I have just faced loss of my mum at aged of 69..She just kept living her life, and never once complained about anything at all with the body.

Having read through last few end of life symptoms on the site, this is exactly what I had to see. I felt helpless. It was a transition across last week that is making sense now, from my mum wanting to fulfill last wishes in hospital, making friends in the ward, taking photos with relatives and eventually no speech to taking every breath with difficulty in last 1-2 days before succumbing to final breath.

I had no idea this transition is so quick and I couldn't even join the dots properly even from moments when her eating and drinking became a struggle and non-existent. It only registered as a phase that can be fixed by hospital staff.

I wish I had been knowledgeable on all this, but we never see end of a loved one especially if there are no complaints at all. I kept on going on with my life, maybe there was something creating a boundary and separating me from pain that my mum was silently experiencing as she prepared journey alone.

I do not think it all has registered fully since emotions have felt subdued. I have held together too strongly. Perhaps being right at the bedside to last second has allowed me to accept reality as it is for my mum and become exempt from suffering.