Healthcare educator, social media influencer, and good friend of the podcast Hospice Nurse Julie shares the formative story of a patient who changed her perspective forever.

Working in the ICU as a young nurse, Julie started to see a pattern that disturbed her, an unwillingness at times to help patients and their families face what seemed inevitable to everyone on the healthcare staff but was never said out loud—that sometimes prolonging life isn't the best answer.

One patient in particular brought Julie to a tipping point, when she finally spoke up.

Join Cody for this beautiful conversation with @hospicenursejulie on how healthcare professionals can most compassionately help patients and their loved ones at the end of life, even when it's incredibly difficult.

Be sure to check out Julie's New York Times bestselling book "Nothing To Fear: Demystifying Death To Live More Fully" available wherever you buy books. And you can now pre-order her upcoming workbook "The Nothing to Fear Journal: Questions and Reflections for Demystifying and Preparing for the End of Life," an incredible resource for anyone...literally anyone, because we're all going to end up there eventually.

More information at: www.hospicenursejulie.com

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Dying To Tell You: The Caring Perspective is a series of interviews with healthcare professionals who sit down with Cody to share stories of patients and experiences that have changed how they practice, how they view death, and how they live their lives.

It can be a difficult idea to engage with, but children face terminal illnesses and life-limiting circumstances too. And it takes vastly empathetic healthcare professionals like Dr. Jared Rubenstein to help them navigate their experience with grace, intention, and peace.

Dr. Rubenstein shares his perspective with Cody for this week's episode and talks about how his team came to institute Dignity Therapy Intervention for pediatric care and how some of his patients have reacted to discovering their own life stories.

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Dying To Tell You: The Caring Perspective is a series of interviews with healthcare professionals who sit down with Cody to share stories of patients and experiences that have changed how they practice, how they view death, and how they live their lives.

A brief (3 minutes!) update after our Season Two finale!

It's Giving Tuesday and if you love the show, we have a humble request. If you believe in our mission to normalize death and dying and have the means, we'd like to ask for your support this Giving Tuesday. We are not a nonprofit, but even a small gift helps with production costs that include software licenses, stock music licensing, distribution platforms, and so much more.

Cody also shares news about our upcoming inter-season YouTube series "Dying To Tell You: A Caring Perspective," in which healthcare providers discuss their own encounters with death and dying, and how that has shaped both their practices and their lives.

For the finale of Season Two, we invited back a few previous guests for a very special Thanksgiving episode...with video! 

Riyaz, Rachel, and Javeeda joined us live and on-camera to share how they're doing and what they're grateful for. Join us around the virtual Thanksgiving table for this lovely hour of reconnection, gratitude, and life.

If you're listening to the audio podcast only, head over to YouTube to see the video version or watch it on our site: dttypodcast.com

Thank you also for joining us as listeners for Season Two. We've interviewed more people living with an ever-greater spectrum of circumstances in more far-flung locations, and we continue to see the common threads connecting us all.

We are deeply grateful that, with your support, we're able to keep sharing these stories with the world.

Between each episode, Cody offers a brief reflection on the themes he discussed with his guest the week before.

Today, Cody reflects on his conversation with Jackie & Shannon, and what can happen to our identity—our sense of self—when we begin to lose memories, shift roles, and face what sometimes seems like a stranger in the mirror. What makes a person who they are? What do we do when our role in life changes?

Music for this episode is from Trevor Ransom, "The Lamp Kept Us Warm But Now We Walk."

Our final guests of Season 2 are Jackie & Shannon, a mother and daughter navigating the changes and challenges of Alzheimer's. Jackie has moved out of her home in California and now splits her time between the homes of her daughters in Colorado. 

There is so much more to the story of Alzheimer's and dementia than just memory loss. The transformations of this disease impact almost every aspect of daily life. Jackie and Shannon share their challenges, their joys, their hopes and their fears in this wonderfully open and honest conversation with Cody. 

>>Theme Music by Michael Shynes, "The Other Side"<<

Music featured in this week's episode:

Michael Shynes, “California in the Spring”

Low Light, “Lay Me Down”

Russo and Weinberg, “Were All Having Fun”

Giants and Pilgrims, “Empty”

"I'm no different than you."

Between each episode, Cody offers a brief reflection on the themes he discussed with his guest the week before.

Today, Cody reflects on his conversation with Javeeda and how a diagnosis can make you feel different. But people with diagnoses are still people, just like everyone else. We're all simply doing the best we can with what we have in front of us.

Cody offers advice for how we can all treat "patients" as people, and how we're all in the same boat.

Music for this episode is from Trevor Ransom, "The Lamp Kept Us Warm But Now We Walk."

Javeeda lives in Toronto and has Adrenocortical carcinoma—a rare and aggressive cancer that starts in the kidney area. Her diagnosis has gone from 3-5 years to 1 year to "months not years."

Today she is facing the reality of raising her daughter, planning ahead as much as she can while not knowing how long she has left. At the same time, she's balancing her cancer treatment—which can possibly extend her life—with the impacts it can have on her quality of life. 

Javeeda’s story is also one of the shared human experience. As she says, “I’m no different than you.” We all have our challenges in life, and a cancer diagnosis does not suddenly turn you into something Other. “I just maybe know what I’m going to die from. Maybe.”

>>Theme Music by Michael Shynes, "The Other Side"<<

Music featured in this week's episode:

Kyle Cox, "This World"

Claire Kelly, "Detour"

The Days, "Tell Me" 

Between each episode, Cody offers a brief reflection on the themes he discussed with his guest the week before.

In this reflection, Cody reflects on last week's conversation with Deanna, how we all turn to faith in our own ways in times of challenge and fear. And how we can all try to find the peace inside to know we're ok.

We also share a remembrance from Beth Stevens of her grandfather, which will change how you see penny farthing bicycles from here on out. 

Music for this episode is from Trevor Ransom, "The Lamp Kept Us Warm But Now We Walk" and "Finding Rest" by Greg McKay. 

On the side of an ice-covered Wyoming highway, staring down an out-of-control semi, Deanna prayed and got a truly unexpected answer—she made it off that road alive but less than a year later was diagnosed with ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. What she sees now is that she was given time to say goodbye.

>>Theme Music by Michael Shynes, "The Other Side"<<

Music featured in this week's episode:

Tom West, “Antarctica”

Straight White Teeth, “Tell It In a Letter”

Maya Isacowitz, “All of the Miles”

Duce Williams, “Pray”

Feu Marinho, “Sopro do Mar”

Between each episode, Cody offers a brief reflection on the themes he discussed with his guest the week before.

In this reflection, Cody reflects on last week's conversation with Lee, who sees her tumor not as an enemy to fight, but as part of who she is. Tune in for his thoughts on acceptance, beautiful gifts in ugly wrapping, and the wisdom of Mike Tyson. And let us know what your thoughts are, either on social media or as a comment on the episode itself.

Music for this episode is from Trevor Ransom, "The Lamp Kept Us Warm But Now We Walk."

Nearly fourteen years ago, Lee discovered she had an inoperable tumor at the top of her spinal cord, an astrocytoma that left her partially paralyzed. After initial medical options ultimately proved either too risky (radiation) or not an option at all (chemotherapy), Lee began down a more holistic path and hasn't undergone any additional conventional treatment for her cancer. 

Instead, Lee has used traditional ceremonies like Ayahuasca and Dietas to diagnosis and process what's happening in her body. She has learned to co-exist with her cancer and sees it as an integral part of herself, not an enemy to fight. 

>>Theme Music by Michael Shynes, "The Other Side"<<

Music featured in this week's episode:

Low Light, "Undertow"

Maya Isacowitz, "Can't Wait"

Nono, "Un Coin Tranquille"

Wellness Nurse, Life and Death Educator, International Speaker, and Author of the new book "The Good Death," Suzanne B. O'Brien, RN, has helped train over 360,000 people globally in how to care for loved ones at the end of life and how we can all prepare ourselves for a "good death."

In this episode of Dying To Tell You: The Caring Perspective, Suzanne joins Cody to share what she's experienced by caring for literally thousands of people at the end, and to tell a story or two from the bedside.

You can purchase Suzanne's book, "The Good Death," at thegooddeathbook.com or at your preferred book provider, and you can learn more about Suzanne's incredible efforts to promote holistic health, wellness & healing trainings for living a life of fulfillment, purpose, and service at suzannebobrien.com. 

We also take a few moments at the beginning of this episode to remember Rachel Ling, a guest of the show who recently passed away. ♥️

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Dying To Tell You: The Caring Perspective is a series of interviews with healthcare professionals who sit down with Cody to share stories of patients and experiences that have changed how they practice, how they view death, and how they live their lives.

Between each episode, Cody offers a brief reflection on the themes he discussed with his guest the week before.

In this reflection, Cody reflects on last week's conversation with Rachel. ALS (aka Lou Gehrig's) is a disease of progressive, irretrievable loss. And unlike other diseases like dementia, you're only too aware of what you're losing. 

But as Rachel has shown us and Cody reflects on—that loss doesn't have to mean you stop living while you're still alive.

Included in this bonus episode is also a remembrance shared with us by a listener on social media about her beloved abuelo—a man who fixed many things. 

Music for this episode is from Trevor Ransom, "The Lamp Kept Us Warm But Now We Walk" and "Finding Rest" by Greg McKay. 

Rachel has ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Recently, she sat down to talk with Cody about her personal journey, what she's learned about valuing what we have now in life, and a ton of helpful information on ALS.

Also on the podcast...Peach the bulldog! 

>>Theme Music by Michael Shynes, "The Other Side"<<

Music featured in this week's episode:

Beò, Sémø "This Life of Time"

Ziv Moran "I Wish"

Southern Call "Black Motorcycle"

Paper Planes "Girl Like You"

 

Between each episode, Cody offers a brief reflection on the themes he discussed with his guest the week before.

In this reflection, Cody reflects on his conversation with Dr. Bob and the idea of faith and caring. In the most human sense, faith and caring are about compassion, empathy, and a commitment to the wellbeing of others. Quoting Ram Dass, Cody talks about what “walking each other home” really means.

Music for this episode is from Trevor Ransom, "The Lamp Kept Us Warm But Now We Walk" 

Bob is a retired pediatrician with prostate cancer who has seen diagnosis and treatment procedures change dramatically over the decades. His devotion to his family and his deep understanding of the medical world open up a fascinating conversation with Cody around the themes of living well, facing difficult realities, and the importance of caring for one another. 

>>Theme Music by Michael Shynes, "The Other Side"<<

Music featured in this week's episode:

Backward Days "So Clear"

The Talbott Brothers "Family"

Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra "Flower Duet Lakmé"

Between each episode, Cody offers a brief reflection on the themes he discussed with his guest the week before.

In this reflection, Cody reflects on his conversation with last week's guest, Denise, and the beautiful, little parts of life that make it worth living. 

We also share a lovely remembrance of a good friends' grandmother, who figured prominently in Cody's youth.

Denise says she doesn't see herself as brave. In her eyes, she's simply facing her cancer diagnosis directly and doing what she has to do.

It's a special kind of courage, accepting the difficult things as they are and doing whatever you can in the name of what's most important, which for Denise means being here as long as she can be for her family.

But her point still stands—is that brave, simply human, or both?

>>Theme Music by Michael Shynes, "The Other Side"<<

Music featured in this week's episode:

Low Light "Never Lost"

Chris Mason "Love Is More Than a Feeling"

Louis Island "A Little Longer"

Cody reflects on last week's conversation with Sandra and an idea from Thich Nhat Hanh called Interbeing.

This week we're also starting our Remembrances, in which we read remembrances from listeners of loved ones lost. Stick around to the end of the Reflection to hear them. 

Silver linings. Looking for the good. These don’t have to be ways of ignoring the challenging parts of our lives. They can be a way of accepting all of our experiences—the so-called good and bad—in a light of positivity and growth. This the lesson Sandra teaches us in her conversation with Cody, which took place in Sandra’s backyard sanctuary on a lovely spring day in Boulder, CO. In addition to her silver linings and her personal story living with a brain tumor, Sandra also shares helpful information and advice on death administration—taking care of the logistics of dying so that your family and friends don’t have to.

Cody reflects on his conversation with last week's guest, Riyaz, and the meaning of the words "life happens for me, not to me." 

As a therapist, spiritual teacher, and member of a deeply supportive community of friends, Riyaz might seem well-equipped to handle a terminal diagnosis. And in so many ways, he is.

He's also just like any of us. He's human. And when he was diagnosed with advanced stage lung cancer, it shook his world to its core, as it would for any of us. 

Riyaz shares his wonderfully moving experience and insights with Cody in this illuminating conversation on how we can see illness and death not as mistakes of life, but integral parts of it.

In this episode of Dying to Tell You: The Caring Perspective, (E07) Cody interviews his long-time friend Garrett Price about his journey from chaplaincy to becoming a licensed professional counselor specializing in trauma, grief, and loss.

Garrett shares a touching story about his time as a hospice chaplain, including his experience with a terminal patient we’ll call Doug. It reveals the powerful human connections formed in end-of-life care and the lessons learned through compassion and deep listening. More than anything, this episode emphasizes the role of chaplains in providing non-judgmental, authentic care and discusses the importance of embracing and understanding challenging emotions.

Garrett is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in Idaho whose calling to help others emerged in his early 20s while caring for his dying grandmother. This profound experience sparked a desire to learn about care, leading him to train as a minister and work with youth.

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Dying To Tell You: The Caring Perspective is a series of interviews with healthcare professionals who sit down with Cody to share stories of patients and experiences that have changed how they practice, how they view death, and how they live their lives.

Cody reflects on his conversation with Aimee and on the dance of ever-changing plans. 

For Season Two, we begin with an ending. Cody sits down with Aimee, the daughter of Linda from Season One, and her family to hear the story of Linda's final days this past April.

It is both touching and wildly funny, a fitting tribute to Linda. As Aimee puts it and you'll hear for yourself, they could "make a whole sitcom" out of the odd experiences of those last days.

It is an unfiltered, eye-opening window into the unexpected realities of a family saying goodbye.

NOTE: This episode discusses Medical Aid In Dying (MAID) and the intentional ending of life.

We are between seasons here at Dying To Tell You (Season 2 is coming this summer so subscribe to get notified!), but that isn't stopping us from talking to amazing people.

This episode is very special, a conversation with healthcare professional, internet star, and now author—Hospice Nurse Julie. Julie rose to fame during the pandemic and now millions of followers on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube tune in to hear her thoughts, stories, and advice on death and the dying process.

Julie's book Nothing to Fear comes out June 11th and you can pre-order it right here! In the meantime, please enjoy this funny, thoughtful, and heartfelt conversation between Julie and Cody in which they talk about their professional healthcare experiences, Medical Aid In Dying, bad days, good deaths, and much more.

Cody and Chris listen back to memorable moments from Season One and reflect on what they've learned from six guests, multiple episodes, and so many great conversations. 

Cody reflects on last week's conversation with Cia and the difference between pain and suffering.

When Cia beat breast cancer 12 years ago, she had no idea it could come back, this time in the form of angiosarcoma. Cia is equally fierce in her love and in her determination to do whatever she can to spend the most time possible with her family, and make memories that can endure beyond the time she has left.

Cody reflects on last week's conversation with Jessica Guthrie, and on how a terminal diagnosis can be something more than an ending.

When her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease, Jessica became her full-time caregiver and advocate. For the past nine years, Jessica has cared for her and documented their journey through Career & Caregiving Collide™. Her story is one of deep family commitment in the face of illness and mortality, of adjusting to the unexpected curves in life’s path, and of frustrations at a healthcare system that can sometimes fail people when they need it most.

In this reflection on his conversation with Linda, Cody shares how Linda's motto of "Let That Sh*t Go" helped him through his own deeply personal loss this week.

Cody talks with Linda about her recent diagnosis with cancer, living a life of service, and letting sh*t go.

Dying To Tell You: The Caring Perspective E06: Clinical Chaplain Aaron

Aaron Metcalf is a board-certified Clinical Chaplain at a Level 1 Trauma Center nestled in Portland, Oregon. Aaron has lived in Oregon most of his life and enjoys the northwest outdoorsy life along with the intense and meaningful work of chaplaincy. He especially loves working with amazing nurses and doctors as they engage in the challenging world of healthcare.

Aaron shares the story of a patient who, at the end of their life, expressed a desire to die outside. As you can imagine, that can prove to be challenging in a hospital setting. But Aaron and his team listened, understood, and started taking the steps necessary to make it happen. And, in Aaron's words, it was a beautiful death. 

Aaron is the co-host of No Really, I’m Fine, a wonderfully informative podcast on how we all handle—or at least try to handle—stress in our work and our lives.

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Dying To Tell You: The Caring Perspective is a series of interviews with healthcare professionals who sit down with Cody to share stories of patients and experiences that have changed how they practice, how they view death, and how they live their lives.

Cody sits down at the end of the year with his producer and co-creator Chris for a light-hearted holiday talk looking back, forward, and even a little bit inward. Thanks for listening to us in 2023 and we can't wait to bring you more in 2024.

It's the end of the year, when our hearts long for peace, joy, and gathering. In that spirit, Cody sat down to catch up with Nancy K, whom he last spoke with not long after her diagnosis with pancreatic cancer (for Episode #2 of DDTY).

Nancy has spent the past several months living her best life with the help of friends, family, and amazing hospice care. And it was a true honor and joy to talk with her again about life and dying.

In Episode 3.5, Cody reflects on his conversation with Nancy and what it means to choose one's own way.

Nancy B has been living with a brain tumor for nearly half of her life. Cody and Nancy actually knew each other in the teen years and now, in their 40s, they sit down to discuss her experience of living for so long with a terminal diagnosis. 

Please note: there is a brief mention of suicide in this episode.

(All music licensed through Artlist.)

In Episode 2.5, Cody reflects on his conversation with Nancy and what it actually means to be a fighter against cancer.

(All music licensed through Artlist.)

Cody shares thoughts on gratitude, loss, and love for this season of thanks.

 

(All music licensed through Artlist.)

Nancy was only recently diagnosed with cancer when we sat down at her kitchen table and talked about her deep faith as well as the enduring embrace of her family and close friends.

(All music licensed through Artlist.)

In Episode 1.5, Cody reflects on his conversation with Aaron, and how we all can make the most of our stories as life unfolds.

Aaron shared not only the story of his diagnosis and treatment journey, but also his intentional, inspirational approach to the act of dying.

 

(All music licensed through Artlist.)

Dying to Tell You: The Caring Perspective—E05 with Dr. John Mulder

Dr. Mulder shares his incredible story of a patient who was at the end of her life but, beyond medical explanation, not yet ready to go. And how he stumbled quite by accident on what seemed like the answer.

Dr. John Mulder currently serves as the Executive Director for Trillium Institute, Chief Medical Consultant for Hospice and Palliative Care for Holland Home, and the Medical Director of Palliative Care for University of Michigan Health-West in Grand Rapids, MI. He is a frequent speaker on end of life, ethics, and palliative issues and has been honored as the recipient of the 2019 Palliative Medicine Community Leadership Award by the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.

We invite you to sit with Dr. Mulder and Cody as they discuss the deep reverence, compassion, and understanding it takes to serve in palliative care.

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Dying To Tell You: The Caring Perspective is a series of interviews with healthcare professionals who sit down with Cody to share stories of patients and experiences that have changed how they practice, how they view death, and how they live their lives.

This week, Cody sits down with @Hospicehalley, a Hospice Social Worker and co-host of the Death Happens, An Insider’s Guide to Dying podcast with @hospicenursepenny. She previously hosted the Someday We’ll All Be Dead podcast from 2018–2024.

Halley tells the story of the very first time a patient of hers took Medical Aid In Dying (M.A.I.D.) and how despite her strongly held beliefs on personal agency and the right to die with dignity...it was still a difficult experience for her to witness.

A NOTE OF CAUTION: There is a brief mention of suicide as it relates to this subject.

Halley is an Army veteran, Pacific Northwest native, and licensed clinical social worker. She has been in hospice doing direct patient care for nearly ten years. In her free time, Halley enjoys spending time with her family and animals, watching movies, and listening to audiobooks. You can find her @HospiceHalley on most platforms.

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Dying To Tell You: The Caring Perspective is a series of interviews with healthcare professionals who sit down with Cody to share stories of patients and experiences that have changed how they practice, how they view death, and how they live their lives.

Dr. Matthew Tyler on the "hidden curriculum" of healthcare professionals—lessons they learn about some of the most difficult parts of their jobs, lessons they learn not in a classroom but by simply living through them.

Matt is board certified in internal medicine and hospice & palliative medicine with more than a decade of experience helping people living with a serious illness create personalized medical care plans centered around what matters most to them. He is a passionate educator who firmly believes that understanding your options and the trade-offs that come with them are the key to making tough choices with less doubt and regret.

He is also the founder of How To Train Your Doctor, an online coaching platform designed to help caregivers confidently make medical decisions related to a serious illness and/or end of life care. He specializes in creating educational bite-sized videos that cover a variety of topics related to hospice and palliative medicine that you can find on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.

 

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Dying To Tell You: The Caring Perspective is a series of interviews with healthcare professionals who sit down with Cody to share stories of patients and experiences that have changed how they practice, how they view death, and how they live their lives.

"She left this world feeling comfortable with who she was."

Jeff Manuel is a palliative care physician in Denver, Colorado, and joins Cody to share his personal story about what he learned from one patient in particular—a young woman diagnosed with metastatic uterine cancer—at the end of her life.

Jeff has been practicing as a palliative care physician and educator for 16 years. He has had roles as a palliative medicine fellowship director and medical director and is the president of the board of HealthEd Connect (healthedconnect.org) a non-profit that works with community health workers in Africa and Nepal.

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Dying To Tell You: The Caring Perspective is a series of interviews with healthcare professionals who sit down with Cody to share stories of patients and experiences that have changed how they practice, how they view death, and how they live their lives.

This week on our very first Dying To Tell You: The Caring Perspective, Hospice Nurse Penny shares her experience with a patient whose spirit had seemingly left them but whose body was still there "doing the work of dying." This moment changed forever how Penny approached her patients, her practice, and even her own belief in the afterlife.

Penny is a nationally certified hospice and palliative care registered nurse with over 17 years of experience who has created a massive and caring community on social media since starting during the pandemic. You can find her on most social platforms under the handle @hospicenursepenny.

And she now has a book out! 

You can (and should) order her book—Influencing Death: Reframing Dying for Better Living—from any online seller, including bookshop! 

And you can (and should) watch this video interview on YouTube! It's right here!