Several years ago I lost a very young cousin to a car accident. He was run over and his head was crushed. The mortician was so skilled, they were able to have an open casket funeral with his full head completely visible and he really did look as though he was just asleep. That is true artistic skill.
@@fckgooglegooglefck9124 If that happened to me, I'd say just cut the head off a great-looking guy and stick it on me in the casket. Or cover up what's left of my head with a rubber Trump mask.
I'm a public safety officer in Indiana. And after a few years working hard, I got my wish, to work in the Crown Hill Cemetery neighborhood. I guess its something that has brought me a more level head as I exercise my duties. Someday, maybe today, maybe decades, this will be me. Someday, maybe today, maybe in decades, this will be someone I dealt with. They aren't a villian or a hero... just a person. Just a mortal.
You explain facts about dying and decomposition in such a genteel, respectful way, I can feel the love and respect you have for your clients! Thank you SO much!!
I missed my calling. If I could be 30 years younger I woul be a funeral director. This young lady takes the fear out of death. So comapssionte. It is truly an art form and you help people , not just the dead , BUT the family.
I am a retired nurse. When I left nursing I St rated working as a florist and became good friends with the funeral home director and owner. Then I realized how fascinating their job was. My nephew went to school to become a mortician but wasn’t able to do it very long for health reasons. I sure wish I had gone to school for this. My niece committed suicide about 2 yrs ago. She overdosed herself on massive doses of insulin. She was cremated but the mortician was a family friend. He fixed her on a gurney and let about 10-close family members have time with her before cremation. She had been found in her bed, laying on her side. So that side of her face had the discoloring that you described. But he had her covered with a beautiful quilt and she looked like she was asleep. So thankful for the kindness shown to our family. Thank you for describing these things in such a gracious way, in terms we can understand.
I don't know why people are saying God bless you and you're such a sweetheart telling people that dead people because I think it's sick too hear about how people's family members will look or what they do my brother committed suicide and he was dead overnight and it was an apartment in the heat and they said they wouldn't even let me see him in one night cuz Rick and Morty said in so you don't know you think you though God help how you treat the poor people when they're dead the way you talk about them you don't care
You really know it all don't you you know about everything about the medicine people take I guess I take 50 a day with my body need to compose or whatever and 2 hours and what it right and other people that are 90 years old and look better than you so I guess you're all ready to posing I think you're really eat whatever you have me so bad about this so you're doing to people on TV
I've been watching your channel for I while and I finally have to say how good these vids are, and how sweet you are. You are tackling subjects that are delicate, and some "squeamish" like this one. You handle this entire subject of death so gently, I don't know how you do it. You have a very sweet nature and gentle way about you. Sometimes I see the title/thumbnail and I think "I can't watch this one", but then I finally do and it's presented so very genteel. I would love to think you were the one I was going to deal with at a time of need. God Bless you and thank you for this channel!
Hi Kari. Guess what? I have German shepherd puppies and training starts at a few weeks old if u are interested in Therapy dog. You are just amazing and explain things so well. What do u think about assisted suicide. Its crazy if someone hears A person say they want to kill themselves, then they call the Po Po's or ambulance. But yet it's okay for a doctor to end ones life. But yet they take an oath that says first do no harm. My ex is a doctor. I'm just really struggling and confused and would love to hear your opinion on the matter. Thanks.
When my aunt passed the funeral director was honest with us in the reasons why her hair style was not how we wanted it. She had bruising on her face that was really dark from the process of her death/falling and resuscitation process that they could not cover with cosmetics and keep her looking like herself so they pulled her hair to the side over her shoulder. She was beautiful. Looked like she was asleep. Just thought I would share my families experience with honesty and funeral directirs❤️ Thank you for everything you share it has made me understand a lot more and be better able to prepare my wants for my body after death. I as of now have decided to donate my body to UNE cadaver program so it can continue to help students who need to learn their profession.
Our mom passed away in her home. We believe that she died early on a Tuesday morning. She was alone. Her body was found the next day about 1 pm. So we believe that she had been dead about 36 hours. That is based upon the fact that she had not gone outside at 5 am to get her Tuesday morning paper which she did every day for almost 30 years. Also, she kept a record of drinking 7 glasses of water a day every day over a period of 2 1/2 years. No entries on Tuesday. Last entries were Monday. According to the medical examiner, her body temperature was 87 degrees when he took her temperature. It was in June and mom had turned off all the air conditioners and lights and tv. Mom’s lower chin was dark as well as her chest and the fingers on her left hand. Her right hand looked normal. They found her in the kneeling position on the floor next to her bed as if she was praying. Her right hand was on top of the bed and her left hand on the floor. Her head was tilted down almost touching the wall but not quite. So it is interesting that her body had not decomposed that much. She lived in a very dry arid area. She was placed in a metal casket and then in a vault. Just wanted to share this with you because I and my brother are still grieving 8 months later. I sure do appreciate your explanations of the decomposition process. Thank you so much.
Sorry for your loss of your mom. My dad died alone & was found in the exact position you described. I was not allowed to view him the night he was found. A partial autopsy was done since 5 police officers BOTCHED HIS DEATH report by saying it was a"" Suicidal shot to his head." ( Yeah..w/ NO bullet hole, NO blood on the scene except purge fluid & they said his 12 wk old Doby puppy "ATE THE BULLET"...all 100% WRONG) He was dead at least 36hrs, was out of all rigor & had green decomp on his low abdomen, & some purple "Tardeau" spots on 1 hand. He died of heart failure. At the partial autopsy his brain was also a quote " green in color & mushy". His house did have a funky " old" odor, but not the typical foul odor of death or decomp. My RN sister later remarked she could smell "death" ..I smelled puppy poop. "The coroner insisted I make police rewrite the death report, and all the bastards did was write 1 line above the report saying as per coroner "natural death- sudden heart failure"..they wouldn't remove "suicide" or ANY of the FALSE statements! This MESSED ME UP for months until I spoke to coroner myself. I've resented the police ever since these 5 F'ing idiots botched the WHOLE REPORT. He died 11/2/02 & was a decently known author of 5 engineering text books for McGraw Hill & book on advanced math besides being a Mgr of engineering R&D for over 40 yrs. He also helped 1 engerneer develope the " drogue mounts for the parachutes for the " Gemini moon project" with NASA which was before Apollo missions. Police even tried to say " possible OD of antidepressant Elavil taken for 30yrs" & " Possible alcoholic". THIS WAS BEYOND SLANDOR & again was all 100% FALSE 😠 as verified by coroner. I REGRET I didn't try to sue MD Anne Arundel Co. police. SUCH DISRESPECT for a well loved man @ 68yo. 😡 SORRY THIS WAS SO LONG & FOR THE LOSS of YOUR MOM.. I know how hard it is w/ the ongoing grief.😔😓
@@shellwalsh3317 ALOT of Us, Could Have Done Lawsuit's, but did NOT. We really Should Have, instead of Letting Them GET AWAY With Stuff, because WHEN Will IT END ??? There Should've Been Consequence's ! ! !
I'm so glad my 93yo mum is in a nursing home where she can get the care she needs now that she can no longer walk. I'm especially grateful that we are always aware of what's going on with her .. I used to worry about her dying at home alone.
Thank You Kari for the explanation in layman's terms. So we all can understand what happens with the body. You did and awesome job explaining this to us.
I lost my mum several years ago. I wanted to put loads of flowers inside her coffin, and was always upset that I didn't. After you've explained what happens when you do the moisture and that, I'm now pleased that I didn't, so thanks for that. 😊 I would hate the thought of my mum turning to mush, especially because of me. So hopefully she dried out first. It's taken years but I'm finally starting to live with this death. I lost my little sister about 5 months before my mum so it was like a double bumper for our family. Big time.
i know what you are gping through i lost both my aunts then my grandfather all one year apart that was a big bumper on us as well i am so sorry for your loss
My wife and I were walking around a cemetery the other day and come across an open grave. The first burial took place in 1987 34 years ago and you could smell the lite stench of decay coming from the grave. I find it amazing that even after 34 year that an embalmed body is slowly decomposing.
When I took care of my Stepfather as he was blind. I had to have someone to stay with him. while I went to the doctor. When I got home and went right back to his bed he had brown stuff bubbling out of his. Was he already dead? I wanted to be with him when it was time. But he was ashamed of how his body looked. He is the first person I have not not buried. But I had a respect his wishes. Two of mr animals were created.. Thank you so much!❤️🙏🏻💕
Kari, the doctor put Mom in a morphine coma for eight days. In your opinion do you think she was in pain? I believe that they can hear. If Mom could I talked her to death!🐾🐾🐾💕🙏🏻
I love your channel...as a mortuary student who is halfway done with mortuary school...the insight and topics you cover make my learning more complete and I thoroughly appreciate you and your dedication to this field!!!! Thank You!!!
A very "from the heart" why you do what you do answer. And I always feel like that there is no question that is going to be dumb. I am glad you have a channel!
Interesting information.I became really interested in how this process, as well as the preparational aspects of a funeral when I was a child after the death of a relative over 40 years ago. Personally, I don't want a funeral or to be embalmed, but i am fascinated by and admire what you do.
One of my favorite author is Patricia Cornwall. She wrote several books about Kay Scarpetta, a Chief Medical Examiner. Your videos show what I have frequently read about. Medical, the human body is fascinating. Being a caretaker of both my parents, amazing the modern medical procedures, taught me a lot. Both parents were cremated. My mother had a pacemaker. I have a pacemaker too. I informed my husband that it is important before cremation. Thank you for your tasteful & informative videos.
I am a new subscriber and I just love you and find your videos fascinating and informative. I have always been interested in mortuary science. When my sister died several years ago, nobody had the money to bury her so the state of GA had her body donated to the body farm at the University of Tennessee. I was upset at first, constantly wondering what they had done with her. After watching this and some of your other videos, I am finally at peace about it. Now I realize how many fields could take a little info about her case study. Thank you for giving me that peace. I can tell you are a wonderful Christian lady. Keep your light shining. God bless you. From a 50 yr old in coastal VA
I love the way you explain death, funerals, embalming , etc. So informative and interesting. Learned so much from listening about many topics. Keeps my interest and watch her every night. at work Thanks Kari.... You are a very. Caring, sweet. Lady. God bless you!
I thought a body got cold immediately but when my husband passed, he was still warm after four hours when we left him. His head was beginning to feel cool but his chest was warm.
Teresa Jackson it’s called post Mortem caloricity. The body continues to metabolize for a while even though the person is not breathing to expel the heat. The temperate May raise slightly after death.
I work in a hospice house. We often have families who want us to keep the body for an elongated period of time while they either go shop around town for a funeral home or for family to drive in from another state. We don't have a morgue. We don't want to rush out a grieving family, but.....
I’m really looking forward to your talk about the Watts family Friday. I have watched and read so so much about that tragedy. It’s a case that just sticks with you. I think it’s because Shanann’s videos show how personable she was and truly full of life, and maybe part of it is because there is so much we will really never know. I am very intrigued by the science and art of your job. If I could rewind 20 years I would have gone to school to be a medical examiner. With that being said, I wonder about what state Shanann was in when she was unearthed. She was only in the ground for a little over 2 days, but it was August. I’m looking forward to hearing what you have to say, and I’m not even one of the really Watts case obsessed people. You are going to have a huge audience for this one. ❤️❤️❤️❤️ Sending love to Shanann, Bella, Celeste and Niko.
Hi Kari, I like it that you are so respectful, and able to discuss unpleasant bodily processes in a practical and gentle manner. It shows a great deal of compassion, at a time when it is most needed. Well done!
I want to thank you for all these amazing videos. The only thing that I do wish for is watching what your teaching us. I fully respect why your not having the actual processes. I’ve never considered myself smart enough to go to a school and learn these things. And again thank you for inviting us in. God bless my friend
Cheers from Louisiana! I've watched a number of your videos (I found you via getting lost in CZcams suggestions while in a vortex). I really appreciate the way you share information... informal but concise. All respect to what you do! It's obvious that you're a very ethical and empathetic person... I wish you well!
I'll bet you're explaining it's really interesting and I didn't know a lot of the stuff that you're telling us my husband and I decided on cremation has the cleanest and quickest way thank you for all your teaching
i want cremation as well yea my corpse my choice that sound like a cool slogan in a respectful way thanks for eplaining this its interesting btw the egytians did a good job embalming their dead as they believed theier soul would return to the body but they didnt have a bone saw and took the organs out and put themin mason jars
"Every living creature shall taste death". I've had my fair share of witnessing a person(s) dying and the aftermath; some good while others not so good. The good ones were smiling with tears down their eyes, looking as if they were asleep and after preparation for burial (all natural without embalming or perfume etc.), emitted a most pleasant scent that is not of this world. I can only pray that my ending will be a good ending. As strange as this may sound to others, it humbled me in a way. As humans, we tend to be arrogant by our achievements and so on and so forth and this has always kept me grounded. You cannot un-see the process of a soul separating from its physical body... you either get spooked by it or you gain a new perspective. Forgive me if some find this offensive; it was not my intention. 🙏
When I was studying for Mortuary Science my mentor had me go with to exhume a person who passed in 1967. We exhumed him 2009 and the body was intact no corruption or decomposition of any kind. The person who embalmed did a really good job to make this person preserve so well. I wanted to share. Yes the smell is hard to explain but it's apart of nature.
Thanks Kari. I know your job is not easy. Well, it would not be for me. But thank you for all you do! Yes, I do know some of this. Still, think you for telling this!
you are so candid about this....its such a tough subject bit we are all ginna go rhru this some day. you get a bit emotional at times and its obvious you care so much about this and the families....and the deceased you take care of. very, very interesting videos. thanks so much for everything you do.
Thank you for this Kari! I've always found it odd that we celebrate birth and all that the process of giving birth entails; however, we tend to try and keep death and all things associated with death and dying a mystery.....and I think this is one reason why death seems so scary to most of us. Let's just face it, nobody really wants to die and leave their loved ones, and have to face the unknown question as to what happens to us upon our deaths. That being said, death is every bit as natural as birth....it's just harder to accept because of all the mystery surrounding it. I really appreciate you taking the time to make these types of videos where your open and honest about everything involving dying, death, decomposition and disposition. For me, it has taken the edge of spookiness out of it. 😁
Once more an explanitive and precise to clinical extent video Kari. Hope alls well with you and May your clients forever appreciate your talents and compassion dear Lady Of Michigan....
This is so much amazing information spoken with care and empathy 💜 I wish I could get all your information so I can create myself a folder, maybe help me get I to this business, you are amazing!🙏💜
My ex husband committed suicide in 2015 and I’m like you, I want him to decompose as slowly as possible. I know he’s dead, but I want him to look as “normal” as long as possible. Same goes for me when I go. I personally can NOT do cremation. I want somewhere to visit and talk to that person and I feel if there is no body it’s harder. Hopefully that makes sense. I know a lot of people think it’s crazy but it’s what makes me feel better.
I'm like you. I DO NOT want to be cremated. When I go to the cemetery to see a deceased family member or friend, even though I know they are slowly decomposing, I can still picture them in my mind as they were when we laid them to rest. It's not the same with a small box of ashes. At least not to me.
People need to respect others decisions and not be RUDE. The love of my life died at 34 and his family had him cremated. It made it so much harder for me to accept because there's no where for me to go like a cemetery and I really felt like and still feel like there should be a place like that. It helps accept things. I know he didn't want that but his family was..well ashamed of the situation and wanted it over and not reminding them I guess which is another topic. I def don't want to be cremated either. It's my choice and it deserves respect. Whether you don't like it or whatever is your decision but when someone is upset talking about they don't want that you don't say to deal with it over someone they loved. It's disrespectful and in real life would probably get you slapped.
I saw my god-mother embalmed, I viewed her body a couple of weeks after her passing. She had a slight yellow tinge to her skin. I then saw my Granny two MONTHS after her passing. She wasn’t embalmed due to her body being riddled with cancer (apparently this can affect embalming), her body had been kept in the fridge this whole time. All she needed was a little make up to cover some dark spots, but she looked a normal colour. It is truly heartbreaking to see your loved ones deceased and laying in a coffin, however the peace it brings to know they’re “comfortable” and at rest is indescribable. I am currently gaining work experience placements to start my career in the care of the deceased.
My Granny passed away at the very end of November and it was down to how busy it was over christmas at the crematorium. The earliest we could book her funeral was the January, which wasn't what we wanted to have to do at the beginning of this year but it was all the option we had.@@KaritheMortician
i knew someone who dies of a bad drug overdose and when she was embalmed her skin looked grey ello color i have not encountered but grey btw i am sorry for your loss huggs
I know. My mom was dying of Alzheimer's and she smelled like ammonia. Her body wasn't producing any wastes, and the hospice nurse explained it was the proteins beginning to break down inside.
Such good, plain-speak information that answers questions that so many of us have. Caitlin is good and entertaining as well, but I like your explanations better.
Two things: There was a movie with Vincent Price, based on a novella by Edgar Allen Poe. "The Strange Case of M. Valdemeer(I don't know if this is the correct spelling). A man, though dead, is in a state of suspended animation. The man that was able to effect this is talking to the body in the bed. The corpse says to the facilitator "Yes, I am dead". The facilitator tries to hug the dead person's wife. The corpse gets up and goes after the man, while rapidly decomposing. So you see the strangled facilitator entwined with gelatinous stuff. Second, a man who died in the same crash as Buddy Holly, the rock singer, of the 50s, had his body exhumed to see if the myth about someone being shot before the plane crashed. The Medical Examiner said the body was one of the best 2 or 3 preserved bodies he had ever seen(buried over 60 years, no less).
Wow! I have a cousin, who is 4th generation Owner, Funeral Home Director, of course licensed embalmer. I suppose my curiosity, has always been there...and always will be there!
Thanks for explaining why we shouldn't put flowers in the casket. I wish i had known that when my mom and sister had died. And im glad you explained how fast decomposition and rigor mortise can take place even while a person is alive.
Next time someone else dies I'll just put artificial flowers in the casket with them and put the real flowers on the outside of the casket. My mom and i always said the real Flowers and plants belong outside not inside. What you said about how a person can be decomposing and have rigor mortise setting in while they are still alive described my sister just before she died. She had always had health issues from a young girl. But when she died at 48 years of age in 2010 , just before she died she had been complaining of chest pains and headaches and female problems along with coughing bad and sore throat and weakness and pain on her right side of her body. She also had a foul odor when ever she used the bathroom just before she went to the hospital and died. The last day i saw her alive at her home . She called my mom screaming and crying on the phone that her arm was broken. Naturally that upset my mom hearing her say that and she asked her how did she break her arm and my sister said she didn't know. She just couldn't move her arm off the bed. So my mom sent me next door to go check on her to see what was going on because she couldn't go because she was sick from heart problems and high blood pressure and had just come home from the hospital a couple of days before. So i went to my sister's house and went upstairs down the hallway to her room i could hear her humming some off key tune. Which i thought was strange. But what caught my attention was when i started talking to her and she looked at me and said who are you ? I said what do you who am i ? Silly its me . And i step in front of her while she was laying on the bed . She said oh i didn't know that was you. I cant see out of my right eye. I said what do you mean you cant see ?. She said she couldn't see out of her right eye and she didn't know why . She couldn't breathe good either. She had pain on her right side of her body . Her chest was still hurting. She had a high fever. I also noticed that she hadn't eaten any of the food on her plate next to her from the night before. She said she couldn't eat it.So i told her that she needed to get ready to go to the hospital again. So i helped her get out of the bed and walk down the hallway to the bathroom. Her right arm and hand she couldn't move it at all . Her fingers were stiff and straight. She could barely move her right leg . In trying to walk to the bathroom she had an accident on her self and all her feces and pee came out on the floor in the hallway. She was able to brush her teeth and wash her face and i helped her change her clothes before going to the hospital. And we took our time getting downstairs at her home so that she could go to the hospital. Mind you she was very heavy. Over 2 hundred pounds and dead weight. I didn't go to the hospital with her because i dont like dealing with all the drama that you see in the hospital. Plus i didn't think that that would be the last time i saw her again alive. My father and my older brother and her young daughter went with her to the hospital. My brother said that she passed out in the emergency room. Later on she lost her skin color and looked pale and had swollen up badly all over her body including her head. She never regained consciousness. Her blood pressure dropped tremendously because of anemia. Then she went into cardiac arrest twice. All her organs had shutdown and they eventually pronounced her dead early the next morning. On her autopsy report it said that she had pneumonia and streptococcus infection and sepsis and an attack with multiple sclerosis and encephalitis on the brain. Plus her skin had taken on a golden appearance due what was wrong with her and all the medications that they had given her at the hospital. She was a light skinned African American. Plus she had edema and petechiae rash on her chest and i do believe her arms . She had swollen up all over and they couldn't straighten out her hands and fingers. At her visitation i noticed that her hands were not straight a her fingers were sticking straight out and they had latex gloves on her .By you and others explaining these things i have come to realize that she was decomposing and rigor mortise had set in while she was at home and alive and we just didn't know it until too late. At her funeral she didn't look like herself at all. As a matter of fact when i went in for the visitation i thought that we were in the wrong room and i said oh excuse we need to leave this room cause this is the wrong person laying there. 😄 . Someone that was already there called me by name and i turned around and looked to see who was calling me. It was my own relatives. Then i turned and looked down at my sister and i said oh my God. She looked totally different. She didn't look like herself or a person just laying sleeping. She looked sick and dead. We often wondered about what all happened to her at the hospital that could've caused her to die and take on such a drastic appearance. But you explained very well without sounding scary and morbid and gory and i do appreciate that very much. Keep up the good work lady. I appreciate all of you on the internet that take the time to explain these things to us so that we can be at ease and so that we can have a better understanding of what all goes on in the human body and what goes on after death at the funeral homes and so forth and are not just left in the dark and wondering what happened.
@@brendaturner216 You should probably be a more practical and less Hollywood style (altho very entertaining) young mortician with a Bettie Page persona alternative. (you know who I mean). I like how women seem to have a natural nurturing way of caring for the dead.
By the way I truly enjoy how you explain the process. It is such a Taboo to discuss this topic. I live in NJ and people look at you wierd if you say you studied Mortuary Science to work in the Funeral Busissness. Thank you Again for explaining it so nicely but with fact and no fiction.
So much depends on the ambient temp when they die. I was a paramedic and assistant coroner. Several times I've seen pretty advanced decomposition starting within hours. I remember having a guy die mowing his lawn. He died and landed face down on a 90+ degree day. His wife saw him at noon and came home at 6 pm and his whole face was black and he was purging. Closed casket funeral.
You have done such a great job explaining the Modern and without dignity theories straight forward understanding Gives us a better inside. Today's Science. Restore. The Future. Thank you.
I wish you could of took care of my brother, the funeral man didn’t care about the people he took care, never even give my brother a bath, dint put him in a cooler, it was so sad. You treat everyone with such great care, you have blessed for sure.
For some reason I’ve always been fascinated by this question. I know it depends on how, where and the environment the body was found in. I’m not talking with ANY embalming. I also know there is a place called The Body Farm in Virginia that research that exact thing.
Kimberly Johnson I have worked in surgery and smelled some lung blistering smells from the living. You don’t have to be dead to be unforgettable. I have also worked in the back at a funeral home. It’s strange but it it’s the sweetness to the smell, even in the more decomposed cases, that bothers me. The living don’t have that sweetness to them, just my observation.
When my mother died, she was at home. It was February, and a Sunday evening. They keep it hot in the apts, during winter. She started to decompress pretty rapidly. When myself & my cousin, went to make her arrangements. I bought clothing, but she couldn't be seen, bc of the decomp. That broke my heart. It still does, after 32yrs bc her anniversary just passed. She died 2/10/91. I never got to see her after she was taken away, from our home. And my family wouldn't let me. I think I'm gonna listen to music now. Thanks Kari.
I took your advice from a long time ago about going to a funeral home and learning more about the industry! My friend connected me with a local funeral director and I got to go meet with him, ask questions, get a tour of the facility. I also was able to interview their embalmer! The front desk girl gave me some information as well and recommended a job for picking up and transporting the deceased. I’m so so eager to go to school for mortuary science and someday become an embalmer, BUT my biggest concern right now is the smell. I honestly don’t think I can handle the smell of decomposition and everyone at the funeral home basically said that it’s a big part of the job. Do you think smell is a very prevalent part of the job? I don’t know if I can handle it....... thank you for your videos you’re amazing!
Kaycee Botte I am a retired CNA, and as anyone who has worked in healthcare can tell you, their is having a passion for everything you do as a job. One self taught skill I learned years ago, was learning to breathe through my mouth, not through my nose. I find myself still doing this today...like when I have to clean the litter box.
Emma Dalrymple Thank you for this reply! I have so much respect for you. I have no problem with the concept of handling and caring for the deceased but I guess the smell is my Achilles heal ☹️
Kaycee Botte You at least can anticipate the odor. How you handle it is personal, but remember, mouth breathing and Vick's. A job caring for the dead is a gift all on it's own. Good luck in your professional career, seriously.
As someone who is liking to devote the rest of their life to this industry ( I’m 49 ) I watch a lot of video and do a lot of research ... it’s now the day after Christmas .. oh I built a hearse for veterans .. next I’m getting the permits and insurances for first call and applying to funeral homes as well as going to college this year .. at first my business will be first call for transport to a funeral home and then using my hearse for the service ..my hearse is incredibly unique and respectful .. what will make my first call service unique is I will encourage family participation up to and including allow family members to ride with their loved one for the hand off to the funeral home and then allow family members or honor guard to ride with the casket or sometimes the cremains .. a funeral is about creating memories for a family that are not as terrible as they could be .. these are the vessels of people and to treat that vessel with the utmost respect and treat their families with the utmost care is what I plan to do with the rest of my life .. After experiencing first call with my grandmother that went really well and then later with my father that still leaves horrid memories .. this is what I feel very driven to do .. so driven I built a funeral coach with my inheritance.. some people get it , some are put off by the whole concept of death and don’t want to think about it ., what is most frustrating is just how closed the industry is , unable to find mentors and people to assist me in navigating this ... buy if you saw my funeral coach which currently lives under a tarp .. uh you would want access to it for veterans services ..
I'm almost 42 and I have 6 exams left in school. Afterwards, I'm going straight into a funeral home for apprenticeship, which is 4 years. Then, I can get my license 💜
Does someone who dies of cancer decompose faster or differently? My grandma died of cancer and she had more of a green color to her skin. Also, a friend’s husband was shot in a different state (AZ, we’re in Wisconsin) during a criminal event and they autopsied his body in AZ, and it was a little more than a week before he got back here. He didn’t look good at all. They ended up putting sunglasses on him because his eyes were looking awful. My friend decided on an open casket because she needed that for closure. I actually was surprised how good he did look. Your videos are very good and informative. You explain things very well without acting superior because of your knowledge. Thank-you for making these videos.
I found this by accident , but watching this and your candor has helped me so much!! Your honesty yet tastefully worded videos have really helped take away the morbid thought of what happens to so many loved ones I have lost , and I have lost so many family members , this was so helpful to dark , well dark thoughts if you will , or misconception about there time after death until we see them , the ones that could have a viewing , your kindness has helped so much , thank you for makeing these videos 🙏❤️
Rigor mortis resolves after the cellular channels in the muscle cells open up allowing for certain electrolytes like sodium and potassium to be released which in turn allows the muscle to relax.
I did fail to mention that one of my jobs I did was Pre-paid funeral sales. Quite difficult, but I did sell 2. While working at the mortuary, I requested a tour of the crematorium and where they did the embalming. It amazed me when I saw 2 bodies on the table and they literally looked like white, porcelain dolls.
Used to lay people out in the old people's home I worked in. One man was with him all night and at moment he died. He started to get riggor after a couple of hours. Never forget the feel of the room after and the feeling of him when we changed his clothes the clamby feeling and slight smell (not a bad one just weird). We made sure the person looked presentable if family wanted to visit before he was taken to undertakers.
When my father died, he wasn't found until 2 days later in his bed by the police. I'm not sure what 2 days can do to a body, but it was the end of May in Massachusetts. Almost June. I can't remember if it was super hot, but it was nice outside. I know he was under the covers & I'm not sure if he had the AC on or not during that time. I remember being really annoyed about this lady who was my grandma's friend because she was trying to go see him to say goodbye. I thought it was inappropriate because the police were not allowing anyone in the home & we had no idea what he looked like, so I made sure nobody could go inside to view him unless they were working & I said goodbye to him while he was in a black body bag. If someone has been dead for 2 days & they don't look like they did while they were alive, why would you want to see them? I remember my cat being dead when I came home from being gone all day at the beach for my birthday. I don't know when in the day he died, but he wasn't even dead for 1 day & he looked completely different in the face which may sound silly, but it's true. I can't explain it, but he looked scary...Even my friend commented on how his face looked scary. Death is certainly bizzare. The changes that happen to a dead body can be very scary. When I was at the funeral home with my brother & grandma, we had to identify my father's body. The man that owned the funeral home asked me if we wanted him to put makeup on my father's face before we viewed him. I was so terrified that I told him to definitely put makeup on my father's face even though I knew I wouldn't view him. I don't know if it's because I was pregnant at the time, but I felt a strong urge to protect my family from seeing my father without makeup. I sat down far away from his body while my family looked at it. I was too afraid to see my father dead. I thought it would be scary for some reason even though I had been to open casket funerals before. Perhaps this time it was different for me because of a combination of the deceased being so close to me & being pregnant at the same time. That was in 2014. I haven't attended any wakes or funerals since my father's.
Very informative. Is there a scale of sorts, in rating a state of decomposition, when an unattended death occurs? I find this line of work fascinating. Bless you for the skills you get to use on your job.
Have you ever had anyone ask about a "green burial"? That's what I want for myself. There are only two green cemeteries here in Indiana that are close enough to where I currently live!
Have you done a video about what procedures are done once the family leaves the hospital room? I’ve wondered when and where they took my husband then what? I know the hospital had a morgue.
The body is wrapped in something before it’s moved....almost like a white shroud. My mom used to work in an ER and has seen it many times (unfortunately)
I have studied embalming since I was about 15 and I’m now 34. I actually attended the university of Cincinnati for mortuary science so I could later attend CCMS but family matters crippled my schooling before I could make it past my core curriculum. But anyhow, have you ever had a family member of the deceased request to be present for the embalming? When my father died, I called the funeral home the next morning with that request only to be told that he was already embalmed off site. Had he not been, would there be any law that would have kept me from being present for his embalming?
You know I have always been successful with odor regarding decomposition, viewing (if even possible) or not assuming a closed casket. The treatment of the remains and necessary treatments can address and almost completely remove the smell of decomposition, if the embalmer knows what they are doing. Just be addition of OMEGA Decomp Factor From Champion can make the difference that no other fluid can make. :)
Several years ago I lost a very young cousin to a car accident. He was run over and his head was crushed. The mortician was so skilled, they were able to have an open casket funeral with his full head completely visible and he really did look as though he was just asleep. That is true artistic skill.
That's some gruesome shyte, yo.
@@fckgooglegooglefck9124 If that happened to me, I'd say just cut the head off a great-looking guy and stick it on me in the casket. Or cover up what's left of my head with a rubber Trump mask.
Wow amazing, sorry for your loss.
When you're dead,what difference does it make?
True
Such a sweet soul talking about not “hurting” a deceased person. Bless this woman, we NEED caring people like her
Absolutely
You are such an angel. We hide death, aging, dying, yet we are obsessed with it. You fill a void with kindness, clarity and balance. Thank you
This woman explains normal gross things involved in death and caring of the deceased. I find the other videos of the other mortician obscene.
@@ronaldkeller3793 -- Yes - I think some try to be a comedian. `😕
I'm a public safety officer in Indiana. And after a few years working hard, I got my wish, to work in the Crown Hill Cemetery neighborhood.
I guess its something that has brought me a more level head as I exercise my duties. Someday, maybe today, maybe decades, this will be me. Someday, maybe today, maybe in decades, this will be someone I dealt with. They aren't a villian or a hero... just a person. Just a mortal.
Angels are a separate creation, therefore, human beings cannot be angels.
I like how you put that. I couldn't do it that well! It's true!
You explain facts about dying and decomposition in such a genteel, respectful way, I can feel the love and respect you have for your clients! Thank you SO much!!
I missed my calling. If I could be 30 years younger I woul be a funeral director. This young lady takes the fear out of death. So comapssionte. It is truly an art form and you help people , not just the dead , BUT the family.
Maybe I shouldn’t miss mine..
Me 2
I am a retired nurse. When I left nursing I St rated working as a florist and became good friends with the funeral home director and owner. Then I realized how fascinating their job was. My nephew went to school to become a mortician but wasn’t able to do it very long for health reasons. I sure wish I had gone to school for this.
My niece committed suicide about 2 yrs ago. She overdosed herself on massive doses of insulin. She was cremated but the mortician was a family friend. He fixed her on a gurney and let about 10-close family members have time with her before cremation. She had been found in her bed, laying on her side. So that side of her face had the discoloring that you described. But he had her covered with a beautiful quilt and she looked like she was asleep. So thankful for the kindness shown to our family.
Thank you for describing these things in such a gracious way, in terms we can understand.
Bless her heart, she said she wasnt hurting a dead person by breaking their rigor. This is who i would want directing my funeral or a loved ones.
I don't know why people are saying God bless you and you're such a sweetheart telling people that dead people because I think it's sick too hear about how people's family members will look or what they do my brother committed suicide and he was dead overnight and it was an apartment in the heat and they said they wouldn't even let me see him in one night cuz Rick and Morty said in so you don't know you think you though God help how you treat the poor people when they're dead the way you talk about them you don't care
You really know it all don't you you know about everything about the medicine people take I guess I take 50 a day with my body need to compose or whatever and 2 hours and what it right and other people that are 90 years old and look better than you so I guess you're all ready to posing I think you're really eat whatever you have me so bad about this so you're doing to people on TV
I've been watching your channel for I while and I finally have to say how good these vids are, and how sweet you are. You are tackling subjects that are delicate, and some "squeamish" like this one. You handle this entire subject of death so gently, I don't know how you do it. You have a very sweet nature and gentle way about you. Sometimes I see the title/thumbnail and I think "I can't watch this one", but then I finally do and it's presented so very genteel. I would love to think you were the one I was going to deal with at a time of need. God Bless you and thank you for this channel!
Hi Kari. Guess what? I have German shepherd puppies and training starts at a few weeks old if u are interested in Therapy dog.
You are just amazing and explain things so well.
What do u think about assisted suicide. Its crazy if someone hears A person say they want to kill themselves, then they call the Po Po's or ambulance. But yet it's okay for a doctor to end ones life. But yet they take an oath that says first do no harm. My ex is a doctor. I'm just really struggling and confused and would love to hear your opinion on the matter. Thanks.
AMEN
When my aunt passed the funeral director was honest with us in the reasons why her hair style was not how we wanted it. She had bruising on her face that was really dark from the process of her death/falling and resuscitation process that they could not cover with cosmetics and keep her looking like herself so they pulled her hair to the side over her shoulder. She was beautiful. Looked like she was asleep. Just thought I would share my families experience with honesty and funeral directirs❤️ Thank you for everything you share it has made me understand a lot more and be better able to prepare my wants for my body after death. I as of now have decided to donate my body to UNE cadaver program so it can continue to help students who need to learn their profession.
Yes being honest is always best!
Our mom passed away in her home. We believe that she died early on a Tuesday morning. She was alone. Her body was found the next day about 1 pm. So we believe that she had been dead about 36 hours. That is based upon the fact that she had not gone outside at 5 am to get her Tuesday morning paper which she did every day for almost 30 years. Also, she kept a record of drinking 7 glasses of water a day every day over a period of 2 1/2 years. No entries on Tuesday. Last entries were Monday. According to the medical examiner, her body temperature was 87 degrees when he took her temperature. It was in June and mom had turned off all the air conditioners and lights and tv. Mom’s lower chin was dark as well as her chest and the fingers on her left hand. Her right hand looked normal. They found her in the kneeling position on the floor next to her bed as if she was praying. Her right hand was on top of the bed and her left hand on the floor. Her head was tilted down almost touching the wall but not quite. So it is interesting that her body had not decomposed that much. She lived in a very dry arid area. She was placed in a metal casket and then in a vault. Just wanted to share this with you because I and my brother are still grieving 8 months later. I sure do appreciate your explanations of the decomposition process. Thank you so much.
So sorry for the loss of your Mother.
Sorry for your loss of your mom. My dad died alone & was found in the exact position you described. I was not allowed to view him the night he was found. A partial autopsy was done since 5 police officers BOTCHED HIS DEATH report by saying it was a"" Suicidal shot to his head." ( Yeah..w/ NO bullet hole, NO blood on the scene except purge fluid & they said his 12 wk old Doby puppy "ATE THE BULLET"...all 100% WRONG) He was dead at least 36hrs, was out of all rigor & had green decomp on his low abdomen, & some purple "Tardeau" spots on 1 hand. He died of heart failure. At the partial autopsy his brain was also a quote " green in color & mushy". His house did have a funky " old" odor, but not the typical foul odor of death or decomp. My RN sister later remarked she could smell "death" ..I smelled puppy poop. "The coroner insisted I make police rewrite the death report, and all the bastards did was write 1 line above the report saying as per coroner "natural death- sudden heart failure"..they wouldn't remove "suicide" or ANY of the FALSE statements! This MESSED ME UP for months until I spoke to coroner myself. I've resented the police ever since these 5 F'ing idiots botched the WHOLE REPORT. He died 11/2/02 & was a decently known author of 5 engineering text books for McGraw Hill & book on advanced math besides being a Mgr of engineering R&D for over 40 yrs. He also helped 1 engerneer develope the " drogue mounts for the parachutes for the " Gemini moon project" with NASA which was before Apollo missions. Police even tried to say " possible OD of antidepressant Elavil taken for 30yrs" & " Possible alcoholic". THIS WAS BEYOND SLANDOR & again was all 100% FALSE 😠 as verified by coroner. I REGRET I didn't try to sue MD Anne Arundel Co. police. SUCH DISRESPECT for a well loved man @ 68yo. 😡 SORRY THIS WAS SO LONG & FOR THE LOSS of YOUR MOM.. I know how hard it is w/ the ongoing grief.😔😓
So sorry for your losses all of you
@@shellwalsh3317
ALOT of Us, Could Have Done Lawsuit's, but did NOT. We really Should Have, instead of Letting Them GET AWAY With Stuff, because WHEN Will IT END ??? There Should've Been Consequence's ! ! !
I'm sorry for your loss.
As a hospice worker I have seen the green coloration and never knew quite why til now ....
I'm so glad my 93yo mum is in a nursing home where she can get the care she needs now that she can no longer walk. I'm especially grateful that we are always aware of what's going on with her .. I used to worry about her dying at home alone.
Thank You Kari for the explanation in layman's terms. So we all can understand what happens with the body. You did and awesome job explaining this to us.
I lost my mum several years ago. I wanted to put loads of flowers inside her coffin, and was always upset that I didn't. After you've explained what happens when you do the moisture and that, I'm now pleased that I didn't, so thanks for that. 😊 I would hate the thought of my mum turning to mush, especially because of me. So hopefully she dried out first. It's taken years but I'm finally starting to live with this death. I lost my little sister about 5 months before my mum so it was like a double bumper for our family. Big time.
You are welcome
i know what you are gping through i lost both my aunts then my grandfather all one year apart that was a big bumper on us as well i am so sorry for your loss
My wife and I were walking around a cemetery the other day and come across an open grave. The first burial took place in 1987 34 years ago and you could smell the lite stench of decay coming from the grave. I find it amazing that even after 34 year that an embalmed body is slowly decomposing.
Contamination into the Earth. But why do you want to be preserved??
I really admire you for being so respectful and dignified when talking about sensitive subjects like these ❤️
Thank you!
Kari Northey your very welcome x
Thank you for explaining all of this in a kind and caring way.
You are welcome!
Yes- Kari you are so good in describing the procedures you do. We Thank you!
Thank you so much for educating us. I believe everyone wonders how our loved were treated once they are no longer here.🇺🇸🇺🇸🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻❤️
Kari,
When I took care of my Stepfather as he was blind. I had to have someone to stay with him. while I went to the doctor. When I got home and went right back to his bed he had brown stuff bubbling out of his. Was he already dead? I wanted to be with him when it was time. But he was ashamed of how his body looked. He is the first person I have not not buried. But I had a respect his wishes. Two of mr animals were created.. Thank you so much!❤️🙏🏻💕
Kari, the doctor put Mom in a morphine coma for eight days. In your opinion do you think she was in pain? I believe that they can hear. If Mom could I talked her to death!🐾🐾🐾💕🙏🏻
I love your channel...as a mortuary student who is halfway done with mortuary school...the insight and topics you cover make my learning more complete and I thoroughly appreciate you and your dedication to this field!!!! Thank You!!!
thank you so much!! Good luck in the second half of your studies!!
A very "from the heart" why you do what you do answer. And I always feel like that there is no question that is going to be dumb. I am glad you have a channel!
Interesting information.I became really interested in how this process, as well as the preparational aspects of a funeral when I was a child after the death of a relative over 40 years ago. Personally, I don't want a funeral or to be embalmed, but i am fascinated by and admire what you do.
One of my favorite author is Patricia Cornwall. She wrote several books about Kay Scarpetta, a Chief Medical Examiner. Your videos show what I have frequently read about. Medical, the human body is fascinating. Being a caretaker of both my parents, amazing the modern medical procedures, taught me a lot. Both parents were cremated. My mother had a pacemaker. I have a pacemaker too. I informed my husband that it is important before cremation. Thank you for your tasteful & informative videos.
This lady is such a sweeheart!!!
Kari Northey what state are you out of?
I am a new subscriber and I just love you and find your videos fascinating and informative. I have always been interested in mortuary science. When my sister died several years ago, nobody had the money to bury her so the state of GA had her body donated to the body farm at the University of Tennessee. I was upset at first, constantly wondering what they had done with her. After watching this and some of your other videos, I am finally at peace about it. Now I realize how many fields could take a little info about her case study. Thank you for giving me that peace. I can tell you are a wonderful Christian lady. Keep your light shining. God bless you. From a 50 yr old in coastal VA
I love the way you explain death, funerals, embalming , etc.
So informative and interesting.
Learned so much from listening about many topics.
Keeps my interest and watch her every night. at work
Thanks Kari.... You are a very. Caring, sweet. Lady. God bless you!
I thought a body got cold immediately but when my husband passed, he was still warm after four hours when we left him. His head was beginning to feel cool but his chest was warm.
Teresa Jackson it’s called post Mortem caloricity. The body continues to metabolize for a while even though the person is not breathing to expel the heat. The temperate May raise slightly after death.
I work in a hospice house. We often have families who want us to keep the body for an elongated period of time while they either go shop around town for a funeral home or for family to drive in from another state. We don't have a morgue. We don't want to rush out a grieving family, but.....
Very well explained and in such a gentle calm manner. Thank you so much.
I’m really looking forward to your talk about the Watts family Friday. I have watched and read so so much about that tragedy. It’s a case that just sticks with you. I think it’s because Shanann’s videos show how personable she was and truly full of life, and maybe part of it is because there is so much we will really never know. I am very intrigued by the science and art of your job. If I could rewind 20 years I would have gone to school to be a medical examiner. With that being said, I wonder about what state Shanann was in when she was unearthed. She was only in the ground for a little over 2 days, but it was August. I’m looking forward to hearing what you have to say, and I’m not even one of the really Watts case obsessed people. You are going to have a huge audience for this one.
❤️❤️❤️❤️ Sending love to Shanann, Bella, Celeste and Niko.
It is a very sad story!
Yet another great informative post..
Thank you again!
JR
Thank you so much for this. I find this field extremely interesting! You described it so tactfully.
Hi Kari, I like it that you are so respectful, and able to discuss unpleasant bodily processes in a practical and gentle manner. It shows a great deal of compassion, at a time when it is most needed. Well done!
thank you so much!
Love your videos!!! So informative! Thankyou xx
I want to thank you for all these amazing videos. The only thing that I do wish for is watching what your teaching us. I fully respect why your not having the actual processes. I’ve never considered myself smart enough to go to a school and learn these things. And again thank you for inviting us in. God bless my friend
Cheers from Louisiana!
I've watched a number of your videos (I found you via getting lost in CZcams suggestions while in a vortex). I really appreciate the way you share information... informal but concise. All respect to what you do! It's obvious that you're a very ethical and empathetic person... I wish you well!
Thank you!!
I'll bet you're explaining it's really interesting and I didn't know a lot of the stuff that you're telling us my husband and I decided on cremation has the cleanest and quickest way thank you for all your teaching
i want cremation as well yea my corpse my choice that sound like a cool slogan in a respectful way thanks for eplaining this its interesting btw the egytians did a good job embalming their dead as they believed theier soul would return to the body but they didnt have a bone saw and took the organs out and put themin mason jars
Fantastic and informative!!
Thank you for the
excellent presentation!!
Such great detail and rich stories you shared. Thank you so much. Deeply appreciated!
This was wonderful, thank you for educating the world! Take care :)
"Every living creature shall taste death". I've had my fair share of witnessing a person(s) dying and the aftermath; some good while others not so good. The good ones were smiling with tears down their eyes, looking as if they were asleep and after preparation for burial (all natural without embalming or perfume etc.), emitted a most pleasant scent that is not of this world. I can only pray that my ending will be a good ending. As strange as this may sound to others, it humbled me in a way. As humans, we tend to be arrogant by our achievements and so on and so forth and this has always kept me grounded. You cannot un-see the process of a soul separating from its physical body... you either get spooked by it or you gain a new perspective. Forgive me if some find this offensive; it was not my intention. 🙏
Thank you
I am so thankful I found your channel. you are Awesome!
When I was studying for Mortuary Science my mentor had me go with to exhume a person who passed in 1967. We exhumed him 2009 and the body was intact no corruption or decomposition of any kind. The person who embalmed did a really good job to make this person preserve so well. I wanted to share. Yes the smell is hard to explain but it's apart of nature.
Interesting thank you!!
Thanks Kari. I know your job is not easy. Well, it would not be for me. But thank you for all you do! Yes, I do know some of this. Still, think you for telling this!
you are so candid about this....its such a tough subject bit we are all ginna go rhru this some day. you get a bit emotional at times and its obvious you care so much about this and the families....and the deceased you take care of. very, very interesting videos. thanks so much for everything you do.
Thank you for this Kari! I've always found it odd that we celebrate birth and all that the process of giving birth entails; however, we tend to try and keep death and all things associated with death and dying a mystery.....and I think this is one reason why death seems so scary to most of us. Let's just face it, nobody really wants to die and leave their loved ones, and have to face the unknown question as to what happens to us upon our deaths. That being said, death is every bit as natural as birth....it's just harder to accept because of all the mystery surrounding it. I really appreciate you taking the time to make these types of videos where your open and honest about everything involving dying, death, decomposition and disposition. For me, it has taken the edge of spookiness out of it. 😁
Once more an explanitive and precise to clinical extent video Kari. Hope alls well with you and May your clients forever appreciate your talents and compassion dear Lady Of Michigan....
Thank you so much!
This is so much amazing information spoken with care and empathy 💜 I wish I could get all your information so I can create myself a folder, maybe help me get I to this business, you are amazing!🙏💜
My ex husband committed suicide in 2015 and I’m like you, I want him to decompose as slowly as possible. I know he’s dead, but I want him to look as “normal” as long as possible. Same goes for me when I go. I personally can NOT do cremation. I want somewhere to visit and talk to that person and I feel if there is no body it’s harder. Hopefully that makes sense. I know a lot of people think it’s crazy but it’s what makes me feel better.
Just get over the fact that we decompose to feed the soil so it can create new life. Quit denying nature.
This is something I can't understand.
@@peterpan8444 I agree. Embalming is so toxic for the environment.
I'm like you. I DO NOT want to be cremated. When I go to the cemetery to see a deceased family member or friend, even though I know they are slowly decomposing, I can still picture them in my mind as they were when we laid them to rest. It's not the same with a small box of ashes. At least not to me.
People need to respect others decisions and not be RUDE. The love of my life died at 34 and his family had him cremated. It made it so much harder for me to accept because there's no where for me to go like a cemetery and I really felt like and still feel like there should be a place like that. It helps accept things. I know he didn't want that but his family was..well ashamed of the situation and wanted it over and not reminding them I guess which is another topic. I def don't want to be cremated either. It's my choice and it deserves respect. Whether you don't like it or whatever is your decision but when someone is upset talking about they don't want that you don't say to deal with it over someone they loved. It's disrespectful and in real life would probably get you slapped.
Very interesting information as always
I saw my god-mother embalmed, I viewed her body a couple of weeks after her passing. She had a slight yellow tinge to her skin. I then saw my Granny two MONTHS after her passing. She wasn’t embalmed due to her body being riddled with cancer (apparently this can affect embalming), her body had been kept in the fridge this whole time. All she needed was a little make up to cover some dark spots, but she looked a normal colour. It is truly heartbreaking to see your loved ones deceased and laying in a coffin, however the peace it brings to know they’re “comfortable” and at rest is indescribable. I am currently gaining work experience placements to start my career in the care of the deceased.
My Granny passed away at the very end of November and it was down to how busy it was over christmas at the crematorium. The earliest we could book her funeral was the January, which wasn't what we wanted to have to do at the beginning of this year but it was all the option we had.@@KaritheMortician
i knew someone who dies of a bad drug overdose and when she was embalmed her skin looked grey ello color i have not encountered but grey btw i am sorry for your loss huggs
Well put Jessica
My dad was dying of throat cancer and his organs was shutting down & dying and you could smell death 🥺
I know. My mom was dying of Alzheimer's and she smelled like ammonia. Her body wasn't producing any wastes, and the hospice nurse explained it was the proteins beginning to break down inside.
I love you honesty....thank God there are awesome people like you!!! GOD BLESS ALL YOU DO😊
Lisa Comp Manley p
So lucky I found your channel!
So much information and facts!
I LOVE IT!
😍😍😍
Eric Cartman totally agree. Binge watching all her vids. Well done Kari.
Fi Gee: I love this channel so much I'd even put it on the same level with "Ask a mortician"!
Love your shows to Eric Cartman
Bus Lover I agree
Very interesting and informative.
I love your videos and are very educational
Such good, plain-speak information that answers questions that so many of us have. Caitlin is good and entertaining as well, but I like your explanations better.
Agreed!
i want to reach out to touch Caitlin's hair, while she is viewing me in my casket
She is very good at telling what happens love her videos thanks
thanks so much
Two things: There was a movie with Vincent Price, based on a novella by Edgar Allen Poe. "The Strange Case of M. Valdemeer(I don't know if this is the correct spelling). A man, though dead, is in a state of suspended animation. The man that was able to effect this is talking to the body in the bed. The corpse says to the facilitator "Yes, I am dead". The facilitator tries to hug the dead person's wife. The corpse gets up and goes after the man, while rapidly decomposing. So you see the strangled facilitator entwined with gelatinous stuff. Second, a man who died in the same crash as Buddy Holly, the rock singer, of the 50s, had his body exhumed to see if the myth about someone being shot before the plane crashed. The Medical Examiner said the body was one of the best 2 or 3 preserved bodies he had ever seen(buried over 60 years, no less).
I don't understand the obsession of preserving a dead body for a hundred plus years
More money for the undertaker. I would assume it adds another 2 grand on the cost.
Wow! I have a cousin, who is 4th generation Owner, Funeral Home Director, of course licensed embalmer. I suppose my curiosity, has always been there...and always will be there!
You are Great - Thank You
So nice of you
Thanks for explaining why we shouldn't put flowers in the casket. I wish i had known that when my mom and sister had died. And im glad you explained how fast decomposition and rigor mortise can take place even while a person is alive.
You are welcome
Next time someone else dies I'll just put artificial flowers in the casket with them and put the real flowers on the outside of the casket. My mom and i always said the real Flowers and plants belong outside not inside. What you said about how a person can be decomposing and have rigor mortise setting in while they are still alive described my sister just before she died. She had always had health issues from a young girl. But when she died at 48 years of age in 2010 , just before she died she had been complaining of chest pains and headaches and female problems along with coughing bad and sore throat and weakness and pain on her right side of her body. She also had a foul odor when ever she used the bathroom just before she went to the hospital and died. The last day i saw her alive at her home . She called my mom screaming and crying on the phone that her arm was broken. Naturally that upset my mom hearing her say that and she asked her how did she break her arm and my sister said she didn't know. She just couldn't move her arm off the bed. So my mom sent me next door to go check on her to see what was going on because she couldn't go because she was sick from heart problems and high blood pressure and had just come home from the hospital a couple of days before. So i went to my sister's house and went upstairs down the hallway to her room i could hear her humming some off key tune. Which i thought was strange. But what caught my attention was when i started talking to her and she looked at me and said who are you ? I said what do you who am i ? Silly its me . And i step in front of her while she was laying on the bed . She said oh i didn't know that was you. I cant see out of my right eye. I said what do you mean you cant see ?. She said she couldn't see out of her right eye and she didn't know why . She couldn't breathe good either. She had pain on her right side of her body . Her chest was still hurting. She had a high fever. I also noticed that she hadn't eaten any of the food on her plate next to her from the night before. She said she couldn't eat it.So i told her that she needed to get ready to go to the hospital again. So i helped her get out of the bed and walk down the hallway to the bathroom. Her right arm and hand she couldn't move it at all . Her fingers were stiff and straight. She could barely move her right leg . In trying to walk to the bathroom she had an accident on her self and all her feces and pee came out on the floor in the hallway. She was able to brush her teeth and wash her face and i helped her change her clothes before going to the hospital. And we took our time getting downstairs at her home so that she could go to the hospital. Mind you she was very heavy. Over 2 hundred pounds and dead weight. I didn't go to the hospital with her because i dont like dealing with all the drama that you see in the hospital. Plus i didn't think that that would be the last time i saw her again alive. My father and my older brother and her young daughter went with her to the hospital. My brother said that she passed out in the emergency room. Later on she lost her skin color and looked pale and had swollen up badly all over her body including her head. She never regained consciousness. Her blood pressure dropped tremendously because of anemia. Then she went into cardiac arrest twice. All her organs had shutdown and they eventually pronounced her dead early the next morning. On her autopsy report it said that she had pneumonia and streptococcus infection and sepsis and an attack with multiple sclerosis and encephalitis on the brain. Plus her skin had taken on a golden appearance due what was wrong with her and all the medications that they had given her at the hospital. She was a light skinned African American. Plus she had edema and petechiae rash on her chest and i do believe her arms . She had swollen up all over and they couldn't straighten out her hands and fingers. At her visitation i noticed that her hands were not straight a her fingers were sticking straight out and they had latex gloves on her .By you and others explaining these things i have come to realize that she was decomposing and rigor mortise had set in while she was at home and alive and we just didn't know it until too late. At her funeral she didn't look like herself at all. As a matter of fact when i went in for the visitation i thought that we were in the wrong room and i said oh excuse we need to leave this room cause this is the wrong person laying there. 😄 . Someone that was already there called me by name and i turned around and looked to see who was calling me. It was my own relatives. Then i turned and looked down at my sister and i said oh my God. She looked totally different. She didn't look like herself or a person just laying sleeping. She looked sick and dead. We often wondered about what all happened to her at the hospital that could've caused her to die and take on such a drastic appearance. But you explained very well without sounding scary and morbid and gory and i do appreciate that very much. Keep up the good work lady. I appreciate all of you on the internet that take the time to explain these things to us so that we can be at ease and so that we can have a better understanding of what all goes on in the human body and what goes on after death at the funeral homes and so forth and are not just left in the dark and wondering what happened.
Very good explanation! tanks dear.
Very well explained.
Do you ever get anxious or uneasy about being around the deceased while you are alone with them, or completely alone in the funeral home?
Daniel Haurey I do!
brenda turner do tell! Expound
@@brendaturner216 You should probably be a more practical and less Hollywood style (altho very entertaining) young mortician with a Bettie Page persona alternative. (you know who I mean). I like how women seem to have a natural nurturing way of caring for the dead.
Thank you. So much for the information. Also I sub to this channel.. god bless
Very interesting!
By the way I truly enjoy how you explain the process. It is such a Taboo to discuss this topic. I live in NJ and people look at you wierd if you say you studied Mortuary Science to work in the Funeral Busissness.
Thank you Again for explaining it so nicely but with fact and no fiction.
Thank you!!
Love watching your shows
Thank you for your care for the deceased
God bless your soul 🙏🏻
Thanks so much!
So much depends on the ambient temp when they die. I was a paramedic and assistant coroner. Several times I've seen pretty advanced decomposition starting within hours. I remember having a guy die mowing his lawn. He died and landed face down on a 90+ degree day. His wife saw him at noon and came home at 6 pm and his whole face was black and he was purging. Closed casket funeral.
Excellent video
You have done such a great job explaining the Modern and without dignity theories straight forward understanding Gives us a better inside. Today's Science. Restore. The Future. Thank you.
Thank you
I wish you could of took care of my brother, the funeral man didn’t care about the people he took care, never even give my brother a bath, dint put him in a cooler, it was so sad. You treat everyone with such great care, you have blessed for sure.
So sorry for your heartbreak!
For some reason I’ve always been fascinated by this question. I know it depends on how, where and the environment the body was found in. I’m not talking with ANY embalming. I also know there is a place called The Body Farm in Virginia that research that exact thing.
There are several body farms in the country that research decomposition
The smell, you will never forget
Kimberly Johnson I have worked in surgery and smelled some lung blistering smells from the living. You don’t have to be dead to be unforgettable. I have also worked in the back at a funeral home. It’s strange but it it’s the sweetness to the smell, even in the more decomposed cases, that bothers me. The living don’t have that sweetness to them, just my observation.
Love from DeKalb Mississippi USA 🇺🇲
When my mother died, she was at home. It was February, and a Sunday evening. They keep it hot in the apts, during winter. She started to decompress pretty rapidly. When myself & my cousin, went to make her arrangements. I bought clothing, but she couldn't be seen, bc of the decomp. That broke my heart. It still does, after 32yrs bc her anniversary just passed. She died 2/10/91.
I never got to see her after she was taken away, from our home. And my family wouldn't let me.
I think I'm gonna listen to music now. Thanks Kari.
I am very sorry for that heartbreak :(
I took your advice from a long time ago about going to a funeral home and learning more about the industry! My friend connected me with a local funeral director and I got to go meet with him, ask questions, get a tour of the facility. I also was able to interview their embalmer! The front desk girl gave me some information as well and recommended a job for picking up and transporting the deceased. I’m so so eager to go to school for mortuary science and someday become an embalmer, BUT my biggest concern right now is the smell. I honestly don’t think I can handle the smell of decomposition and everyone at the funeral home basically said that it’s a big part of the job. Do you think smell is a very prevalent part of the job? I don’t know if I can handle it....... thank you for your videos you’re amazing!
Kaycee Botte I am a retired CNA, and as anyone who has worked in healthcare can tell you, their is having a passion for everything you do as a job. One self taught skill I learned years ago, was learning to breathe through my mouth, not through my nose. I find myself still doing this today...like when I have to clean the litter box.
There is nothing worse than the smell of rotting flesh!!!
Emma Dalrymple
Thank you for this reply! I have so much respect for you. I have no problem with the concept of handling and caring for the deceased but I guess the smell is my Achilles heal ☹️
Sapphire Jan
Oh man 😭😭😭
Kaycee Botte You at least can anticipate the odor. How you handle it is personal, but remember, mouth breathing and Vick's. A job caring for the dead is a gift all on it's own. Good luck in your professional career, seriously.
I really like you btw! Ur very very good at what u do! keep it up
As someone who is liking to devote the rest of their life to this industry ( I’m 49 ) I watch a lot of video and do a lot of research ... it’s now the day after Christmas .. oh I built a hearse for veterans .. next I’m getting the permits and insurances for first call and applying to funeral homes as well as going to college this year .. at first my business will be first call for transport to a funeral home and then using my hearse for the service ..my hearse is incredibly unique and respectful .. what will make my first call service unique is I will encourage family participation up to and including allow family members to ride with their loved one for the hand off to the funeral home and then allow family members or honor guard to ride with the casket or sometimes the cremains .. a funeral is about creating memories for a family that are not as terrible as they could be .. these are the vessels of people and to treat that vessel with the utmost respect and treat their families with the utmost care is what I plan to do with the rest of my life .. After experiencing first call with my grandmother that went really well and then later with my father that still leaves horrid memories .. this is what I feel very driven to do .. so driven I built a funeral coach with my inheritance.. some people get it , some are put off by the whole concept of death and don’t want to think about it ., what is most frustrating is just how closed the industry is , unable to find mentors and people to assist me in navigating this ... buy if you saw my funeral coach which currently lives under a tarp .. uh you would want access to it for veterans services ..
I'm almost 42 and I have 6 exams left in school. Afterwards, I'm going straight into a funeral home for apprenticeship, which is 4 years. Then, I can get my license 💜
Does someone who dies of cancer decompose faster or differently? My grandma died of cancer and she had more of a green color to her skin. Also, a friend’s husband was shot in a different state (AZ, we’re in Wisconsin) during a criminal event and they autopsied his body in AZ, and it was a little more than a week before he got back here. He didn’t look good at all. They ended up putting sunglasses on him because his eyes were looking awful. My friend decided on an open casket because she needed that for closure. I actually was surprised how good he did look. Your videos are very good and informative. You explain things very well without acting superior because of your knowledge. Thank-you for making these videos.
I found this by accident , but watching this and your candor has helped me so much!! Your honesty yet tastefully worded videos have really helped take away the morbid thought of what happens to so many loved ones I have lost , and I have lost so many family members , this was so helpful to dark , well dark thoughts if you will , or misconception about there time after death until we see them , the ones that could have a viewing , your kindness has helped so much , thank you for makeing these videos 🙏❤️
Rigor mortis resolves after the cellular channels in the muscle cells open up allowing for certain electrolytes like sodium and potassium to be released which in turn allows the muscle to relax.
I did fail to mention that one of my jobs I did was Pre-paid funeral sales. Quite difficult, but I did sell 2. While working at the mortuary, I requested a tour of the crematorium and where they did the embalming. It amazed me when I saw 2 bodies on the table and they literally looked like white, porcelain dolls.
Kari Northey It's been, I believe, 5 years ago.
Used to lay people out in the old people's home I worked in. One man was with him all night and at moment he died. He started to get riggor after a couple of hours. Never forget the feel of the room after and the feeling of him when we changed his clothes the clamby feeling and slight smell (not a bad one just weird). We made sure the person looked presentable if family wanted to visit before he was taken to undertakers.
WOW ,understood!!
I love your vids so much. I’m a great fan from Germany. And your still adorable for me 😉
When my father died, he wasn't found until 2 days later in his bed by the police. I'm not sure what 2 days can do to a body, but it was the end of May in Massachusetts. Almost June. I can't remember if it was super hot, but it was nice outside. I know he was under the covers & I'm not sure if he had the AC on or not during that time.
I remember being really annoyed about this lady who was my grandma's friend because she was trying to go see him to say goodbye. I thought it was inappropriate because the police were not allowing anyone in the home & we had no idea what he looked like, so I made sure nobody could go inside to view him unless they were working & I said goodbye to him while he was in a black body bag.
If someone has been dead for 2 days & they don't look like they did while they were alive, why would you want to see them? I remember my cat being dead when I came home from being gone all day at the beach for my birthday. I don't know when in the day he died, but he wasn't even dead for 1 day & he looked completely different in the face which may sound silly, but it's true. I can't explain it, but he looked scary...Even my friend commented on how his face looked scary. Death is certainly bizzare. The changes that happen to a dead body can be very scary.
When I was at the funeral home with my brother & grandma, we had to identify my father's body. The man that owned the funeral home asked me if we wanted him to put makeup on my father's face before we viewed him. I was so terrified that I told him to definitely put makeup on my father's face even though I knew I wouldn't view him. I don't know if it's because I was pregnant at the time, but I felt a strong urge to protect my family from seeing my father without makeup.
I sat down far away from his body while my family looked at it. I was too afraid to see my father dead. I thought it would be scary for some reason even though I had been to open casket funerals before. Perhaps this time it was different for me because of a combination of the deceased being so close to me & being pregnant at the same time. That was in 2014. I haven't attended any wakes or funerals since my father's.
Very informative. Is there a scale of sorts, in rating a state of decomposition, when an unattended death occurs? I find this line of work fascinating. Bless you for the skills you get to use on your job.
Have you ever had anyone ask about a "green burial"? That's what I want for myself. There are only two green cemeteries here in Indiana that are close enough to where I currently live!
Very nice channel
When do you decide that you can't have a viewing? What factors play in?
How can you email someone when they are literally leaking everywhere, including the skin?
That's interesting what you said about how parts of the body are literally dying before the person that's crazy.
I see it so often!
Have you done a video about what procedures are done once the family leaves the hospital room? I’ve wondered when and where they took my husband then what? I know the hospital had a morgue.
The body is wrapped in something before it’s moved....almost like a white shroud. My mom used to work in an ER and has seen it many times (unfortunately)
How long does a embalmed body last in a dry climate entombed in a crypt inside a mausoleum?
I really love your videos! Your so informative and great at answering questions! Your such a sweet caring person . Will you embalm me when I pass on?
I have studied embalming since I was about 15 and I’m now 34. I actually attended the university of Cincinnati for mortuary science so I could later attend CCMS but family matters crippled my schooling before I could make it past my core curriculum. But anyhow, have you ever had a family member of the deceased request to be present for the embalming? When my father died, I called the funeral home the next morning with that request only to be told that he was already embalmed off site. Had he not been, would there be any law that would have kept me from being present for his embalming?
You know I have always been successful with odor regarding decomposition, viewing (if even possible) or not assuming a closed casket. The treatment of the remains and necessary treatments can address and almost completely remove the smell of decomposition, if the embalmer knows what they are doing. Just be addition of OMEGA Decomp Factor From Champion can make the difference that no other fluid can make. :)
Mrs.Northey.
you are truly an angel of love and mercy, God bless You.
Thank you!