First Notice to Readers This book was written for anyone who wants to know about the natural process of dying, especially the person who does not have medical training but is caring for someone, has a family member or friend being cared for, or is yourself the person declining in health and wanting to know what to expect as the body shuts down. This book will provide the reader with foreknowledge on what to look for with regard to signs and symptoms that usually occur toward the end of a person's lifecycle on this earth. Transitional Journey will give insight and helpful tips on family dynamics (the craziness) that sometimes occur and create division within the family when someone in declining health is being cared for. As a person declines in health, sometimes emotions get in the way of seeing what is really happening before your very eyes. Or maybe you see it but are not ready to accept it. Either way, recognizing the truth as it is and making the necessary adjustments as the person declines will add quality time to the time they have remaining here in this life and help facilitate closure for everyone. You are not your body. As the body becomes weaker on a person's deathbed and eventually dies, the spirit and soul will exit the body and are still alive. Ecclesiastes 12:7 states, "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return to God who gave it" (NKJV). Rev 6:9-11 is proof that the soul is still alive after death. For example, if the cause of death is suicide or murder, the body/flesh has died but not the person's spirit or soul. The disease process, old age, accidents, birth defects, suicide or murder that cause the body/flesh to die do not cause the spirit and soul to die. When a person takes his/her last breath here on earth, they are simply exiting their body to leave this earth and to enter the spirit world. Only the body (the flesh) dies and remains here on earth; the spirit and soul will live forever. We get to choose where that will be-heaven or hell. Regardless of what the catalysis to the death of the body is, each person's physical decline is unique because we all are different, and no two medical histories or incidents are exactly the same. This book can give the reader ideas and helpful tips to consider while caring for someone who is transitioning toward the end of his/her life on earth; it does not claim to have all the answers. The only person who has all the answers to everything is God.
About the Author: About the Author Ms. Brenda Johnson (oldest daughter of city councilman, Joseph "Sunny" Vickers and Jackie Vickers) was born and raised in Valdosta, Georgia. Brenda relocated to Dallas, Texas, in 2000, where she began caring for the actively dying patient in twelve-hour shifts at bedside and has personally witnessed over 1,500 deaths and counting. In 2004, Brenda began documenting her observations concerning how to care about and manage the signs and symptoms a dying patient encounters. Brenda's main goal is to educate the world on the natural process of dying in hopes that each individual person might feel comfortable with his/her own mortality enough to discuss it openly with family members-a subject that's "taboo" in most families all the way to the very end, resulting in no one truly having closure, especially the person dying. Brenda also attended Southern Bible Institute and Dallas Theological Seminary (Center for Biblical Studies). She lives in Mesquite, Texas, and has one son.