Doctor Shares What Happens to Our Bodies Moments Before We Die

Dr Kathryn Mannix, who worked in palliative care for 30 years, broke down our final moments (Picture: Getty Images) © Provided by Metro

A retired doctor has revealed the process of exactly what happens to our bodies before we die. Dr. Kathryn Mannix, who worked in palliative care for 30 years, broke down our final moments on BBC Women’s Hour. She discussed her new short animation Dying for Beginners, which aims to tackle the fear people have surrounding the end of their lives.

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She said: ‘It’s not a frightening mental state to be in, it’s a state of not knowing anything.

‘The first noticeable thing is just that the body starts to run out of energy, almost like when you’ve got an old mobile phone and the battery won’t stay charged.

‘And the charger is sleep. More than food, more than drink. And in fact a lot of dying people don’t feel very hungry and that’s fine.

‘They’re not dying because they’re not eating. They’re not eating because their body is dying.

Dr Kathryn qualified as a cognitive behaviour therapist in 1993, and then launched the UK’s first CBT clinic exclusively for palliative care patients (Picture: Harper Collins) © Provided by Metro

‘So as time goes by people gradually need more sleep to give them intervals of enough energy to think and do what they can.

‘And gradually people become not just asleep, but unconscious. Now they don’t recognise the difference.’

She also spoke about the so-called ‘death rattle’ which can sound distressing.

She said: ‘The brain runs reflex breathing patterns that move backwards and forwards between quite deep breathing that gradually becomes more shallow.

Dr Kathryn discussed her new short animation ‘Dying for Beginners’ on BBC Women’s Hour (Picture: BBC) © Provided by Metro

‘And then back to the beginning again, and backward and forwards between periods of quite slow breathing, more rapid breathing, back to slow breathing again.

‘Now if you haven’t seen that before, you might think that the person who is breathing, perhaps fast but shallow, is struggling to breathe or is panting or is uncomfortable.’

he said this was a sign of ‘deep unconsciousness’ and that your life does not flash before your eyes, as often depicted in films.

She added: ‘This person is quite safe. And then at the very end of somebody’s life, there will usually be one of those slow breathing phases.

‘There will be a breath out that just doesn’t have another breath in after it, which is not at all what Hollywood has led us all to expect.’

Dr. Kathryn said this fact may not make a person’s death less sad, but hopes it may make it seem less scary.

‘To take away the fear, I think is the mission I’m on,’ she added.

Dr. Kathryn qualified as a cognitive behavior therapist in 1993 and then launched the UK’s first CBT clinic exclusively for palliative care patients.

Story by Sian Elvin | Get in touch by emailing us at Web-News.

Biodiesel From Date-seeds Powers Bus Transport Initiative

Oman Observer | Business Economy: Date-seeds powers bus transport initiative

Oman's significant consumption of dates led to a surplus of waste generated from the seeds. Traditionally used for coffee, an innovative idea sparked a determined seven-year research and development process, resulting in successful biodiesel production from date kernels.

Dates Kernel Biodiesel Research

The biofuel revolution in Oman stands as a shining example of innovation, collaboration, and perseverance in the face of daunting challenges. Dr. Al Haj's pioneering work exemplifies the transformative power of research and development in addressing pressing environmental issues and shaping a more sustainable and prosperous future for generations to come.

A Mwasalat bus in Oman is powered entirely by biodiesel derived from waste date Kernels.

Jomar Mendoza for Oman Observer | Business Economy | MUSCAT, MAY 13

A groundbreaking initiative is revolutionizing the way people think about energy production and waste management. Dr. Lamya al-Haj, an Associate Professor at the College of Science at Sultan Qaboos University, has spearheaded a remarkable project to transform waste date seeds into biodiesel, paving the way for a more sustainable future for the Middle East region.

Gaining traction, the World Economic Forum (WEF) recently featured a video of Dr. Al Haj’s work. In the featured video, the journey toward biofuel production from date kernels began in 2015 when Dr. Al Haj and her team recognized the vast potential of utilizing the oil content in date seeds to create biodiesel.

With Oman being a significant consumer of dates, there was an abundance of waste generated from the seeds, which were traditionally used for coffee. This innovative idea sparked a seven-year-long research and development process, culminating in successful biodiesel production from date kernels.

"The date seeds were used for coffee as coffee beans. We thought, can we utilize the oil content in the seeds to convert that into biodiesel because it has about 9 to 15% of oil in the seeds? And that's what sparked the idea in the very beginning," Dr. Al Haj explained.

The first tangible outcome of this groundbreaking research was the launch of a Mwasalat bus in Oman powered entirely by biodiesel derived from waste date kernels. This achievement marked a significant milestone, showcasing the potential for renewable energy solutions to replace traditional fossil fuels in the transportation sector.

"For me, it was a personal achievement because I wanted to drive home the point that research can go from the lab to the road, and it's a very strong message to send to our youth, to our students, to our society, that research should be focused on real problems in our countries and the world," Dr. Al Haj expressed.

Beyond the environmental benefits of reducing waste and carbon emissions, the biofuel production project in Oman carries wide-ranging social and economic implications. By creating a demand for date kernels as a raw material for biodiesel production, the project has the potential to generate new sources of income for farmers and create job opportunities in the agricultural sector.

"So this is going to create jobs for the farmers because instead of them throwing the seeds on in the farming industry, now they're going to be part of the solution for the collection," Dr Al Haj highlighted.

The biofuel revolution in Oman stands as a shining example of innovation, collaboration, and perseverance in the face of daunting challenges. Dr Al Haj's pioneering work exemplifies the transformative power of research and development in addressing pressing environmental issues and shaping a more sustainable and prosperous future for generations to come.

I never thought I’d be 46 and having a baby on my own — but here I am

Surprise, I’m pregnant! Here’s how it all happened

By Isha Sesay

Oct. 28, 2022, 12:52 AM AEDT

Embarking on this pregnancy journey by myself hasn't been easy, but I have no regrets. Courtesy Isha Sesay

TODAY.com will be following along on Isha Sesay’s pregnancy journey. For more of her story, be sure to check back here for periodic updates from Isha.

If you’d told the 16-year-old me that at 46, I’d be divorced, single, and having a baby on my own — by choice! — I’d have shuddered and firmly said “no!” Back then, I had very definite ideas about the future course my personal life would take, and it didn’t look like this. I imagined something way more straightforward and dare I say it, conventional.

I’ve been blessed to build the career of my dreams over decades as a journalist — 13 years on air for CNN International, traveling the world to cover global events and interviewing presidents, movie stars, and world leaders. I published a book, became a UN Goodwill Ambassador, and started a nonprofit to help empower African girls, but in my quiet moments the one thing I wanted the most, to become a mother, remained out of reach.

A brief marriage to a kind man didn’t result in children, and then the year I turned 40, my mum had a catastrophic stroke, leaving me no emotional space to contemplate anything other than caring for her. Six years went by and a few months ago I found myself in a subpar relationship with a man who took about 12 hours to reply to all my texts, among other red flags. It was then, in the aftermath of our inevitable breakup, that it hit me: Not having a child would be the greatest regret of my life. And with my biological clock ticking down, if I was waiting for the right man to come along before I did it, well, I might just find myself out of time.

In the aftermath of our breakup, it hit me: Not having a child would be the greatest regret of my life. ... If I was waiting for the right man to come along before I did it, well, I might just find myself out of time.

So, I decided to take control of my life and settle on the bravest and scariest decision I have ever made: to have a baby on my own. I had many long conversations with myself and tried to get to grips with questions about what it would mean to not have the support of a partner, both emotionally and financially. How would I handle society’s questions?  What would be a single parent means for my child? I still don’t have all the answers, but I decided to take the leap because I refuse to let fear, social conventions, or judgment hold me back from seeking this joy.

The process hasn’t been easy. The endless array of meetings with various doctors has also required a battery of blood tests, pelvic exams, bruising injections, nausea-inducing medication, and an unexpected fibroid surgery. But perhaps most challenging of all has been the emotional dimension of this journey, especially surrounding my choice of a sperm donor. The decision asked of me to confront questions surrounding the importance of the race, ethnicity, religion, and educational background of my child’s father. Essentially, it forced me to re-examine my own upbringing, values, and worldview. But harder still was the task of trying to tease clues from the questionnaires that would tell me whether a donor was a good man. Did he have a moral compass? Was he truly kind, empathetic, and open-minded? Ultimately, I made a decision — entirely on my own — and I have no regrets.

Getting pregnant forced me to ask tough questions about myself, my values, and my own upbringing. Courtesy Isha Sesay

My first IVF attempt was unsuccessful, and I cried for days afterward, before I could find the strength to start the process all over again a few months later. But with each passing day, I grew more fearful and anxious about my chances of being able to successfully carry a child. Those feelings only intensified when my doctor decided to halt my second attempt mid-cycle because my body was responding negatively to the medication. With two failed attempts to my name, I approached my third embryo transfer with relatively low expectations. In the two weeks that followed the procedure, my mind raced uncontrollably and I battled the urge to take an early pregnancy test. The day before I was scheduled to return to the clinic, I finally caved in and bought a home test because I couldn’t bear a repeat of the hours-long wait before the clinic called with the results. The next morning I got up long before the sun was up, anxiously headed to my bathroom, and opened the box. The minutes ticked by and I cycled through a myriad of emotions. When the word “pregnant” flashed up on the tiny screen, I screamed and fell to my knees before bursting into tears.

Even though many weeks have gone by since then and my belly is growing larger by the day, whenever I say the words, “I am pregnant,” it is with no small measure of amazement. I am elated, emotional, terrified, but above all thankful. My pregnancy journey is just beginning, but so far I can tell you that in addition to great joy, it has also brought unenviable amounts of nausea, fatigue, food aversions, sound sensitivity, and an ongoing battle with my hormones. In the weeks ahead, I plan to share more of my life-changing experience in the hope that if there is anyone out there being held back from chasing their heart’s desire — no matter what it is — maybe my story will spark something in them and provide the little nudge they need to go for it.

Source: This article was originally published on TODAY.com