An interrupted death
Abstract
Profiles in caring _______________________ An interrupted death Janice Wittenberg, RN A t a very early age I knew, with that absolute kind of knowing, that I would help my father die when the time came. Preparation for his death began when I was 9. He began to have these gagging episodes at the dinner table. These incidents always started the same way. All five children would be teasing, joshing, and poking, seeking the sibling spotlight. We were unruly, irritating, and at our worst as my father tried to settle into a relaxing dinner. As always, my mother would enjoin us to calm down and mind our manners; but by then it was too late. Dad would get real quiet and then look as if he was checking in his mouth to see if he had broken a tooth. His face would change to a dust-colored gray as he became short of breath. This was back in the days when doctors still came to the house. Dr. Jamplich would arrive, big and tall, wearing a black overcoat and carry- ing that mysterious black bag. By this time, Dad would have stumbled off into the bedroom and my mother would