Aggregate Death
How Long will an Embalming Job Last?
People often ask me, “How long will a good embalming job last? Will the body still be preserved in 100 years?”
There’s a lot of factors that go into the equation.
One major consideration in the longevity of an embalmed corpse is the climate it’s in. If it’s in a dry, arid environment it has a longer chance of lasting (example, the Egyptian mummies). Moisture is the kryptonite of an embalmed corpse. If the corpse is embalmed hard and is placed in a dry environment, it can last and last.
Here’s an example of a body that’s been deprived of moisture, having been buried in a frozen condition:
Via National Geographic (Photos below):
The mummy, called La Doncella or The Maiden, is that of a teenage girl who died more than 500 years ago in a ritual sacrifice in the Andes Mountains.
The girl and two other children were left on a mountaintop to succumb to the cold as offerings to the gods, according to the archaeologists who found the mummified remains in Argentina in 1999.
National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Johan Reinhard, who co-led the expedition, described the discovery at the time as “the best preserved of any mummy I’ve seen.” (National Geographic News is a division of the National Geographic Society.)
It’s very possible, given the right environment and arid conditions that an embalmed body could last for a couple hundred years. It’s possible, although it’s very unlikely.
A Stupid Dirty Death Joke
Judy married Ted; they had 13 children. Ted died. She married again, and she and Bob had 7 more children. Bob was killed in a car accident 12 years later.
Judy married again, and this time, she and John had 5 children. Judy finally died, after having 25 children.
Standing before her casket, the preacher prayed for her.
He thanked the Lord for this very loving woman and said, “Lord, they are finally together.”
Ethel leaned over and quietly asked her best friend Margaret, “Do you think he means her first, second, or third husband?”
Margaret replied, “I think he means her legs, Ethel!”
29 Year Old Brittany Maynard Was Scheduled to Die Tomorrow. She’s Changed Her Mind.
And that’s okay. She still plans to choose life-ending medication, but will do so at a later date.
In case you’re not aware of Brittany Maynard, here’s a concise synopsis:
Maynard was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma, a malignant brain tumor, in April; doctors gave her approximately six months to live. So instead of letting her cancer determine her last day, she had chosen to commit suicide on Nov. 1 under Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act so she could celebrate her husband’s birthday on Oct. 30. She planned to use a prescription from her doctor, but Maynard has since reversed that decision.
“It will come, because I feel myself getting sicker. It’s happening each week,” she says in the video.
Maynard recounts instances of having multiple seizures a day, not being able to say her husband’s name and even experiencing temporary paralysis. She adds that she will continue to monitor her symptoms and take the prescribed life-ending medication when the choice is still hers to make. Via Mashable
Many of us are processing end of life options through the life and death of Brittany Maynard. And there’s many opinions. Many experiences. Many religious perspectives. Many, many, many feelings.
Here’s Maynard’s latest video:
If you’re having trouble viewing this video, click HERE.
