pain

The most common fear of death and most probable reality of those dying due to serious illness, is the possibility of unmanageable pain. People think, "If this is the level of pain I have now, how bad will it get in the 'end'?

What is shown on television, and in other popular media, instilled in us this fear. As with most matters represented in social media, the reality is quite different.

As  Mike Harlos MD, CCFP, FCFP , a palliative focused Canadian physician writes:

Illustrations © Barbara J Holzapfel

"While it is true that pain is a common symptom in advanced illness and merits the full attention and expertise of health care providers, it tends to behave consistently for a person throughout an illness. If pain difficulties have not been present, they are unlikely to develop near end-of-life. If pain has been present but manageable, it will most likely continue to be manageable rather than escalate out of control in the final days."


One cancer study (Conill et al 1997), revealed that the majority of seriously ill palliative patient's level of pain actually decreased from 52% six weeks before death to 30% during the last week of life. The dying process is one of shutting down so it makes sense that, as death approaches, our energy decreases, our alertness decreases, and we tend to rest and sleep more.