A Holistic Nurse's Journey
A Holistic Nurse's Journey to a Conscious Death, Home Vigil, and Miraculous After-Death Messages
This award-winning true story shows an authentic and inspiring final journey -- from Diane Manahan's breast cancer diagnosis, to her conscious death at home, to a simple, deeply meaningful eco-friendly funeral to her extraordinary, life-changing after-death communications with loved ones.
People who seek a holistic approach to dying can learn from this extraordinary nurse's wisdom. Those who fear death can gain strength and confidence by having tools to help others—or themselves—complete their lives with dignity, purpose, and peace.
Diane's story embodies the wisdom of Tuesdays with Morrie, the humor of The Last Lecture, the holistic medical expertise of Andrew Weil, and the transcendent spirituality of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross.
Diane's husband, Bill Manahan, M.D., has written an insightful foreword regarding the cultural shift in how we are coming to view death as "a natural process rather than a defeat or a taboo."
Awards and Recognition
Midwest Book Award Winner
Eric Hoffer Award for Independent Publishing, First Runner-Up
Eric Hoffer Award for Independent Publishing, First Runner-Up
Midwest Independent Publishers Association (MIPA) 18th Annual Midwest Book Awards 2008 attracted nominations from 78 publishers in twelve states. Living Consciously, Dying Gracefully: A Journey with Cancer and Beyond took top honors in the health category at the Midwest Book Awards ceremony, held at the Minnesota Humanities Center in St. Paul on May 14, 2008.
Eric Hoffer Award for Independent Publishing, First Runner-Up
Eric Hoffer Award for Independent Publishing, First Runner-Up
Eric Hoffer Award for Independent Publishing, First Runner-Up
The Eric Hoffer Award, in honor of the American philosopher Eric Hoffer, recognizes independent books of exceptional merit, including books from small presses and academic presses. After the judging, books are donated to libraries, schools, and hospitals.
Living Consciously, Dying Gracefully: A Journey with Cancer and Beyond was first runner-up in the health category.
Independent Publishers Book Awards, Silver Medal
Eric Hoffer Award for Independent Publishing, First Runner-Up
Reader Views 2008, Reviewers Choice Finalist —Women’s Issues
The Independent Publishers (IPPY) Book Awards, recognizing the best independently published books of the past year, awarded a silver medal to Living Consciously, Dying Gracefully: a Journey with Cancer and Beyond in category #29: Aging/Dying & Dying. The 2008 IPPYcontest attracted 3,175 entries from 49 US states and 16 other countries. The 12th Annual Independent Publishers Book Awards were presented in Los Angeles on May 31, 2008.
Reader Views 2008, Reviewers Choice Finalist —Women’s Issues
Reader Views 2008, Reviewers Choice Finalist —Women’s Issues
Reader Views 2008, Reviewers Choice Finalist —Women’s Issues
Reader Views, based in Austin, TX, was named by Fox News as one of the top five blog sites for health related books. In addition to appearing on the Reader Views website, reviews are placed in the Book Review Index, distributed to libraries and book sellers. Reader Views
Living Consciously, Dying Gracefully: A Journey with Cancer and Beyond placed second in the Women's Issues category. In her review, Vicki Landes says the book is "the most profound book on death I've ever read. Manahan and Bohan present a beautiful story of their loved one while offering hope to others facing similar circumstances. A life lesson for anyone wanting to leave a more powerful heritage behind, Living Consciously, Dying Gracefully tugs at the heartstrings, lifts the spirit, and pulls the conscious mind towards a more meaningful life and dignified ending.”
USA Book News, National Best Books of 2007 Finalist
Reader Views 2008, Reviewers Choice Finalist —Women’s Issues
USA Book News, National Best Books of 2007 Finalist
USA Book News, based in Los Angeles, CA, is an online publication providing coverage for books from mainstream and independent publishers to the world online community.
Winners of awards were from Simon & Schuster, Penguin-Putnam, HarperCollins, Random House, McGraw-Hill, as well as independent titles like Living Consciously, Dying Gracefully: a Journey with Cancer and Beyond, a finalist in the Health-Cancer Category.
Top Ten Lessons
Lesson One: Take the wheel—it’s your journey!
Diane sought ways be an active agent in her journey with cancer, not just a passenger in a car driven by professionals. She did not accept medical advice passively—she and Bill researched widely, sought second opinions, and talked to those with alternative approaches. As Diane neared the end of her life, she and Bill explored ways to make dying at home possible. Not wanting to leave the care of her body solely in the hands of a mortician, she and Bill interviewed funeral homes until they found a mortician willing to accommodate her wishes. Likewise, she planned her memorial service carefully and creatively.
Lesson Two: A deliberate pace can be better than a rushed decision when choosing a path for medical treatment.
When cancer is diagnosed, the tendency of the medical establishment is to rush into surgery, start chemotherapy, and throw everything possible at the disease. Timeliness is, of course, an important consideration given that cancer eventually spreads. But you need not make your treatment decisions in haste. Indeed, taking the time to become informed can reap untold benefits.
There are a lot of statistics about cure rates and the efficacy of various treatments. Once you know the type of cancer you have, you can search the internet, consult with health care practitioners, and contact cancer support organizations for information. See “If You Are Diagnosed with a Serious Illness” in the Guidebook for more information.
Lesson Three: To thine own values be true, even in illness.
One of the things Diane modeled during her illness was being true to one’s beliefs. Diane believed in non-violence and had participated in anti-war marches as a young mother. When diagnosed with cancer, she refused to consider cancer her enemy against which to wage battle. She created a non-violent way to approach her illness, remaining true to her ideals.
Some people are warriors, though, and for them cancer is a call to arms. Considering cancer a battle may help them be active participants in their treatment.
Whatever one’s beliefs, a serious illness is a time to test them and perhaps to question them. However you choose to approach your illness, the strength of your integrity and resolve will help you.
Lesson Four: Sometimes an illness is just an illness.
Some popular literature promotes a concept of a “cancer personality.” Diane rebelled against that notion. Her personality did not fit the “cancer personality” mold, and she questioned the usefulness of an approach that “blamed the victim.”
There are many reasons why a person gets sick. Some may be rooted in psychology, but often, Diane believed, environmental toxins are at the root of illness. [According to Avoiding Cancer One Day at a Time by Lynn Eldridge, M.D. (Beaver’s Pond Press, 2007), eighty to ninety-five percent of all cancer is environmentally based.] You don’t have to turn an illness into a moral lesson. Some people may choose to do so, but it is not necessary and may not be helpful.
Lesson Five: Healing is a process, not necessarily a goal.
Healing doesn’t necessarily produce a cure—it can mean finding peace and acceptance, accepting the love and support of family and friends, and making oneself as comfortable as possible. Even when her cancer became inoperable and it was clear she would die from it, Diane continued healing treatments to support her immune system, calm her body and soul, and enrich her last years.
Lesson Six: All things in moderation, including moderation.
Diane enjoyed paradoxes, and one of her favorites was living with balance and, occasionally, throwing balance to the wind!
Diane used this phrase in a playful way, and when she was diagnosed with cancer, she followed this same maxim. For example, while she continued to eat healthy foods, especially those that strengthened the immune system, she did not begin a macrobiotic diet. She felt that her body and her psyche were under enough trauma without adding the stress of an unfamiliar diet.
Lesson Seven: All that matters are relationships!
Diane’s story shows us how important friends, family, and community are. Shortly before she died, Diane, who loved the finer things of life, told her friend Susie Symons, “I could live in a hut with a dirt floor and be happy. Relationships are the only things that matter!”
Lesson Eight: Don’t just die—complete your life!
Diane focused on living with cancer, not dying, and she had an amazing ability to include others in her journey. When her days were numbered, Diane was determined to complete her life’s work. A friend interviewed her for two days about growing up in Minnesota, her parents, her career, her family, her values, and her passions. Then he transcribed the tapes and presented a typed copy to her and Bill. Diane finished teaching spring semester, made time for her friends to say good-bye, planned her last days at home with her family, and made arrangements for the care of her body, her life celebration, and her bequests. By the time of her death, Diane’s life was complete.
Lesson Nine: “I deserve it!”
Near the end of her life, Diane confided to us that she felt a little embarrassed by the big production she was making for her Life Celebration. She had arranged the music, the food, the pall bearers, the rituals—including the release of doves at the end of the celebration. But after a pause, she said, “But you know, I’ve given a lot to this community. I deserve it!”
Indeed, all of us contribute in a multitude of ways. When the time comes to celebrate your life, give yourself permission to throw a bash. Your time on earth has been special. Celebrate it. You deserve it!
Lesson Ten: Death is the start of a new journey.
The after-death communications with Diane that several people experienced indicate that death is not the end, just the beginning of a new chapter. Indeed, in a dream in which Diane appeared, she comforted a friend and reassured her about death. “Dying is like moving to a different frequency. You don’t have to be afraid. It’s just like tuning to a different radio frequency.”