Open to Hope Articles

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What Are the Death Rattles?

Posted on May 20, 2008 - by Carol O'Dell

Rattles

Mother has what they call the death rattle.
Every time she takes a breath there?s a rattle. Technically it?s congestive heart failure?the fluid around her heart is building up and her body can?t process it, so it?s filling up in her lungs.
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I remember when Mother said she had that little kitten in her chest. […]

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The Gift of Keith – Today is His Birthday

Posted on May 20, 2008 - by Carol Loehr

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?Today we remember Keith on his birthday.? We give thanks for the Gift of Keith.
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Please find time to enjoy the outdoors and say hello to Keith. (Look for dragonflies!)
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Keith’s Mom and Dad
The following is from an article posted on August 16, 2007 which?can be of help and comfort to other suicide survivors.? You might also […]

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Dealing with Grief, Anger and Frustration

Posted on May 20, 2008 - by admin

My son died last December 6 and on Dec 10 the coroner called me and told me that the autopsy had revealed he died of pneumonia, they knew he?d had no symptoms and there were no drugs or alcohol in his system. Almost as an afterthought he told me that there would be toxicology tests […]

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The First 30 Days

Posted on May 19, 2008 - by Ariane de Bonvoisin

When we make a change in our lives — going back to school, starting a business, pursuing a creative path — we also provoke an identity shift. And even though the changes are external, often it’s more of an internal journey that we are being asked to take. To ensure that we don’t get lost […]

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Poem: The Promise of Spring

Posted on May 16, 2008 - by admin

The Promise of Spring
by Lana Golembeski
It is yet another cold blustery day in Minnesota.
As I look out onto the two feet of snow,
I wonder if spring will ever come.
In my eyes, it looks impossible.
How can spring come?
All I can see is snow
and all I can feel is the cold.
And yet, despite all of that,
I know […]

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How to Care-give and Not Kill Yourself in the Process

Posted on May 15, 2008 - by Carol O'Dell

There’s a new kind of caregiver out there.
She (or he) is a savvy caregiver, isn’t a martyr, and doesn’t look defeated (all the time).
She (I use the feminine pronoun to apply to everyone)?has her act together (in some respects) and isn’t going to let her life and her plans be completely derailed–and yet she loves […]

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Finding “Self Help” to Deal With the Death of My Daughter?

Posted on May 14, 2008 - by Abel Keogh

Just last March my 48 year old daughter, mother of 5 young girls died of a cerebral hemhoridge.My older sister and 2 of my husbands brothers came over and stayed in our house for 3 weeks to help us in our grief. It did wonders. The day that they left I really broke down. I don’t feel like leaving the bedroom, I read a lot and watch tv, no cooking, neither my husband and I are hungry much. I let messages accumulate on the telephone.

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My Niece’s Baby Was Stillborn

Posted on May 14, 2008 - by Diana Gardner-Williams

My niece, suzanne, gave birth Monday, May 12, 2008 to a 6?8? little boy. The baby was still born. Her pregnancy was fine and she had been to the doctor the previous friday. Baby?s heart beat was strong and she discussed inducing labor with her doctor. They scheduled it for Saturday, May 17th. On Sunday […]

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UTIs (Urinary Tract Infections): Don’t Let Your Elder Suffer in Silence

Posted on May 13, 2008 - by Carol O'Dell

If you?ve ever had a bladder infection (the common name for UTIs), then you know how very painful they can be.
If you haven?t, let me describe one for you:
Many times, you don?t realize right off what?s wrong.
You?re edgier than normal. You feel ?different down there,? but you?re not sure. Then, you get […]

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Poem: The Art of Longing

Posted on May 13, 2008 - by Robert Neimeyer

Poet/Professor Robert Neimeyer explores the struggle of those who have “driven the long cold road alone.”

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