Gone from My Sight: The Dying Experience

This is small easy to read booklet, only 14 pages. The design is for the tired, distraught family member who is trying to get a grip on what is happening to their loved one. It simply explains the dying process in a no nonsense list of symptoms. Families I have supported through the dying process have found this booklet extremely helpful. It helps to normalize the dying symptoms and allows the family to make educated decisions regarding care and symptom management. The print is large and easy to read. I highly recommend this booklet as a piece of resource material for hospice companies and families of a patient that has been placed on hospice.

As my mother lay dying, I took this miniature miracle off the hospital tray and read it. It had been left there by a social worker. As a previous reviewer said, it explained everything. My mother wasn't afraid of dying, and I eventually got past my fear of letting her go in part due to the wisdom contained between the covers of "Gone From My Sight." Kudos to Ms. Karnes for sharing this amazing, gentle, and straightforward wisdom for all of us who have been kept sheltered from the natural process of death. She removes the mysteries and stigma and returns the dying process to its most natural and peaceful form. Thank you for this book.

This is a wonderful book, which I used frequently with the families of dying patients. Written in jargon-free, easy to understand prose, the book describes common signs and symptoms of dying, and offers suggestions as to how best to keep the person comfortable. The wonderful poem "Gone From My Sight" is also included.
I recommend this precious little book to anyone caring for a terminally ill person, or those who have recently lost a loved one.

My family received this book from our hospice nurse while my dad was battling cancer. It is by far the best book I have read about the act of dying and what to expect. It actually brought my family some comfort in that we knew what dad was going through was normal, and it also explained things we thought odd, like when he would pick at his blankets and bed clothes.

If you are a caregiver and dealing with anyone with a terminal illness, you will not regret ordering this book. I have recommended it a million times over by word of mouth, but wanted to leave my note here for others. It was just such a big help during such a difficult time.

and this little book opened my eyes to her mystical journey to the other side! Her journey started long before her death today. She had set sail for her new spiritual destination about 2 months ago. I never realized it until I read this book. It made me look at things differently. The book touches on why she stopped eating and why she stopped talking. I feel a bit more at peace! I'd like to thank the author.

BTW, I wasn't going to read this book but it was given to me at the nursing home by whom I don't know!(I was out of sorts at the time.) Now, I'm ordering several copies for friends and family members.

Received this from Hospice today and is SO helpful on signs to look for months, weeks, and days before death. Preparation certainly helps for caregivers! The parable at the end about a ship sailing into the horizon and then others (in Heaven) seeing the ship coming toward them is very comforting.

This booklet was invaluable to me during the passing of my father. It was given to me by a hospice worker and clearly laid out all the phases that we were seeing in my Dad, but had not recognized for what they were. It was comforting to know what to look for and to be able to understand the reasons for some of the actions we were seeing. It was reassuring to know that there were specific reasons for his not wanting to eat, increased sleeping, etc. I would recommend this book to anyone in a similar situation, it will provide you with a great sense of peace and comfort in dealing with a tremendously emotional situation.

I'm a palliative care social worker, and this book is a staple in our program. It has the clearest, most concise and helpful description of the stages of dying and what to expect of any book we've found anywhere. I became involved in end of life care when my mom died of cancer, and looking back this would have been invaluable for us in recognizing what was happening to her. It is a MUST READ for any family with a member facing a serious illness or death. It is written for the layperson, to help with understanding death as a "process."

Excellent informative booklet makes good sense for family watching loved one decline by natural causes. Reverse of the amazing birth growth process. Last year she was as a child, now an infant. Let her work it through. She is uncomplaining and not a problem. We love you Mom.

Excellent informative booklet makes good sense for family watching loved one decline by natural causes. Reverse of the amazing birth growth process. Last year she was as a child, now an infant. Let her work it through. She is uncomplaining and not a problem. We love you Mom.

This was the only information given to family when mom went into hospice. When family is asking what to expect, this booklet shouldn't be the only info provided. Those who are present around the time of death shouldm't be encouraged to distance themselves from the experience by using "guidelines" to speculate on the stage of the dying process and "how long she's got." Despite a caution that guidelines are "flexible," the author states on her linkedin profile that every death from disease that she's witnessed in her hospice career "follows an identical script." Egregiously, for someone wanting to know about hospice, the booklet doesn't mention morphine, Valium and other medications hospice uses which also could be related to stages she mentions: disorientation, withdrawal and non-responsiveness. Dying patients should be listened to and encouraged to create their own final scripts.

Although the dying process and the loss of loved ones is an experience we all share, it has historically been an experience that invokes fear, discomfort and trepidation. Ms. Karnes, in her series of small books, is able to demystify and personalize the process for the reader from every aspect of the experience. These books should be required reading for all of us, not only at the time of crisis, but before we face these issues. I wish I had had the benefit of Ms. Karnes insight before I lost my parents. I will certainly read these books again and often as my life progresses, as I lose people I love, and when the time comes that I face my own mortality.

Since the dying experience is so different from person to person, I didn't appreciate the timeframes listed in the book. It did say they are to be considered flexible, but I would have preferred a continuum of symptoms, psychological, emotional and physical, to be expected, without listing the timeframe. I feel that this can cause family members more anxiety and possibly incorrect prediction of progression towards death.

Other than that, I did agree that the symptoms are accurate, and a good explanation of what loved ones can expect when they are with a dying family member or friend.

Received the book in a timely fashion. The book was as advertised. I found the book informative and helpful. I recommend it for anyone going through end of life issues who is curious about the physical aspect of end of life.

My father was admitted into Hospice on May 19th. The Hospice nurse provided us with this book. For some reason I personally felt that this booked helped me through my father's passing. I would recommend this book to anyone going through this experience.