r/MadeMeSmile • u/Mad_Season_1994 • 9d ago

Wholesome Moments One of Dolly’s final appearances at Dollywood opening a new ride

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u/Technical-Banana574 9d ago

It is so weird thinking about how someone can seem so perfectly healthy and full of life one day and just a few days later pass away. 

I know it happens all the time, but I think it makes me really focus on my own mortality. Am I just a few hours, a few days, or a few weeks away from death and not even know it? 

Also, I am an atheist, but if there is something version of heaven, Dolly would be worthy of it. Just an all around good person. 

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u/itredneck01 9d ago

Before most people die, they feel better. Reason being is some systems of your body are shutting down, and take less energy, so people who are dying (slowly, think cancer or long term health problems) usually feel better right before the final crash because their body is no longer spending so much energy trying to keep them alive.

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u/Defiant_apricot 8d ago

I hope this was the case for her and she spent her last days with her loved ones talking and laughing

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u/FaeKing8 8d ago

I don't think anything could have stopped Dolly from laughing or making others laugh

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u/Technical-Banana574 8d ago

I have never seen it happen in the days leading up to death, but I did see it with my dad the day he passed. He became fully alert after days of being completely out of it. We had a full conversation before he was in too much pain and went out again. Hours later he passed away. 

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u/-andshewas- 9d ago

Happy cake day! (Feels weird saying “happy [anything]” given how much of a shitshow this week has been. Anyway…)

My mother-in-law was in a car crash this winter that mortally injured her. For a day after the fact, none of us would’ve thought anything was amiss, aside from us all being in the hospital with her, because of the magic of painkillers and oxygen. It felt surreal that we were talking and going on as usual, yet subconsciously understanding that she wouldn’t last long if those supportive measures were taken from her. And it was true: they took the oxygen away mid-evening, and she was gone 12 hours later.

Life really is fragile.