You may be facing a life-changing illness now.

Or you may be looking ahead, ready to plan in case it happens.

I can help you understand the path ahead of you, the choices you may face.

And there's much more to life than your illness or injury.

Let’s look at that, too.

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I provide guidance, information, resources, and support for:

Setting up things so the future will be easier for you and those who care about you.

Learning your options for facing a serious or life-changing illness or injury.

Getting information on the realities of your condition.

Exploring actions you and others can take to make your life better all the way to the end.

Leaving your legacy for those you care about.

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These difficult subjects can be made much easier with my compassionate, experienced help. Your curiosity is where it starts. Please get in touch with your questions so we can decide whether we're a good fit to work together - now or in the future.

Whether you want to meet in person on the south Oregon coast, or via phone / Zoom / FaceTime throughout the rest of Oregon, I look forward to connecting with you to explore the options.

~ Marcella

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Examples of specific services for you:
{Please check back as I continue to sort through the work I've done and add to this list.}

While you're healthy
• Help you identify your support people/systems and teach you how to broach the future with them.
• Provide education about useful documents so you can understand and choose which are appropriate for you, including “Advance Care Planning” forms. Provide prompts and interviews to organize your thoughts. Help you assess when these should be updated. (None of this is legal advice.)
• Guide you in talking with others about your wishes, values, plans.
• Help you start to acknowledge that you're living in a mortal body.
• Coach you through life review or legacy projects.

From diagnosis of a serious illness through its progression
• Gathering your support systems: medical, practical, emotional, existential/spiritual.
• Identifying what may be needed to face this illness.
• How to use this illness to prepare for your last one.
• Review and update documents.
• How to talk with others about being seriously ill.
• Emotional and existential support related to facing physical impermanence.
• Suggestions to get the information you want from your doctor and any hospital teams you might work with - beforehand or at the time of need.
• Learning what Palliative Care is and isn't.

From diagnosis of a potentially terminal illness back to health or to your last breath
• Exploration of supportive medical care and other optional medical and non-medical choices.
• Education and resources so you and those around you will be more comfortable with your last months, weeks, days, and hours.
• Suggestions to get the information you want from your medical teams - clinic, hospital, palliative care, or hospice - you might work with, either beforehand or at the time of need.
• Preparing important information that will be needed after the death, such as notifying key people, writing an obituary, etc.
• Considering various forms of farewells: individual, gatherings - in person, recorded, etc.
• Provide information about the choices you have for your final months and weeks.
• Comparing choices for “final disposition” (what happens to your body).
• Deciding whether to use a funeral home or have a home funeral - or both.
• Grief exploration: preparatory and anticipatory.
• Support for existential / spiritual / religious concerns.
• Arranging for ceremony / ritual desires or needs