General Illness

Pagans have very few specific rules about how we should live other than that we should take responsibility for our actions and understand the interconnectedness of all things. This freedom, however, doesn't mean that we live our beliefs casually. Individual Pagans will have examined their own ways of being through a personal (rather than hierarchical) understanding of our responsibility and interconnectedness.


Medication
The majority of us are opposed to animal testing and this may affect our acceptance of some medications, those containing gelatin or stearic acid and particularly animal-derived HRT and insulin.

Diet
Some of us will be vegetarian or vegan, but most have no religiously-determined dietary needs.

Jewellery and other religious objects
Hospitals are not the place to keep precious items and Pagans will understand that we can’t keep a multitude of objects on our bedside cabinet. We also know that we can’t burn candles or incense because of the fire risk and to avoid affecting other patients.

Some Pagans wear an item of jewellery that has religious significance, just as a Sikh wears the Kara.

The literature suggests that jewellery should be removed where possible but plain wedding rings could be taped to the patients’ finger if necessary. Ring taping is not for infection control purposes but to stop the rings being lost in the drapes. Ring removal can be very traumatic for patients, and Redfern suggests that rather than putting the patient through this distressful process, a thorough handwash prior to surgery would be an effective alternative. There is no evidence in the literature to guide advice on the management of rings or jewellery at other sites – nasal studs, navel rings, nipple rings etc., but there would seem to be no reason to remove these unless they are directly in the field of operation. In the absence of specific infection evidence, a consistent management policy should be developed related to preoperative preparation of the patient.

Recommendation:
There is no reason to continue the practice of removing the patients rings or other jewellery unless they are in the operative or anaesthetic field.

Behaviours and rituals in the operating theatre A Report from the Hospital Infection Society Working Party on Infection Control in Operating Theatres. Journal of Hospital Infection, Volume 51, Issue 4, Pages 241-255, 2001 A report from the Hospital Infection Society Working Group on Infection Control in the Operating Theatres

K Woodhead, EW Taylor, G Bannister,T Chesworth, P Hoffman, H Humphreys

And so we would request that you let us know that we are responsible for the loss of any jewellery and that you let us keep it. If we need neck surgery we’ll remove necklaces; hand surgery, we’ll remove rings from that hand. The literature on diathermy and electrical burns suggests that jewellery be removed from a distance of around 30cm from the operative site.

The issue here is one of control and power. Patients have very little power and health care staff have total power. Things that seem ordinary and of little importance to one group can have great ritual power to the other, including the rituals that build up around professional health care. If a patient feels respected they’re much more likely to volunteer to cooperate in the rituals that wards find useful.

Being in hospital over festivals
Most Pagans celebrate 8 festivals throughout the year, every 6 weeks or so, Some celebrate moon phases, particularly the full moon. Whatever the case, we’ll understand that it won’t be possible to mark the event as we would normally and will be quite content to modify our practice so that we can satisfy our spirituality without disturbing the rest of the ward.

Our festivals are an opportunity not just to honour our Deities but to join with our community, so if possible we’d like to be able to have our companions with us to mark the occasion. Simply pulling the curtains or screens around the bed will be enough to ensure our privacy and we can observe our festival quietly.

Discussing the needs of the ward and the needs of the patient, with the patient and the Pagan chaplain will help decide the timing of the celebration; whether it should take place during visiting hours or not; whether it might take place on the ward or in the multifaith room; a sensible number of people to have around the bed; and of course, the health needs of the patient herself.

Other Experiences
My only experience locally has been with the lady dying of a brain tumour who requested Pagan spiritual support and was told they didn't know of anyone who could minister to her. And then failing to process my application when I offered my services. A Pagan friend who had worked on the oncology ward said she wasn't surprised as the Chaplain wasn't Pagan-friendly.

I was invited to a couple of volunteers' meetings, I guessed it was to enable the other volunteers to check me out. I was purposely introduced to them as a Pagan, and they showed some curiosity about that. I was surprised to find that I was the youngest, and the only non-Christian in the group. The only activity of the volunteers seemed to be to ferry the patients to the chapel for the Sunday morning service. I'm sorry, but it wasn't my idea of spiritual service. My own intention to was to help people who were either Pagan, or not aligned with any particular faith, but were open to using techniques such as guided visualisation to find peace and comfort, or who just wanted to talk about fears or spiritual feelings without having God thrust at them. One of the volunteers did say that they had had a man in with alternative beliefs who refused to speak to any Christians, and just turned his back on them when they visited. The volunteer said he died without talking to anyone, but he did feel that he would at least have spoken to me. So I know from this that at our local hospital at least are failing Pagans spiritually.

I've now given up on the idea of hospital work (but sadly, don't know of any else locally who would do it) and volunteer instead with the local hospice, who are more open-minded. I took a very different approach with the hospice, and for the past 20 months have worked as a regular hospice volunteer - making tea/coffee, laying tables, acting as bingo caller or quiz master, or just chatting to patients. On my application form I did state my interests included meditation/relaxation etc, and in my covering letter I expressed an interest in working for the chaplaincy team, and explained a little about having written and conducted funeral services for people of our spiritual community (which I described as "alternative" and "nature-based" rather than Pagan!). I haven't followed that up since, preferring for people to get to know me as a person before judging me as a Pagan.

A year ago, I lost a friend to cancer. The hospice at home team became involved in the last week of his life, and so one of the senior nurses I work with knew the family and situation. When he died in hospital, I informed the hospice as they were not made aware. Then I explained that I'd only been notified of his death by his family almost immediately because they felt he wanted me to conduct his services. Following the services (crematorium service, followed by green burial), I did offer the nurse a script to read and she seemed quite impressed that it was written personally for A. Although we've never discussed my spirituality, I'm sure all the staff are aware that I'm not a Christian. I think they probably find me a bit eccentric, but reliable and caring and sensitive to the patients and their needs.

I don't talk to the patients about my personal spirituality either, although one was aware of the service I conducted at Birdsong - somewhere he has subsequently decided to be buried. Today he surprised me by asking in private if I would speak at his funeral service. I checked with the staff, and they say if I'm happy to do it, then there is no problem. So I've promised to take him some examples of the kind of things I usually say, just to see if it is really what he had in mind. He did talk about witches in Sussex, so I think he probably has me sussed!

As a result of declaring my experience and interest in meditation and relaxation techniques, pretty much since I started I've been leading guided relaxation sessions for the patients. It surprised me how much some of them gain from it in terms of pain relief. I've recently started training to be a hypnotherapist, hoping mainly to specialise in pain relief; helping to cope with issues surrounding treatment; and facing fears of death and dying. There is so much to learn though!

So, in a way, although it's a long and winding road, I am getting there. I don't suppose it really matters whether I ever make it to Chaplain status or not - I'm helping people, and that is the most important thing.