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A Farewell

We are sad to announce that due to the current state of the world, our fundraising initiatives for the Irish Hospice Foundation has come to a halt. We will be forwarding all your donations to RCSI in due time. They will be dutifully forwarded to the Irish Hospice Foundation for the support to those who truly need it.

The past couple of months was a time of great reflection, with our fundraising initiatives not only providing ample support for the nurses who take of the elderly, but a gateway into discovering ourselves. This elective has truly, as Professor Celine Marmion beautifully put it: “built our awareness around the ... concept of palliative care and to get you to reflect on palliative care and ways in which we can support the healthcare community, patients and their families at such a difficult time.”

We hope that as we progress through our years here at RCSI, we will reap the plethora of benefits this elective has provided us with: compassion, love, and care towards those who are need. We hope that our efforts reflect the truly loving environment of RCSI.

Thank you professor Celine Marmion, Ms, Jackie Knowles, and Mr. Eric Clarke for this precious opportunity.

Stay Safe.

Regards,

Team B

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Covid-19 And Its Impacts On Student’s Social Life

The pandemic ‘covid-19′ outbreak  has many disadvantages on student’s social life. Many of international students were asked to pack up their stuffs and to go back home. The mission that was assigned to us in this elective was also impacted as we were about to launch our event at the expo stage just few days after the college announced its closure and shifting into a virtual learning. Of course this pandemic is considered as a human tragedy, many people get infected with this virus globally, and many of them like young people and elderly with chronic respiratory illnesses at a high risk of having it. Its imperative how the college reacted with this situation very quickly, the first email that all students received from Dean’s office  has shown exactly the high standard of RCSI and the highly skilled staffs who decided to move into a more suitable and a safe way of delivering the lectures, consequently, minimising the spread of coronavirus around the Republic. As an international student, the first thing that I did was getting in touch with my parents back home and letting them now about the situation, all of them wanted me to get back home safe. LUCKILY, I was able to get a flight ticket at that tough time but having a ticket will not prevent me from getting infected with the virus :) , so I was asked to wear gloves, masks, and to use hand sanitisers. There was a shortage in masks and sanitisers in Dublin and most the counties around Ireland. Some old friends from Co.kerry got in touch with me, asking me to stay safe and avoiding gatherings, and wishing the best for me and my loved ones, this shows me that whenever there is a tragedy, there are good people around, wishing you the best. 

SAEED AL KAABI

30-MARCH-2020

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It is no doubt that the current situation revolving around the COVID-19 pandemic is going out of hand. It is a first for many of us to experience such chaos that is currently going on in our world. Many of us having to adjust to new environments and as students, we are required to adapt to online learning systems and exams and at the same time, feeling anxious and overwhelmed about whatever is currently going on in our own lives. And if you are as paranoid as me, I would think there is a tiny voice at the back of your head constantly asking “Do I have the virus? What if I get infected?” 

It is truly amazing how our lives are all now on pause as if the world is closing down like that coffee shop at the corner of our street after operating a long day. 

It was a ‪Thursday afternoon‬ that my fellow colleagues and I received an email from the Dean’s Office. We were halfway through our ‪11am‬ lecture when everybody seemed to stop listening and were checking their phones and of course, I as well. In that email, we were told that that Thursday itself was the last day of class for us and that we should fly back home to our home country immediately. That experience itself was truly scary and nerve-racking. My friends and I were definitely panicking as we called our parents asking what to do. Many of us was trying to change our flight tickets over lunch and within an hour or so, all of us have gotten our new tickets and was already getting ready to fly back home the next day. Just like that, within a day we had to settle our rental and accommodation issues, pack up our stuff and just leave. Many of my friends went mad as they had to pack up everything, and I mean EVERYTHING they have in their room and store them into boxes that they bought right after they got home and eventually leaving the boxes into the storage area that they paid for online. Things that took them days to unpack upon their arrival to Dublin at the beginning of the academic year, they had to pack up everything again in the few hours that they are only left with before their departure. 

It has been two weeks since I have been back however, I have not once stepped out of my house within this period of two weeks. I am from Malaysia by the way. Three days after my arrival back home, our prime minister announced a movement control order, meaning, we are all now confined to our own homes. We have polices patrolling our streets and if we were to leave our house with reasons that are not valid, we will have to face legal consequences. We aren't even allowed to travel between states, needless to travelling to other countries. Many of my friends are still trapped in the UK and even though our government urges them to come home, things are still not as easy as it sounds. 

This global crisis really changed my perspective on things. It made me realise how we took things for granted. I mean, we can't even have a “normal day” anymore. No parties, no shopping and no eating in restaurants anymore. It is interesting you know, how we incorporate such activities into our daily routine that it is a part of us and now that we are confined to our homes, we seem to have lost purpose in life and we are just lounging around with nothing to do and waiting for this pandemic to be over. As a matter of fact, I am considered one of the lucky ones during this crisis. In the matter of hours, I was already flying back home to my family and friends. Whereas, to people who are not financially able, they are still stuck at wherever they are right now alone with no family around them and having to stay in a country far away from their home. 

A close friend of mine told me a few days ago that one of her distant relative have passed. And due to our country’s restricted movement order, the direct family members of her passed relative was unable to hold a funeral as no one was able to attend. So, that day itself, the family members cremated and buried her. And just like this, my friend and her family is unable to see her relative anymore. Not to mention, how her relative was unable to have a “proper ending” to her life. At times like this, when people are feeling most vulnerable, we can do our part and reach out to one another and help each other go through this (by talking online through video calls or by just even texting). I mean, isn't this where we can somewhat put the core values of palliative care into practice ? Although it is not the same as caring for someone with life limiting conditions but it is by helping people go through this dreadful and confusing time and to help them find comfort within this chaotic crisis. 

Take care. 

Florence 28.03.2020

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What can we do to help?

I’m sure everybody is well aware of the challenge we are facing at the moment due to the widespread COVID 19 pandemic. Nobody knows for sure when this global emergency will end. At the moment in Ireland, the crisis is only beginning to escalate. We are experiencing the calm before the storm. A surge is expected in the coming days, where we will see the number of cases rise dramatically and huge pressure being placed on our healthcare professionals working on the frontline. We will soon descend into further lockdown in an attempt to contain the spread and protect the most vulnerable in our society. It is frightening to think of the impact this emergency will have on the economy and on all of our lives individually.

We are all being advised to stay at home in these exceptional circumstances; sports are cancelled, events are postponed, we have nowhere to go. We must take this opportunity to consider those who are recently bereaved and may be struggling.

In relation to the Irish Hospice Foundation, all IHF workshops, events and fundraisers are either postponed or cancelled. This will prove to be a very difficult time for those who avail of and benefit from these services. For those who have recently lost loved ones, the tradition of gathering together in large numbers to offer condolences has to be put to a halt. COVID 19 is changing the traditional ways we mark our grief. This is extremely difficult for family members who are navigating these distressing times. But there are many ways that we can help. Simply picking up the phone can brighten someone’s day. Having a short conversation can bring a smile to their face as they grieve a loved one during this already difficult time.

This situation is also proving particularly difficult for the older generation who are at a greater risk. It can be a very lonely time as they try to stay away from others in an effort to protect themselves.

I am spending my time at home with my 3 siblings and parents and I can’t bear to imagine how long and lonely the day may feel without seeing or hearing from anyone. When delivering groceries or dinners to my grandmother, or calling for a chat, we have our conversation through the window in order to prevent the spread but also importantly to protect her, as she is one of the more vulnerable people in our society. I believe that seeing someone face to face is much more fulfilling and pleasing. Obviously though, if you cannot speak to someone face to face (and at a distance), ringing on the phone is better than not speaking at all.

I don’t know how or when these uncertain and worrying times will end but it has definitely given me an opportunity to reflect and think about those dealing with difficult situations and who need our time and help.

“The greatest compassion is the prevention of human suffering through patience, alertness, courage and kindness.”

https://bit.ly/2UqJTxx

Emer Riordan - 23/03/2020

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The HSE’s Advice for Coronavirus (COVID-19)

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared COVID-19 (Coronavirus) a pandemic. Ireland is well positioned to detect and respond to cases of COVID-19 (Coronavirus). Here are the some tips to ensure your safety and the safety of those around you. Stay safe and stay informed!

You cannot take care of others if you do not care of yourself.

For more information, please visit https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/a02c5a-what-is-happening/

– Faisal Al-Abdulhadi | March 21, 2020

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COVID-19 and its Effects on Seniors in Society

According to the New York Times, “New C.D.C. data shows that nearly 40 percent of patients sick enough to be hospitalized were age 20 to 54. But the risk of dying was significantly higher in older people.” –NYT, March 18, 2020

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/18/health/coronavirus-young-people.html

In order to shed light on how COVID-19 affects seniors, here are a few articles we have picked out for you to read. Stay informed and stick to the facts!

“Coronavirus elderly advice: How can I look after my older relatives?” |  https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-51855011

“Why Coronaviruses Hit Older Adults Hardest” | https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2020/coronavirus-severe-seniors.html

“‘I’m Really Isolated Now’: When Elders Have to Fight Coronavirus Alone” | https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/18/nyregion/coronavirus-elderly-nyc.html

“Guidance on social distancing for everyone in the UK and protecting older people and vulnerable adults” | https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-social-distancing-and-for-vulnerable-people/guidance-on-social-distancing-for-everyone-in-the-uk-and-protecting-older-people-and-vulnerable-adults

“The coronavirus impact on the elderly & what we can do to protect them“ | https://guardiancarers.co.uk/care-information/coronavirus-impact-elderly

– Faisal Al-Abdulhadi | March 20, 2020

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A Reflection: New Circumstances and the Vulnerable

A couple of weeks ago, life was at a hundred miles per hour. We were all thrown against a daily-routine of studying, attending lectures, and trying to fit an hour or two of socializing. Exams were looming in the horizon and nerves were running higher than ever.

Mid-lecture, on a morning like any other, an e-mail was sent by the Dean’s office. Our entire life came to a sudden halt: we were asked to return back home to ensure our safety and the safety of those around us. In a blur, I was back home within less than 24 hours of that e-mail.

After an ultimate freedom of socializing over coffee and having lunch in the canteen, I was suddenly in my room all day, food placed for me behind the door.  I talked to my parents over the phone while they were a mere few meters away from me in another room. I know I had to do this for the safety of my parents for one, but more importantly, for society as a whole.

One of the last few things I saw before packing up my bags was a yellow bucket heavy with coins and donations sitting on top of my bookshelf. Now, if it was one thing I dislike is leaving things unaccomplished. Since signing up for the IHF elective, it became almost a mission to collect as many funds for a cause I respected. This elective, from the beginning, was always a reminder of a simple thing: slow down and reflect on what you have ever so often. It was a reminder that while we are living, breathing, and fighting for our dreams, writing out the first sentences of a life-long journey, others were reaching the closing remarks of theirs. And those were the ones most threatened by the novel coronavirus and the life-threatening disease it induced, COVID-19. 

To those elders who are at risk of contracting this disease, we must stand as future healthcare professionals, arm-in-arm, to ensure that they are safe and carrying out all precautionary measures in order to preserve the quality of what is remaining of their life. We should stick to the facts, educate those around us about the importance of social distancing, and most importantly, staying hygienic and washing our hands often. As future workers in the healthcare sector, we must acknowledge that we are not living life for ourselves but to the ones that are suffering. We are blessed to have this educational opportunity to benefit society and mitigating harm before it falls upon others. 

SInce our initiative was sadly halted by the COVID-19 crisis, we wish that what we have collected so far will reach those who need it.  At the end of the day, a few euros here and there might not seem a lot, but for a senior out there, aching for food when others bulk-bought might be a saving grace, a reminder of good in this world. 

Source: https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2020/03/coronavirus-supermarkets-introduce-elder-hour/

– Faisal Al-Abdulhadi | March 20, 2020

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Join our raffle and support a good cause!

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Hi Guys !

We are so happy that we announced today the prizes for the raffle. We also looking forward for your contributions for the IHF as every single cent that comes from you will definitely be used to care for those people who are to face death. 

Personally, I feel so excited to take this part of the elective with my colleagues working to raise funds for the IHF as I believe all of us will benefit from this work as it raises our awareness of the importance of palliative care. Most importantly, the aim of the elective is not only raising funds but its also to give the students the skills needed to communicate and being professional. We are so happy that many of the students have already donated some money and we expect more in the next couple of weeks.

–Saeed Al-Kaabi, 16.03.2020

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Sorting out the funds RCSI students have contributed to the IHF! We are super happy and proud of what we have achieved so far! More to come!

– Faisal Al-Abdulhadi

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A Raffle for the IHF!

🌻 Hello everyone! 🌻

As part of our initiative to raise funds for the Irish Hospice Foundation, we are holding a raffle! These are the promised prizes:

🍕 🍕First Place Winner: 7 Large Pizzas and 10 Drinks from the Dublin Pizza Company (Free!) 📨 📨Second Place Winner: €50 Amazon Gift Card 🌯🍹Third Place Winner: 2 Free Boojum Burritos and 15 20% off vouchers at D2 Bubble Tea! 🥡🍹Fourth Place Winner: €20 Just Eat Voucher and 15 20% off vouchers at D2 Bubble Tea! 🍫🍹Fifth Place Winner: 2 Boxes of Chocolates and 20 20% off vouchers at D2 Bubble Tea! 🍫🍫Sixth Place Winner: 2 boxes of Chocolate!

The price for a row is 5 euros. You could buy 2 rows maximum.

You could come and buy your raffle tickets anytime before or after lectures or whenever you see me in college tomorrow. You could also shoot me a text if you have any questions.

Please send this message to all your friends! 👯‍♀

Thank you! 🦦🌻

Faisal Al-Abdulhadi

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Death, Family and Healing

As surprising as it may sound, as a medical student, I have yet to be able to grasp the reality of death. Despite constantly reading articles regarding deaths that are occurring all around the world, a part of me somehow feels like death is just somewhat of a myth and I just can’t seem to wrap my head around the idea of it. With that being said, what happened in winter of 2016 was truly indelible.

Learning the death of a loved one is so much more painful than having to encounter death upfront. No matter how hard we try, there is no amount of preparation that can really prepare us for death. Up till this day, I can still remember the weeks prior to my grandfather’s death in 2016 and all the mixed emotions I have felt during that painful period.

My grandfather was a blind man with few words. Despite having many complications regarding his health, he was always at peace with the world, never once had I ever heard him complain about how unfair life is especially when he was blind. My brothers and I lived with him our whole lives and yet up till his death, he still and will never know what we look like.

It was the November of 2016 that my grandfather got admitted into the hospital due to a fall he had in the bathroom. The doctor told my father that she estimated that my grandfather could only live as long as one or two years. Of course, it was something that my father hid from me in the name of being protective but like any other sibling, my brother secretly told me about it. It was at that point where I didn’t know how to feel or how to react to that situation. I had never been put into a situation where I had a dying loved one right before me, let alone knowing how to react and handle the big ball of mixed emotions that I can’t even begin to describe. But then again, I just constantly told myself that 2 years was still far away.

After 2 weeks, my grandfather finally got discharged from the hospital. Somehow, everything started to change from there. From the physical ability of my grandfather to the normal life that my family and I used to have, everything seemed different. My grandfather was unable to walk or move as much as he used to. He was constantly tired and somehow he seemed like he doesn’t know what’s going on around him. Even day and night seemed to be a blur to him. He didn’t even want to leave his room to eat in the kitchen, let it be leaving the house to have dinner with the whole family. As both of my parents and brothers are working and I was still schooling, we didn’t have the time to fully invest in taking care of my grandfather and since the doctor gave us a maximum of two years, we have decided to hire a nurse to take care of him during this period. As palliative care and night nurses isn’t quite common from where I’m from, so we were limited to only a few choices. It took us days to finally find the right person to take care of him. She bathe and groomed my grandfather as well as feeding him and talking to him because everybody was busy during the day. Although everything seemed to have gone smoothly and well planned but there was something that just doesn’t felt right during that period for me.

After one month from his discharge, I still remembered as if it was yesterday that my brothers and I were in his room just talking to him and feeding him dinner. All was right with the world and the thought of death just doesn’t seem to be a moment of concerned at that time. After leaving his room for bed that night, little did I know that it was the last time that I’ll ever be able to speak to him in his little room.

That was it, no matter how much I didn’t want to believe that someone could just leave like this, I still had to wake myself up to face the horrid reality that is the death of my grandfather. And it was during the wake of his funeral that I sat down and talked to nurse that my parents hired. She told me not to be sad or worried. During the last few days of his life, she told me that he was at peace. He was comfortable in his own room, he was clean, he was well fed and most importantly he was happy and had no hatred or resentment towards this world. The nurse even told me that my grandfather would constantly talk about how proud he is of his own children and of my brothers and I. The nurse would also tell him how he can be assured and at ease by the fact that his family is doing fine. This made me realise how much impact the nurse had on my grandfather. Not knowing that his days were numbered, she still made sure that he is comfortable, happy and at ease. It also had an impact on me as well as it made me feel that my grandfather died happy. After talking to her, I felt as if a weight has already been lifted off of my chest.

I came to a conclusion where it is the sense of calmness and tranquility before death that frightens me the most. It was that feeling of helplessness when you realise that there is nothing else you can do anymore for your loved ones that I hated. The only thing left for us at that moment was acceptance.

I am thankful for the nurse that came in and took care of my grandfather. Not only that she made him feel tranquil and serene during his last few days, she also reassured my family and I that we have nothing to worry about anymore and how he left loving us.

- Florence 26.02.2020

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Where Will your Donations Go?

Unfortunately, the IHF receive less than 10% of their funding from the government. Therefore, they require our help. The money that we raise during this elective will fund a vital service called “Nurses for Night Care.”

Nurses for Night Care enables people with diseases like dementia, motor neurone disease, advanced respiratory disease, heart failure and end stage kidney disease to receive expert care and support at night in their own homes in their final days.

Many people cannot choose where they would like to die, but those who can usually wish to spend their final days in the comfort of their own home, while being surrounded and supported by their loved ones.

Family members also wish to spend as much time with their loved ones but do require some assistance. Although they may not want to leave their bedsides, rest is essential during this difficult and anxious time so it is important for family members to be able to step away and clear their heads. This is why the Nurses for Night Care service is so important. Nurses provide relief for family members by allowing them to sleep at night knowing that their loved ones are in good care.

>  €40 pays for an hour of Night Care Nursing in the home.

>  €320 pays for a night of nursing in the home.

This is a similar service to Night Nursing provided by the Irish Cancer Society, who provide end of life care for cancer patients and their families in their own home. This is a support service that I am very familiar with as my family availed of this crucial service just over a year ago when caring for my grandmother during her final week. The nurse provided significant support and relief and made certain that my grandmother was never suffering and was always as comfortable as possible. We are forever grateful for not only the compassionate and kind-hearted nurse who cared for my grandmother over 7 difficult nights, but for the generous donations from the public who fund this vital service every year on Daffodil Day.

In 2016, the public’s generosity allowed 600 people to die at home through the Irish Hospice Foundations Nurses for Night Care service. This means a great deal to the families who are suffering by making this already difficult time a whole lot easier.

So, no matter how big or small, every donation helps. 

“You matter because you are you, and you matter to the end of your life. We will do all we can not only to help you die peacefully, but also to live until you die.”

- Emer Riordan, 20/02/2020

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Tips To Cope With Your Grief

1) Acknowledge Your Painful Emotions, And Realize They Are Normal

2) Get Enough Sleep

3) Eat Healthy Food 4) Don’t Indulge In Products That Mask The Pain 5) Seek Face To Face Support

6) Allow Yourself To Experience A Wide Array Of Emotions

7) Be Active

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Amazing seminar hosted by the Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF) at the Royal College of Surgeons on the 14th of February, 2020.

– Faisal Al-Abdulhadi

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On Death, Kahlil Gibran

On Death by Kahlil Gibran

You would know the secret of death. But how shall you find it unless you seek it in the heart of life? The owl whose night-bound eyes are blind unto the day cannot unveil the mystery of light. If you would indeed behold the spirit of death, open your heart wide unto the body of life. For life and death are one, even as the river and the sea are one.

In the depth of your hopes and desires lies your silent knowledge of the beyond; And like seeds dreaming beneath the snow your heart dreams of spring. Trust the dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity. Your fear of death is but the trembling of the shepherd when he stands before the king whose hand is to be laid upon him in honour. Is the shepherd not joyful beneath his trembling, that he shall wear the mark of the king? Yet is he not more mindful of his trembling?

For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun? And what is it to cease breathing, but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?

Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing. And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb. And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.

– Faisal Al-Abdulhadi

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On the Finity of Life

The certainty of death is as undeniable as the certainty of the sun rising every morning. Riddled with deep emotions of sadness, sorrow, and devastation, death has always been an integral part of our existence: every walking and breathing being must succumb to the certainty of death. This just, finite reality of being is dampened by our everyday chase of titles, pride, and wealth. Those who become aware of the finity of the aforementioned wants are blessed to realize the importance of the needs, the things that live beyond our death: love, compassion, knowledge, and respect to the limited time we spend on this earth. Many search for those answers in philosophy, religion, or a simple conversation with those who have experienced the true beauty of existence. 

We should not face death with fear, panic, and anxiety, but with the same contentedness as reaching the closing chapter of a long novel we have written. Are we not the authors who read the works of those who have gone, assimilate knowledge, and write a life from the ink of time on sheets provided to us by the promise of a newly risen sun? 

Moving away from home and being thrown into the fast-paced routine of a new life has left me with no time to stop and reflect on the finity of life and its chameleon-like nature, switching colors to adapt to man’s reality. I had little time to sit down and read, assimilate, and write something that was not that of a clinical, pedantic nature. I slowly became aware of the regression of my emotional expression, the thing I prided myself in, the thing that made me human. I naturally became angry with the promised satisfaction that learning medicine would provide me. With the fading of my emotional integrity I found myself feeding the vacuum it left with hours of meaningless activities where hours chased hours into an abyss of uncertainty. Giving up, I thought that this was part of “The Process” of growing up, where we start losing our emotional edge, the ability to connect to others, feel, induce feeling in others and make them change their perspective in life. I started searching and all I could find were conversations about politics, how many lectures did my lunch partner finish last night, and various topics where pride knitted every motive behind their words. 

Realizing that the effort of discussing other topics was sterile, I chose the thing that would help me awake my emotions from their long slumber: an elective that cared about how dying people faced the end of their lives. Maybe it was a coincidence or a saving grace, joining the Irish Hospice Foundation elective was a reminder that the true beauty of life is servitude and showing compassion to others. Simply put, the ethos of the foundation has reminded me that I have chosen to live my life in the service of others, and truly, they were the true core of medicine: compassion, care, and easing the transition into death, for both the dying and their family members. The services of the IHF is nothing but the manifestation of our humanity, our humility after a life of pride and stride, and for that, I find solace in supporting their cause.

Another thing worth mentioning is how joining the IHF elective coincided with the death of a fellow RCSI student. Their death resonated with me on a great level because of the commonalities we share, even though I have never seen her on campus or shared a few words with her. Her death made me stop and think about how easy it was to lose yourself in a degree or any other goal that we set for ourself. She reminded me that I should not be totally consumed by the things I set myself to achieve, but more importantly, stop, think, and allow myself to fall and rise again and stop expecting perfection and success at all times.

May my words reach those who have felt, stopped feeling, wish to regain a sense of presence, and escape the debilitating sense of detachment from life. To those who are cognizant of death, and live a life not in fear of the certain, but enjoying the uncertain. 

– Faisal Al-Abdulhadi, 15/2/2020