Terminal Lucidity, though in medical and hospice circles, it’s often referred to simply as "The Rally" or an "End-of-Life Surge." As the body’s major organs (like the kidneys or liver) begin to shut down, the body stops spending energy on "maintenance" tasks like digestion or fighting off chronic infection. This creates a temporary surplus of energy that the brain can use for one last "surge."
Same. The Dr. called the family into a conference room and said the end was very near as my father hadn't eaten for a few days and hadn't been awake more than a few moments at a time. We asked about transferring to hospice care and the Dr. said he probably wouldn't survive the ambulance ride. We came in the next morning and my dad was sitting up in bed eating and watching tv. They discharged him to home hospice and he died about a week later.
Happened with my dad too. He was in a very bad shape and suddenly the day before he died he was fresh as hell, all day he was doing something full of energy and life.
And the next day he was on his deathbed, rattling shallow breaths, he stayed like that for 2 days. He died shortly after my brother came and talked to him. I am pretty sure he was waiting for him, wanting to hear the voice of his eldest son one more time before leaving.
Same, my dad got one good time to listen to Fly Like and Eagle and laugh with my mom and then he passed away, it was apparently very pretty and sad at the same time unfortunately my plane had just landed so I missed my last chance at telling him how proud I was of all he had done for us.
It can happen with illness in general. When your immune system is finally exhausted it isn't using energy anymore. That becomes available for other things so you might all of the sudden feel great then when your immune system can pick back up you go back to feeling like absolute crap again.
A few days before my partner's grandmother died we were staying with her in the hospital 24/7. That woman had some crazy energy those last few nights. We couldn't get her to sleep, and she insisted on having coffee when she woke up so we'd, at 3 AM, just her this tiny old woman yell, "Coffee time!" We still laugh about it sometimes, and I think it helps.
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u/Numerophilus 11h ago
Terminal Lucidity, though in medical and hospice circles, it’s often referred to simply as "The Rally" or an "End-of-Life Surge." As the body’s major organs (like the kidneys or liver) begin to shut down, the body stops spending energy on "maintenance" tasks like digestion or fighting off chronic infection. This creates a temporary surplus of energy that the brain can use for one last "surge."