formed of his illness and believed that his condi- Two days before her death she said tion was curable. As a result, he did not want to go home from the hospital. Complying with a I will have all your seats reserved in Heaven, so strong request from his family, however, his please put many handkerchiefs in my coffin home hospice care began. Concerning"truth- After her death her husband remarked telling", there were serious discords among his family members, especially his mother and his The intensity of our married life during the last six 8a工iE9rs5 wife. Without naming his illness, we told the 25 years. I feel sorry for her but I am convinced she patient that his condition was incurable and his remaining time was limited We judged that this patient has accepted the The Acceptance of Death by Patients Based on how the patient lived during their re- Patient 5: The subject was a 51- year-old woman maining days, death was accepted by 14 patient with cancer of the uterus. At her husband's re and one(Patient 5)was unclear(Table 3). Patient quest, she was not told that her cancer was in- 1 is omitted from the review of death education because of the patient's lack of understanding. naturally became restless at times; she was calm Judging from the hope for an afterlife, acceptance when in good condition, but plained of of death was observed in eight cases(Patients 2, 3, great restlessness when in poor condition. She 4, 6, 10, 12, 13, and 15)and six cases were obscure. appeared to be stable about two weeks before The process of acceptance was reviewed for each her death and said, "Things will take their natural Itient, and eight are discussed he course."Fifteen days before her death, however she reported severe pain and her anxieties in patient 2: As mentioned previously, this patient creased because she had not been well informed was not told the name of his disease, however, of her illness. Her husband strongly wished to he was told that his disease was incurable. Four take care of her at home but the patient was anx- days before his death he said to his four-year- ious because she was not in the hospital. Ten days old child, "Papa will be disappearing, "and to before her death, she was moved to the hospital his wife, " We have been married only eigl ht and remained there until two days before her years. Thank you. "Three days before his death death when she was taken home again. Arrange he said to his father ments were made one day before her death for a Thank you for everything, father. Let me pay my baptism. She was baptized a Catholic after which, score in Heaven. Please look after by wife and son. according to her husband, she completely recov- ered her composure. In this case, the auth He was baptized on his deathbed. Although he cluded that the acceptance of death did not take r con was only 36 years old, he accepted his death, pre: place until she was baptized Patient. 6: This was a 54- year-old woman with Patient 4: The subject was a 49-year-old woman ovarian cancer. Twenty days before her death she with stomach cancer. Thirteen days before death I have made up my mind, because of the explana tion I heard yesterday. However, I do not wish to hospital for medical research. I wonder if the be in a coffin all alone as I will feel lonely. What pathological autopsy is much more significant. I worries me now is that I mig ted in do not wish to receive any medical treatment after I become unco Heaven. However, Ms. Takana's(visiting nurse My life n Gods will. If possible, I wish to avoid the time Ten days before death she said Nine days before death she said My husband read me a book titled I Want to Die at I am aware of my limited life, still I am worried ome(pt A week before her death, all of her family members got together to talk. The following Two days before death she wrote a haiku(17. syllable poem) expressing the joy of being ac- order he heaven and her gratitude to all iss. My regret is that I shall have to The aut leave so soon after I see my family in an ideal way death and arranged her life in her own way. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permissionReproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission