is for people to talk about death and dying. Especially here in the US. I'm originally from the Netherlands, where people are more open and where there has been a national discussion about end-of-life choices for many years, By Politicians, the Media, the medical professionals, with patients, their family and the general public. This has resulted in a very carefully thought out Voluntary Euthanasia law. The discussion is still ongoing throughout Dutch society.
I would like to see more Americans open up about death and dying too. I was looking for a way to start up a local discussion group, when I read about Death Cafe.
What would you like your legacy to be?
I would like people to remember me as a strongly convicted compassionate person. Compassionate in my way with dealing with people on an every day basis, but also Compassionate in my political activism and Compassionate in my Christian faith, which for me are not seperate. My believe in the Compassion of Jesus for the poor, the hungry, the sick, creates my drive in politics to support politicians who will stand up for the poor, the hungry and the sick. And love and accept everyone without judging them.
Thoughts for sharing:
Comparing my personal experience with doctors in the Netherlands and in the USA. The doctors here are much more action driven. Even though he was a board member of Hospice, my husband's oncologist kept pressing him to start chemo, even 1 week before his death, after we let ourselves be talked into him undergoing one more "useless" bronchoscopy. It showed that his lungs were completely filled with cancer, which we already knew. And my husband had made peace with dying almost a year before already.
I am pretty headstrong and stubborn when I know what I want, but here you really have to fight hard to keep doctors from doing procedures that you really don't want.
I am glad I have a clear Advanced Directive and two brother in laws who will be my proxies and who know exactly what I do and do NOT want at the end of my life. Every one needs to have that in place.
Contact Teddy
Teddy's posts on the Death Cafe website
With Teddy
April 6, 2016, 10.00 a.m. - 11.30 a.m. (EST)
Coffee and cake will be free. A voluntary donation towards covering the cost of a/c or heat is appreciated.
Even though we will be meeting in the choir room of a church, our Death Cafe is open to everyone. Participants of any, all, or no religious believes are welcome ...
Death Cafe write up: Death Cafe of Ocala
Posted by Teddy on March 16, 2016, 12:16 p.m.
Today we had our first meeting on the other end of Ocala. Highway 200 is the entrance to many senior community. We're hoping more people will join us for our always interesting discussions.
We started out small today, with a group of five people, who touched on many different aspects of death and dying. Such as:
Reinventing yourself after your spouse dies; Recognizing a need to get prepared for the death of your spouse in a very practical way, such as learning about all the different tasks your spouse always does. Thinking about your end-of-life options, etc.
Definitely enough to want to explore some more the next ...
With Teddy
March 16, 2016, 10.00 a.m. - 11.30 a.m. (EST)
Coffee and cake will be free. A voluntary donation towards covering the cost of a/c or heat is appreciated.
Even though we will be meeting in the choir room of a church, our Death Cafe is open to everyone. Participants of any, all, or no religious believes are welcome ...