Death as a result of a cancer often shows externally in tumours or external wounds. I don't usually get to know the cause of death but colleagues are often able to tell me. If I know the cause of death it helps me to calculate any fluid changes needed and which site to commence my embalming for maximum benefit. And I may decided if more than one site is needed to inject the fluid into the specific area because embalming relies on the circulatory system to move throughout the body. A blockage in the system can greatly affect the dispersal of the fluid.
One of my ladies last week had terrible wounds to her chest and sores which were covered with clinical pads. This led me to believe she suffered from cancer of her breasts or certainly somewhere around there. As a result, she also had tightening of the tissue under her arms which I think is because of the lymphatic system also becoming cancerous or certainly compromised. This meant that the circulation to her arms and hands was poor. The tissue is compressed or a tumour grows and the lymphatics and vessels struggle to return blood flow and tissue fluid.
This lady also had a massively swollen arm. That's the only way I can describe it. Her arm had become so swollen from lack of drainage that it was full to bursting. On choosing my point of injection, I considered that this arm needed extra attention and despite the constricted vessels, I decided to use the axillary artery proximal to the brachial so I would have more room to manipulate the injection tubes if needed.
I am pleased to say that her embalming went well and she looked lovely and peaceful. I used additional chemicals to help prevent accelerated decomposition in her arm and wrapped it in special absorbant cloth in case of seapage.
She must have suffered a great deal during that last stage of her illness, and I left her looking at rest, knowing that nothing of that will be apparent to her loved ones should they have chosen to visit chapel.
Tuesday, 25 October 2011
Thursday, 20 October 2011
The British Institute of Embalmers
Often when I tell people that I am an embalmer, they ask me why we need to embalm. Often they confuse it with mummification and are pleasantly surprised to learn we have moved on a little!
According to my theoretical tutor, Miss Sheila Dicks of Salisbury College of Funeral Sciences, the author of the British Institute of Embalmers text book, there are three reasons for embalming;
Preservation - to ensure that the deceased is able to be viewed prior to the funeral
Presentation - to ensure that the deceased looks natural and peaceful for the loved ones to say their goodbyes
Sanitation - to ensure that anyone who comes into contact with the deceased is able to do so without fear of infection.
As a qualified embalmer I am a member of The British Institute of Embalmers (BIE) and my professional qualifications enable me to embalm someone who has to leave England for overseas burial or cremation. To qualify I had to sit five modular exams and two three hour finals. I then had to embalm for an examiner and finally have my case reports scrutinised. There are many schools, in the UK and worldwide that award the qualification which enables one to apply for membership to the Institute and currently the text book and examination system is being reviewed.
Members of other organisations around the world can apply for membership to the BIE and as international members they also uphold the BIE code of ethics.
1. I believe that the practice of Embalming is in the interest of Public Health and promise to promote embalming to the best of my ability.
2. I will treat with respect each dead human body.
3. I pledge a complete confidential relationship to those I am called upon to serve.
4. I will endeavour to promote scientific research in the problems affecting Embalming.
5. I undertake to abide by the regulations of the B.I.E. and to support, to the best of my ability, any meeting or gathering arranged by them.
According to my theoretical tutor, Miss Sheila Dicks of Salisbury College of Funeral Sciences, the author of the British Institute of Embalmers text book, there are three reasons for embalming;
Preservation - to ensure that the deceased is able to be viewed prior to the funeral
Presentation - to ensure that the deceased looks natural and peaceful for the loved ones to say their goodbyes
Sanitation - to ensure that anyone who comes into contact with the deceased is able to do so without fear of infection.
As a qualified embalmer I am a member of The British Institute of Embalmers (BIE) and my professional qualifications enable me to embalm someone who has to leave England for overseas burial or cremation. To qualify I had to sit five modular exams and two three hour finals. I then had to embalm for an examiner and finally have my case reports scrutinised. There are many schools, in the UK and worldwide that award the qualification which enables one to apply for membership to the Institute and currently the text book and examination system is being reviewed.
Members of other organisations around the world can apply for membership to the BIE and as international members they also uphold the BIE code of ethics.
1. I believe that the practice of Embalming is in the interest of Public Health and promise to promote embalming to the best of my ability.
2. I will treat with respect each dead human body.
3. I pledge a complete confidential relationship to those I am called upon to serve.
4. I will endeavour to promote scientific research in the problems affecting Embalming.
5. I undertake to abide by the regulations of the B.I.E. and to support, to the best of my ability, any meeting or gathering arranged by them.
Friday, 14 October 2011
Caring for the elderly
There has been much in the British press the last couple of days about NHS hospitals and their care of the elderly. The whole subject has been brought about because of changes the government wants to make to our National Health Service. I find the whole subject very sad, not least because everyone deserves the best level of care, but because the NHS Hospitals seem to be singled out just now.
Today I embalmed; someone who was living in a private care home, another person who died whilst under the care of an NHS hospital and another person who died at home. Can you guess who had the grubbiest fingernails and hair? Of course you cant, because as much as I could say that one was worse than the other, I can honestly also say that it changes from day to day, patient to patient, circumstance to circumstance.
It would be nice, if following death, their named nurse completed last offices as their final act for their patient. Sometimes people come to me with clean nails and dentures in situ and one can only hope it is the general pressure of work placed on the nursing staff and not laziness which prevents them from doing so.
Today I embalmed; someone who was living in a private care home, another person who died whilst under the care of an NHS hospital and another person who died at home. Can you guess who had the grubbiest fingernails and hair? Of course you cant, because as much as I could say that one was worse than the other, I can honestly also say that it changes from day to day, patient to patient, circumstance to circumstance.
It would be nice, if following death, their named nurse completed last offices as their final act for their patient. Sometimes people come to me with clean nails and dentures in situ and one can only hope it is the general pressure of work placed on the nursing staff and not laziness which prevents them from doing so.
Wednesday, 12 October 2011
Meet some friends....
Things I cant do without....
Formaldehyde chemicals and their additives, Kalip helps keep lips together and eyes closed. The powder puffer is great for just a very light coating where needed.
Shampoo, Dry Wash removes scum from hair line and face (it also melts latex -gulp) Shave Gel, Hairspray, Foundation and powder formulated for stage but works great for my job, Blusher and glue
Ligature, eye caps gently slipped on like contact lenses help keep the eyes a natural shape. Scissors and forceps
Obviously there is a lot more kit needed to embalm, but I just thought I would share a few items I use every day
Obviously there is a lot more kit needed to embalm, but I just thought I would share a few items I use every day
Monday, 10 October 2011
A month ago...
A month ago, this person died. They had been kept in the refrigeration system at the hospital but when collected by the funeral home last week, were very hard. Not frozen, there is a difference both to the eye and touch, and biologically.
So, after three days being left in the natural air, I went in today to make the deceased ready for viewing this afternoon. Actually, as I write this funnily enough.
Rather annoyingly, there was stomach purge all over the right side of the face where their head had been left slightly on their side in the hospital mortuary fridge. These stomach contents included 'coffee grounds' Coffee-ground emesis is vomiting of dark brown, granular material that resembles coffee grounds. It results from upper GI bleeding that has slowed or stopped, with conversion of red Hb to brown hematin by gastric acid. This naturally decomposed and took the side of the face too. The results were skin slip and green discolouration.
In addition, there was a great deal of faecal matter to clean up and treatment of the resulting areas of decomp due to that.
Once cleaned, with hair washed and dried, embalming and cosmetology completed, viewing will be possible today. The lack of enough time between treatment and viewing means that they will have to present with the face slightly turned, but some cosmetology covered most of the marks. If I had had a day or two, the skin slip could have been dried out and full cosmetic treatment would have been applied and successful.
The other deceased I had to do was simple in comparison.
So, after three days being left in the natural air, I went in today to make the deceased ready for viewing this afternoon. Actually, as I write this funnily enough.
Rather annoyingly, there was stomach purge all over the right side of the face where their head had been left slightly on their side in the hospital mortuary fridge. These stomach contents included 'coffee grounds' Coffee-ground emesis is vomiting of dark brown, granular material that resembles coffee grounds. It results from upper GI bleeding that has slowed or stopped, with conversion of red Hb to brown hematin by gastric acid. This naturally decomposed and took the side of the face too. The results were skin slip and green discolouration.
In addition, there was a great deal of faecal matter to clean up and treatment of the resulting areas of decomp due to that.
Once cleaned, with hair washed and dried, embalming and cosmetology completed, viewing will be possible today. The lack of enough time between treatment and viewing means that they will have to present with the face slightly turned, but some cosmetology covered most of the marks. If I had had a day or two, the skin slip could have been dried out and full cosmetic treatment would have been applied and successful.
The other deceased I had to do was simple in comparison.
Thursday, 6 October 2011
A chilly day today
Autumn blustery days seem to have started today. Its my favourite kind of weather; sunny and windy. Slightly chilly at 12c but wrapping up and having a stomp through the woods is my idea of down time.
The weather changing makes me rethink my embalming fluid choices. Obviously, if the general temperature is colder, the rate of decomposition is slower. This means that I use a lesser amount of formaldehyde in my embalming mixture as I don't believe in using the same solution regardless. It is a waste of money and an unnecessary pollution. The lighter the fluid, the better for everyone as long as preservation is achieved.
Just one post mortem case and three 'straight' cases today. If I think really, really hard, I can remember what they looked like. I do find that their faces leave me very quickly after work. I think this is a good thing, I don't need to recall them when I'm running a bath or reading a book. There are of course, some people whose faces stay with me for a few days, and if I try, I can still recall the suicide from recent days. Fortunately, most of my work is with the over 70's and after a while old lady perms and old gentlemen balding pates merge into one.
The weather changing makes me rethink my embalming fluid choices. Obviously, if the general temperature is colder, the rate of decomposition is slower. This means that I use a lesser amount of formaldehyde in my embalming mixture as I don't believe in using the same solution regardless. It is a waste of money and an unnecessary pollution. The lighter the fluid, the better for everyone as long as preservation is achieved.
Just one post mortem case and three 'straight' cases today. If I think really, really hard, I can remember what they looked like. I do find that their faces leave me very quickly after work. I think this is a good thing, I don't need to recall them when I'm running a bath or reading a book. There are of course, some people whose faces stay with me for a few days, and if I try, I can still recall the suicide from recent days. Fortunately, most of my work is with the over 70's and after a while old lady perms and old gentlemen balding pates merge into one.
Tuesday, 4 October 2011
What a lovely spot of weather
We are having such lovely weather in the UK just now. Autumn has been postponed but I think it will be making its way to us this week.
My work today was pretty straight forward. One gentleman had had a post mortem examination and when I was re suturing his head, his scalp was very fragile and teared quite a lot. This obviously causes a worry for possible leakage following the embalming treatment. One hopes the action of the formaldehyde firms the tissues enough to prevent any bodily fluids leaking. One also hopes that coffining up doesn't take place until after then. In case of leakage I used some putty to fill, wax to cover and good hairstyling and then placed some cotton wool there so my colleagues can see if there is seepage of any kind.
Not ideal, but then its life..... (or death!) As a colleague used to say 'anyone can do the easy ones'.
My work today was pretty straight forward. One gentleman had had a post mortem examination and when I was re suturing his head, his scalp was very fragile and teared quite a lot. This obviously causes a worry for possible leakage following the embalming treatment. One hopes the action of the formaldehyde firms the tissues enough to prevent any bodily fluids leaking. One also hopes that coffining up doesn't take place until after then. In case of leakage I used some putty to fill, wax to cover and good hairstyling and then placed some cotton wool there so my colleagues can see if there is seepage of any kind.
Not ideal, but then its life..... (or death!) As a colleague used to say 'anyone can do the easy ones'.