So I’m 15 and apparently my preschool teacher heard that I want to be a mortician. It turns out that her husband runs a local funeral home and he’s gonna give me an in-depth tour of said funeral home next week. Personally I’m excited
Hehe yeah but many people would expect to hear the deep voice of the RUclipsr known as "Corpse" or "Corpse Husband" and be semi confused when realizing he wasn't in the video.
I just lost my mom to Alzheimer’s last night. She’s not getting embalmed (closed casket), but I hope she still gets a massage. She deserves one after the last eight years, and she always loved them.
Hi dear @USMarshmallow, what a lovely thing to wish for your beloved Mother after you probably grieved her slowly "leaving" for 9 long years. I hope everything went as you all planned and hoped for, surrounding the farewell of your Mother. Their Passing can come with such mixed feelings of deep grief & relief, when a Loved One who suffered from any form of Dementia for many years dies. (My sweet Mom Passed away from Alzheimer's in Feb. 2017 & my dear Dad died of Vascular Dementia in May 2019). It was such a strange and lovely sight, for my Dad and me, to see my Mother's facial features return to her old familiar shape. After the tortured Dementia grimace, that had plagued Mom, for the last 2 years, had left her face. It once again "was her" ☺️🕊️.
I feel like Monica's choices of phrasing and her hand movements, even when not touching the body, reveal a great respect for the body and the person who used to be...
@@synthiabouda1096 I've seen a lot of her videos and I don't get disrespect from her. I see that she's trying to make the processes around death less "taboo," and knowledge is power. I get that it's less palatable to some, though...
Go! Yes get your happy on :) love it! I LOVE it! It’s a little different but similar in that they are tools I use, I’m a disabled chick and I HATE Hospital grey’ so get your happy whatever that looks like 💖
Starting hospice now at 38 years old with around 2-3 weeks to live. This is so helpful and needed for me to be able to make the decisions around what I want and what I can accept and what is a hard no. Knowledge is power and control, and this video improves my experience of death.
❤️❤️❤️❤️ please stay as strong as you are and have been. It’s good this has given some reassurance. You are so very young I’m sorry …just don’t know what to say.
I hope it was painless and that you weren't alone and that you felt safe and that you were as comfortable as could be afforded. I hope you weren't scared. And i hope, in the case of an afterlife, that you're having the greatest fucking time where you are.
She might do exactly that. Sounds odd, but I'm sure if that were my occupation, I'd probably talk to my "client" as well. As long as I am not expecting an answer in return....
Thank you for this video. I lost my mom during the height of COVID. I was in bed sick, she was in the hospital and died alone. (Did get to FaceTime her about 2 hours before she passed). The funeral parlor advised that she could not be embalmed and it had to be a closed casket. I have been emotionally tormented over that for nearly 2 years. This video actually gave me some peace. She didn’t need to be embalmed. I’m glad she didn’t have to go through that. Thank you for your professionalism and compassion
Claudia Pozzuolo, I’m so sorry about your mom! I lost my son and we opted out of embalming his body because it felt like abuse of a corpse. I also have a friend who lost her mom, during COVID high point, and the funeral parlor made everyone sit in their cars as they buried her mother. Her mom did not have COVID and they still did this! My friend, like you and me are all still traumatized, but knowing we can talk to other people who’ve been through similar losses, temporarily does help. - Terri Kendall, Nashville, TN
My condolences sweetheart. My mom got Covid a few weeks after my dad was diagnosed with cancer and had been sleeping with him the whole time. By the grace of God she made it through and my dad has been cleared from his cancer so far.
@@floydkendall2703 TY so very much. My parents are in their late 70's and they are my best friends and when they are gone, I feel I'm gonna die of a 💔.
@@Pebbles523 I’m so sorry. I pray 🙏 you will have parents that live at least another 30 years. We all Fred losing our parents. It just doesn’t feel fair, but I know God will receive them if that’s any comfort. 🙏❤️
Knowing the embalming process really is an excellent argument for organ donation because a lot of people cite wanting to be buried with all their parts as a reason to not donate organs. Considering what the trocar does that's not happening anyway.
Wow. I used to want to be a transplant coordinator. That's not happening now but I wonder if they ever use that argument when talking to bereaved families. If not, they should.
@@coyoteartist stalker + fan = stan. Also comes from the song “Stan” by Eminem who’s about an obsessed fan. Most people when they use it use it in a more fun way to say “this is why I’m a total fanboy/girl.”
Caitlin on table: "How long is this gonna take?" "And the nominees for Pushiest Corpse Of The Year are..." [cue same 70s soft porn music used in embalming demo] Was Monica thinking at that moment: "A corpse has NEVER asked me that before!"
This video enabled me to have a discussion with my husband about whether or not we want to be embalmed before cremation, especially since we will be scattered on our property after cremation. Sitting in our hot tub, we made our decision, no embalming for us, also discussed finer points, like no expensive caskets etc. Thank you for providing the education that you do with hilarity, yet respect.
either that of the books McGuffin. for example: "We must form a band of mighty warriors to strom the castle of the Dread Lord and finally reclaim the Golden Trocar"
Yeah I felt that, however difficult it was (still is here in the UK, where MiniTrump rules supreme) for most of us, it cannot compare to those in the healthcare and deathcare industries. Amazing people who did more than anyone has a right to expect.
I love how they both work for very different situations but they don't step on each other toes and respect each other's way of working. Those funeral industry people hating Caitlin must be fuming
A big applause for you both! I'm 59, terminally ill, (liver), but now I'm feeling better about what happens postmortem. Thank you both deeply, Charlene aka Catlady Redd, & Felina Crimson.
@IamOneWithIam your ignorant af ! My grandmother didn't have a drop of alcohol in her life and she passed of cyrosis of the liver . Not everyone has to be a drunk! And your time and your relatives time will come no one is immortal
The trocar was after the blood replacement with the embalming fluids in the arteries, wasn't it? After the massage to ease the rigor mortis and the cleaning. They make the cut by the neck and place the little bomb to extract the blood. THEN, it's the trocar action, if I'm not mistaken. But I get it. I was afraid of the cut, and of waking up too late to stay alive any longer.
Since it says "not clickbait", for a fleeting second I thought Caitlin had pre-recorded an intro so when she died her embalming would be filmed, thus, this video. First, I'm relieved that Caitlin is thankfully still amongst the living, and then I remembered that she wouldn't be embalmed in the first place if she were dead. My bad.
I work at a coroner's office and I investigate deaths and I actively participate in autopsies from a forensic perspective. I appreciate these videos and explanations because I can learn and appreciate the expertise, skills, and compassion that those in the embalming and funeral professions possess. I tie off the neck arteries at autopsies so embalming is easier. I have never witnessed the embalming process or a cremation. The reason that I searched and found this series is because I had a lady who was mummified last week and I was curious about the physiology. The only insects were "coffin flies" (Megaselia scalaris) and a slight decomp odor. I am a career police officer since 1973 and have been doing medicolegal death investigtions for 12 years and I have yet to puke. I approach decomposition from the attitude that everything that is organic dies and that decomposition is a natural process. Further, I do an investigation or assist in an autopsy, it is to provide answers to the families and friends. Monica Torres, who embalms and attempts to present decomposed bodies for viewing, is a saint! Thank your for sharing. Your videos are enlightening and educational for me. Not morbid curiosity.
So you're telling me that any zombies who arise from the dead ready to chew my brains literally could not open their mouths because they are sown shut? Good to know.
There is no preservation without aggradation, Like charges repel, Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell, and Embalming coagulates protein. Thanks, this is all I need to know to graduate college
I remember when my grandmother had cancer. Towards the end she was emaciated and extremely yellow from jaundice. When I saw her at the funeral she looked pink and plump as she had in life and I wondered how she was transformed. Thank you for clearing up my confusion.
My dad passed away last month.He had skin cancer tumors on the right side of his face.He didn't want people to see it when he alive, and especially after he died. someday.They did a wonderful job removing the tumors and rebuilding his face.I just wish he would have got to see how good it looked.
Even if they could've removed it,he had leukemia nearly twenty years,and had just gotten diagnosed with lymphoma in his lungs.He was a fighter.I'm just glad his viewing went as he would've wanted it to.
As a hospice nurse my work can involve post-mortem care. As I wait for the funeral home to arrive the post-mortem care can involve bathing, addressing odors, applying simple cosmetic, and dressing the body, especially in situations when the body is going to a direct cremation provider. In other words, this will be the last time loved ones see the body. Thank you for providing better understanding of funeral director services.
I was a nursing assistant in a full-care facility. We always honored our patients by lovingly washing them, dressing their hair, and changing them into fresh clothing before the mortician arrived. Of the several deaths I attended over the years, no family members were present, but if they had been, I would have asked if they wanted to participate. There is something deeply spiritual about taking care of a body after its soul has peacefully departed. On the other hand, despite having been present for dozens of human and animal deaths, when I found my brother's body following his suicide, I could not bring myself to even get close enough to verify that he was truly deceased and not revivable. The person who had searched with me did it instead. My daughter, who had also searched with us, protected and honored his body by throwing rocks at people who showed up to rubberneck when the emergency personnel arrived.
My father just passed and because of you and me watching you, I knew our options for burial so well it scared people. My family didn’t know we could go the straight to cremation, no embalming route. They also didn’t know you could attend the cremation. Thank you. It made a terrible process better
I'm sorry you lost your father. 😞 My mother just passed a few weeks ago and same here. I've learned so much from Catlin. We donated my mom because they can learn from her body and due to pandemic we had no money for cremation. With the donation program it is free and they will cremate her and send her home when they finish.
I lost my mom a couple years ago an I was able to have her aqua-cremated. I attended the procedure. It was oddly healing and I have no regrets. Caitlin was a huge part of my comfort in the whole process. I'm sorry for your loss . . . I hope you find peace.
Joe, I'm so sorry to hear about your loss, and that it was to suicide. I've been in the same terrible pit as your brother. I managed to crawl out, but so many do not. Please know, it's not your fault or anyone else's he took his life. It wasn't out of selfishness or loathing. It was out of his own demons getting the better of him. Do not blame yourself, and do not blame him. Sometimes, the invisible wounds get the better of us, and with the way mental health is stigmatized, especially for men, it can be unbearable. It's okay to cry, to grieve, to mourn however you need to. I can't imagine the pain it must be like, knowing your brother is gone, but please know I am sure he loved you and his family as much as you loved him. He was battling a terrible battle from within, one that it's difficult to conceive of if you haven't dealt with it. Just please know it was not, WAS NOT, your fault - and no, no matter what your thoughts tell you, there may not have been a way to stop it. He would have had to reach out and get the help himself. I'd suggest you talk with someone yourself. Not only are you grieving, there is a higher risk that loved ones of a suicide casualty may end up becoming a statistic, too, falling into depression. It also does tend to run in families. I assume you are, but just in case, I would reach out to someone. Lean on your family. You will need it in this difficult time.
I just lost my father to suicide, as well. I'm sorry for your loss. But I totally agree that I have been much more calm, steady and informed by having watched this channel for a while. Caitlin takes so much of the "fright factor" out, that it's much easier to take care of business.
Caitlin helped to educate me, so when my Mom passed from COVID in January, we were aware that we did not need to spend a fortune on her corpse. It was a terrible ordeal, but going in to the mortuary armed with education made things a little easier. We chose no embalming and the most basic container for the cremation. Everyone has their own ideas on how they want their passed loved ones handled, which I absolutely respect. We just wanted my Mom's ashes. Thank you, Caitlin. ❤
@@cflotronsong No, we didn't get much push back at all. My father and I discussed what we wanted beforehand and kept on track. The funeral director respected our choices once she understood we knew what we wanted.
I'm so glad our local funeral director is a family friend so he's never been a dick about any funeral cost but my Grandpa passed away when he was visiting my Aunt in another province and the funeral director there told my Aunt she "must not love her father if she wants only the basic package!" He wanted to be cremated he didn't want us to spend money on a casket and he'd had an Urn custom made for him and my grandma (who passed before him). All that was required from the funeral home was the cremation process and a container to take the ashes home on the plane and he was a total f**cking dick.
She’s tall, but where I’m from she wouldn’t really stand out. The AVERAGE heights over here in 2018 were 181.95 cm = 5’-11.6” for men, and 168.6 cm = 5’-6.4” for women.
@@annieinwonderland694 Damn.. I can actually say that it's being going really good here in Norway. It's not long ago at all we got out of lockdown, and especially in the capitol of Norway where I live, Oslo, ad well as the other big cities, and a few small ones, lockdown have lasted just about almost two straight years now, leaving out a few reopening periods that never lasted more than a couple of weeks (except summer of 2020 for about 2 months or so..). So we've had HARD restrictions from early on, way before it even reached the US and started spreading there, so... yup. Fun times. Now tho, only young people are left to be vacvinated and it's going good, I had my 1st Phizer-shot just about a week ago. Now finally, we've actually reopened most places to at least near full capacity or even full capacity, depending on how many people are gathering. Mask mandates have finally dropped as well! As long as our young population continues getting vaxxed, it really does seem like it's as close to over as we can get.. ***knock on wood, holy smokes..*** the Delta variant is scary tho, considering both young people and vaccinated people gets much more easily infected by that variant.. sheesh. Let's just hope that our young population continues being highly willing to cooperate as we've been really good at the entire time, this can turn out great for us! This is the FIRST TIME I've felt even a glimmer of hope, and I'm actually seeing a light at the end of the tunnel now. We're so close, and it's so incredibly great! I've gotta say, I'm really proud of how we've all managed to stick this through, despite having such huge lockdowns for 2 years now. Truly. We managed so well to be selfless enough, (almost) each and every one of us to work hard to get to where we are now. Taking this as seriously as we did, especially us in Oslo who's had THE WORST outbreak and restrictions from the very beginning is such a good accomplishment. Each and every one of us really stepping up to the plate without making a fuzz about it, just knowing that we're doing this as a community service; all for one, one for all really made the fight so much easier. Gosh, I'm proud of you Oslo!! And the rest of the country of Norway as well, tho lol.. just think that we, the people of Oslo, have done the most hard and sufficient work, allowing me to give myself and the rest of my city's people extra credit. That credit surely is as due as it gets. Well done to us, and to everyone else still doing our part for our city, our country, and all of our globe. We're not done and out of the trenches until we all are, united. We can't forget that.
I seriously thought about becoming a mortician years ago, but I changed my mind after doing so much research. For me it was too personal, and my personality clashed with what it takes. So with a lot of respect I walked away lol, morticians are some thing special...like me I’m a trucker always have been and that’s where I belong.
Well now I'm *definitely* going green. I'm actually weirdly comforted by the thought of my gut bacteria, after having helped me digest food for so many years, finally breaking free and digesting me, too. My little friends. I don't wanna be embalmed and kill them! :(
Yelp review of embalming: 5 stars (1 review) All corpses: Caitlyn: "I'm not going to lie, this is so relaxing and nice. I'm having a great time." (4:55)
My dad passed away from cancer just a little bit ago and it had left him looking aged and sickly beforehand. We had him embalmed and the mortician did a wonderful job making him look bright and healthier like before he had cancer. This video was not just informative but surprisingly helpful and therapeutic in this time.
People will totally freak out over the idea of having their organs removed for donation to save someone's life, but then turn around be like, "I'm getting embalmed so my family can see me how God made me" and not even acknowledge their organs are going to get liposuctioned out after a dye job.
Yeah cause we're largely uninformed. I'm a registered organ donor, but like... so reluctant about it. It honestly freaks me out so much, but I also think once I die it probably won't bother me and it could make a huge difference to someone, so... well, here I am. I'd prefer to be cremated "intact" and not be allowed to decompose or be cut into, but if it saves a life and I don't need it and I'm just gonna burn it, like... I'm SO creeped out but how can I say no?
@@bumblebee560 Exact same here! Something about being fully cremated sounds best because at least ill know all of my body is in one place and no pieces are lost, but its odd how it seems less scary when id be dead anyways lol. I think its just freaky to imagine my body ever being separate and not intact, its like the moment my physical form doesnt exist is when im forced to imagine myself as truly dead.
No i dont think it's that it's more the fact the thought of being completely cut open and sewn back together. I think alot of people want to be remembered and last after they are gone (weird thing) yet most of us will be forgotten in 3 generations. It's a but like being scared of planes yet it's more likely you'll get in a car crash........ irrational thoughts usually because of fear
I'm 11 turning 12 in like, 12 days and I've always loved the idea of being a mortician, and just having the power to help families and work with bodies. You're content makes me excited to learn about it. Thank you! Xx
@@katscratchfever3506 thank you. I definitely won't haha, I've been set on being a mortician for 2-3 years now, and money just doesn't seem like a big thing to me at the moment.
The funeral home was absolutely brilliant with my dad, especially considering that the hospital left him in his room unrefrigerated for 8 hours before they were able to pick him up. Not only did they PERFECTLY balance his skin against any discoloration, they allowed me to check how he looked before my mom saw him. I am forever grateful to them. It's a true art.
That's pretty sad that he was left unrefrigerated for 8 hours before pickup, and I'm sorry to hear about your dad. But it's lovely to know they did an amazing job regardless. If I might ask, was he a COVID casualty, or was it another cause of death? Did he at least die peacefully?
Oh that's rough, I'm so sorry. Good on you for protecting your mother. Are YOU okay? Make sure you talk to friends or even a therapist if you need to. I'm sorry for your loss. ❤
I was hired at a mortuary which I found out left their bodies in the hot crematory (the room, not the retort chamber) for days on end. I reported them to the state funeral board and was blown off. They were in cahoots with them as the owner had a family friend on the board 🙄 Nothing was done and all I could do was quit. No other entity cared either. Worst state funeral board in the nation by far. Very negligent and repulsive 😡
@@shawnaaustin3396 what is the name? Start name dropping it online like this and start getting people demanding accountability from them, or at least forcing some action by 2ay of reducing income and customers to their facility
As a massage therapist, I have to say Monica's got her massage moves down even if it is post death for embalming. I think that's a really cool bit I never knew. Loving that you guys got to collab again!
We just buried my grandfather, and we chose not to have him embalmed, in part because of what I learned from you both. Thank you for your knowledge, enthusiasm, humor, and empathy.
It is so heartwarming to see how gently Monica placed your hands at the end of the video, with so much care and respect - this made me a bit emotional) because this shows that she treats all of her clients like that and it's great to have your loved ones in such caring hands after they passed...
Ask-a-Mortician Question: When a person wants a green burial, do they need to be off of medications for a certain amount of time before death? How do you keep any meds or chemicals in a body from impacting the environment?
This is interesting to think about, when I was a vet tech I'd assist the veterinarian during euthanasia which is most often a lethally high dose of pentobarbitol or phenytoin, which weirdly enough are seizure meds but can cause issues if the animal is not buried properly as it can also be toxic to wildlife that might consume the animal after death (including insects and other decomposers) so we'd always push for cremation. I wonder for those receiving lethal injection would be the procedure for that too?
This is really interesting, but has also REALLY solidified my decision in favour of a green funeral. I know I won't really be there to experience it, but even still the idea of someone doing this to my body is utterly horrifying.
My father couldn’t talk the final year of his life due to oral cancer. He had printed pencils with his name….his hands just looked so empty in the casket….I just had to do it. He would have approved. I could here his voice in my head saying, “good god so much makeup I look like a street walker”. A card to the end and beyond.
That’s a great story. My grandma passed away with oral cancer & I did her makeup at her funeral. She looked beautiful. All of my great aunts, and older ladies at the funeral were standing around talking about how great she looked. My mom blurted out that I was actually the one who did her makeup. All I heard was a bunch of gasping then they walked up to me and were like “Mija, will you do me? Please? You have to do me when I die!” I guess I’m obligated now.
@@liz5773 We buried my dad with the urn containing his feline "grandson" Mac's ashes tucked into his arm, and I brought homemade chocolate chip oatmeal cookies and some of the catnip that he grew for Mac in separate baggies that were put in his pockets--it occurred to me while I was running around packing to go home and deal with things that the two of them ought to each have a snack along the way. He also got to wear his favorite official Red Sox hat (bought at the official souvenir store); sometimes I wish we'd kept it, but he did love that hat that I got him so much that it just seemed like the right thing to do.
When my mother died the mortician kept calling my dad and me to come in and see the great job he had done on my mother. Now I understand why he wanted to show off his work!
I want to publicly thank you for your honest and open discussion of death and the funeral industry. I never knew that watching your videos (and your appearances elsewhere) could be so helpful. My wife recently passed away and the things I learned from you helped me navigate my way through her final arrangements. She had asked to be cremated,which I honored. I was able to make many of the other necessary choices more easily because of your videos.
Also.... Caitlin got a massage, so it's only fair she gives a spa day in return (I assume there's not as much massaging involved, but I'm sure there's essential oils and nice pillows)
Licensed massage therapist here and it’s so awesome that this video helps inform that you should always massage toward the heart because it helps blood flow! That is one of the BIGGEST things I tell people when they’re learning massage from me, even on a casual basis just to help friends and family. Always always ALWAYS massage toward the heart!! (Also going the other way on extremities normally strips muscle but that’s a different comment for a different day)
Grew up in a small southern town. We always knew what mortuary the family had chosen by the appearance of the person being buried. It is truly an art form.
There's only one funeral home in the town I grew up in, to the point where the owner was referred to as 'The Pilot' Surname. Meant that people weren't so much guessing who the family went with as, whether they'd asked for a lot of work to be done and how good a job they'd done. Eg "Oh, she looked great, they did a lovely job on her, you'd hardly even know." Embalming isn't really much of a thing here in Ireland, funerals take place inside of 3 days generally unless there's a delay on the post-mortem for whatever reason.
@@niamhybeagable here in the US south it's usually a viewing within 2 or 3 days, the funeral the next day. The highest compliment is, lord did you see aunt pearl?? She just looked like she was sleepin didn she? Bless her soul.
@@Falanu I grew up in the atmosphere of a family run funeral home. We actually used to have family reunions (the ones where nobody actually died) there.
@@Falanu As kids, we used to play hide and seek all over the building (except the "work room". We were never allowed in there. I had one crazy aunt who decided to test the coffins out one year for comfort and she actually took a cat nap in one.
@@kdbee6086 omg it's my dream to buy one of these places one day and change NOTHING but the zoning. I'll have a coffin in the bedroom, the workroom will stay as is, and a plastinate that may have to nap there since a coffin won't hold two. 🧛🏾⚰️☠️🩸🪦❤️🧟
I’m so grateful for this channel. I’ve been interested in death care for a long time and the idea of what makes a good death. My Nan passed away recently with my mum holding her hand and I was honoured to have spent a week by her side, holding her hand, swabbing her mouth and helping her ease into her final days. It was the most perfect death and your videos really helped me to understand and be ok with everything that was happening.
i know caitlin is alive, but you can tell she's so careful and respectful with the people she takes care of...the way she closes her eyes at 13:02 is so gentle 🥺
My prof in my Death and Dying in Cross Cultural Perspectives class sent us here to learn things but little does she know that she's started an obsession in me♡
Congrats! That's a big achievement! I didn't meet the requirements for my local one so I decided to study forensic chemistry instead. Best of luck in your future studies!
Congrats to you! Get plenty of sleep now because the curriculum can get grueling. You'll need to memorize & retain a ton of material. If you don't know medical terminology now, please get acquainted with it. Good luck!
I am a licensed massage therapist, and it made me laugh when she was "massaging" your arm and hand. This made me laugh because we had a woman in my class that mentioned that she came from a family of funeral directors. She said that she had seen this process seen many times.
@@laurenrobson46 I love what I do! Depending on what state you live in, the schooling can be quite grueling. Here in NY it's 1000 hours of class time, 100 hours of clinic time, and 12 hours of community service time.
@@amandakohler8810 I was talking to my massage therapist about it here in Wisconsin and she didn't tell me too much about it being grueling, but she said it was 6 months of classes at like $12,000 lol
@@laurenrobson46 I did it in 18 months, and it was $15,000. But, I could have done it in 6, but it would have been classes all day long, plus clinic time in the evening on the weekends.
This was very confronting in terms of the very honest, clear descriptions of what's being done. But still light hearted and accessible to anyone who wants to understand the process. Wonderfully educational. She is truly doing the most to destigmatize talking about death. We stan a fake-embalmed legend. 💕
Thank you for your education on death and burial options. I cannot tell you how much it helped when my daddy died in June. I knew what our options were. The pain is still there, but you’ve literally been cathartic. The death of a parent was my worst fear.
I find the idea of the all over body massage after death kind of comforting. Like, it really has a “be at peace” self care kinda vibe to it. Kinda wholesome
I just finished watching the Haunting of Hill House (Netflix TV series)... one of the characters is a mortician, and she went on and on about how embalming keeps a body beautiful forever (the same claim was made in the Netflix docu series called The Staircase) and I yelled at the TV both times with "That's not what Caitlin says! And she knows EVERYTHING, idiots!"
I believe that scene in Hill House was when she was explaining death to that young boy who was already highly uncomfortable. Any more honesty would have been too much for a child.
as someone who's been to at least like 20 funerals and watched 2 people die in my 21 years of life this channel has really helped me understand and cope with a lot of things about death I just wanna say thanks for making these videos edit: sorry i just like said the same sentence twice so i changed it lol
Jesus lad. I though 2 close family members within 7 months of each other was bad. 10 funerals over 35 years, and hoping to go a few more years before I need to see another one. Hopefully you get a good few years before the next one. AskAMortician has definitely helped me a lot, too.
That must have been such a bizarre experience. It was for me just watching it but still very interesting and she has such a way of explaining what she’s doing while “showing” it as well.
@@badkitty4922 I’d name a ska or swing band like that since most people don’t seem to actually know what a trocar is. It would make the band’s name memorable once people found out. LoL
From one Kaitlin to another (Caitlin) I wanted to let you know that you partially inspired me to build my own coffin and throw my own funeral for my BFA thesis! It was a life changing experience
@@dianeaishamonday9125 Yeah it was pretty great!! I think everyone should try having their own funeral at least once in their life because the eulogies my friends gave made me genuinely happy to be alive❤
Caitlin, since I’ve started watching your videos, it’s helped me to deal with my husband’s and moms passing a bit better. I sincerely thank you. I absolutely love the Deathling Den! ❤️❤️❤️
You got my like!! When dad passed, he had pancreatic cancer. He was so yellow and jaundice. After embalming, he looked exactly as he did prior to the cancer finally taking him down. I was very impressed with the work they did on him. I cried my eyes out.
When my grandfather passed away I was at first fine because he had been suffering for so long and was finally pain free. However, after he was embalmed he was my grandpa again and I crying my eyes out.
My Dad had pancreatic cancer as well, and the funeral home we took him to, did a marvelous job. He looked like he was sleeping, right after he passed, at home, we had time with him at home about an hour before the mortuary came to get him. I had time to sit with him on my own, while the family was in the other room talking to the mortuary staff.
My grandfather was the same. He lost so much color from cancer and the cancer treatments. The funeral home was able to bring so much back to his skin and make him look so healthy.
The respect that you both treat the deceased with is something that truly warms my heart. I know it sounds like a must-have trait for morticians, but many forget that these people were alive and breathing at some stage. Just because they’re a corpse now doesn’t mean they weren’t alive before. The dignity and respect that you treat the deceased with is indicative of the kindness you both radiate. You greatly care about the wellbeing of these people and their families. As someone who was exposed to death from a very young age (and someone who wants to work with unidentified decedents) I have always had this curiosity, and I’m so grateful that you guys have taken the time to explain every step. I think every BODY is important - it was someone’s mortal vessel, and you guys do an impressive and beautiful job at restoring these people to who they once were. I love it so, so much. Respect and love to you amazing humans ❤️
Note, if the corpse explains embalming to you, don't embalm them.
For real, I never want to be embalmed!! Just throw me in the oven. Seriously. Do NOT want to be embalmed!!
Ya, I think at that point it's also called murder... But I could be wrong ;)
Yes, don't let bossy boots have their way and control things even while dead.
Omg you said it!!!
@@babycakes1402 it is murder at this point it is called murder charge of a human you are absolutely correct
Ask A Mortician: She Keeps Her Promises
thats why we love her
23k in less than thirty minutes... 😎
24k likes.. c'mon people hit that 👍
Allways
Well yeah! I mean morticians have seen what first hand what people can do if someone doesn’t keep their promises, right?! That’d scare me straight.
"embalming coagulates proteins!" is the mortuary school equivalent to "Mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell!"
"Emia = presence in blood"
Presenting to the emergency room, where we are now... lol
That was exactly what I thought 😆
So it cooks you a little bit? haha
Chubbyemu fans, assemble!
Well now I don't have to fear being buried alive, seems the morticians make double sure that I'm dead.
YUP 😅
So I’m 15 and apparently my preschool teacher heard that I want to be a mortician. It turns out that her husband runs a local funeral home and he’s gonna give me an in-depth tour of said funeral home next week. Personally I’m excited
That’s amazing!!!
Congratulations! Telling people what you want to do & knowing people in that line of work is sooo helpful
How Exciting for you!!!!
Have fun and learn A lot!!!
Omg congrats
I’m excited for you!
Wow can’t believe she actually died for this video, the dedication is astounding.
Wow a spa treatment
Glad she didn't ACTUALLY die!
@@geekygirl2596 what do you mean? She actually died and managed to speak, that takes talent.
F
Danny devito fans unite
"Corpse Explains Embalming To You" should be the title
Hehe yeah but many people would expect to hear the deep voice of the RUclipsr known as "Corpse" or "Corpse Husband" and be semi confused when realizing he wasn't in the video.
@@pinktacoofdoom440 I don’t watch him but he should do this
@@PuffleFuzz a collab would be so iconic
I mean, we're all future corpses I suppose
Corpse in progress?
Buffering corpse?
I fucking died Caitlin is so funny.
I just lost my mom to Alzheimer’s last night. She’s not getting embalmed (closed casket), but I hope she still gets a massage. She deserves one after the last eight years, and she always loved them.
hope youre dealing with grief well, my dad died back when i was 10. sending my love ❤
Hi dear @USMarshmallow, what a lovely thing to wish for your beloved Mother after you probably grieved her slowly "leaving" for 9 long years. I hope everything went as you all planned and hoped for, surrounding the farewell of your Mother. Their Passing can come with such mixed feelings of deep grief & relief, when a Loved One who suffered from any form of Dementia for many years dies.
(My sweet Mom Passed away from Alzheimer's in Feb. 2017 & my dear Dad died of Vascular Dementia in May 2019).
It was such a strange and lovely sight, for my Dad and me, to see my Mother's facial features return to her old familiar shape. After the tortured Dementia grimace, that had plagued Mom, for the last 2 years, had left her face. It once again "was her" ☺️🕊️.
I hope she got the massage
I feel like Monica's choices of phrasing and her hand movements, even when not touching the body, reveal a great respect for the body and the person who used to be...
Absolutely, I mean not many people would dedicate their lives to a career like this without having some respect for it
I totally agree. The other lady seems to
Take everything as a JOKE and it seems so DISRESPECTFUL.
@@synthiabouda1096 I've seen a lot of her videos and I don't get disrespect from her. I see that she's trying to make the processes around death less "taboo," and knowledge is power. I get that it's less palatable to some, though...
@@kristenh1316
Part of the training.
@@janosk8392 obviously but still there are careless and foul people out there who don’t care like this
I keep forgetting that Caitlin isn’t short and is actually an Amazonian death woman
😂
New name for my band: Amazon Death Woman.
This made me google it and I was not prepared, why are all my favorite content producers so tall?
Okay, was anybody gonna tell me that Caitlin is 6'1", or was I supposed to find that out from a RUclips comment myself?
@@clickhere2d1e wait, she’s 6’1!?
As an embalmer who painted my boots pink, I just to say that her colorful instruments are goal ♥
Go! Yes get your happy on :) love it! I LOVE it! It’s a little different but similar in that they are tools I use, I’m a disabled chick and I HATE Hospital grey’ so get your happy whatever that looks like 💖
If my embalmer isn’t covered in rhinestones I don’t want them.
@@gotmybootyout5793 looks like you wont be embalmed then
@@kyupified2440 -A 5-lbs bag of rhinestones and a gallon jug of cyanoacrylate glue disagrees with you.-
Starting hospice now at 38 years old with around 2-3 weeks to live. This is so helpful and needed for me to be able to make the decisions around what I want and what I can accept and what is a hard no. Knowledge is power and control, and this video improves my experience of death.
I will pray for you
❤️❤️❤️❤️ please stay as strong as you are and have been. It’s good this has given some reassurance. You are so very young I’m sorry …just don’t know what to say.
Trust in the Lord, please.
I hope it was painless and that you weren't alone and that you felt safe and that you were as comfortable as could be afforded. I hope you weren't scared. And i hope, in the case of an afterlife, that you're having the greatest fucking time where you are.
Rest In Peace
The way Monica asked Caitlin at the end "you're all done, how do you feel?" was so natural that you'd think she asks that every time.
She might do exactly that. Sounds odd, but I'm sure if that were my occupation, I'd probably talk to my "client" as well. As long as I am not expecting an answer in return....
It reminds me of how a Barbour/hairstylist will ask "how do you like the cut?"
@@falcon.heavy. exactly!
She may ask that every time but how many of her clients give her an answer?
@@dayaautum6983 They all give her the same answer
All the episodes with Monica Torres are great.
She has a channel too!
Yeah, I want to get that massage though on the beach.
@@TheJer1963 Nuh uhhh… Not this 😭
I also enjoy videos w/Monica Torres, also.
Gotta admit I ship them :p
Trusting someone enough to let them gesture with a scalpel that close to the off button.
I choked at off button. Thank you.
I could literally never trust someone that much, that's a whole new level right there
Thank you for this video. I lost my mom during the height of COVID. I was in bed sick, she was in the hospital and died alone. (Did get to FaceTime her about 2 hours before she passed). The funeral parlor advised that she could not be embalmed and it had to be a closed casket. I have been emotionally tormented over that for nearly 2 years. This video actually gave me some peace. She didn’t need to be embalmed. I’m glad she didn’t have to go through that. Thank you for your professionalism and compassion
Claudia Pozzuolo, I’m so sorry about your mom! I lost my son and we opted out of embalming his body because it felt like abuse of a corpse. I also have a friend who lost her mom, during COVID high point, and the funeral parlor made everyone sit in their cars as they buried her mother. Her mom did not have COVID and they still did this! My friend, like you and me are all still traumatized, but knowing we can talk to other people who’ve been through similar losses, temporarily does help. - Terri Kendall, Nashville, TN
My condolences sweetheart. My mom got Covid a few weeks after my dad was diagnosed with cancer and had been sleeping with him the whole time. By the grace of God she made it through and my dad has been cleared from his cancer so far.
@@Pebbles523
Praise the Lord!
I’m so happy you still have your parents!
You have a great testimony. 🙏❤️
@@floydkendall2703 TY so very much. My parents are in their late 70's and they are my best friends and when they are gone, I feel I'm gonna die of a 💔.
@@Pebbles523
I’m so sorry. I pray 🙏 you will have parents that live at least another 30 years.
We all Fred losing our parents. It just doesn’t feel fair, but I know God will receive them if that’s any comfort. 🙏❤️
Knowing the embalming process really is an excellent argument for organ donation because a lot of people cite wanting to be buried with all their parts as a reason to not donate organs. Considering what the trocar does that's not happening anyway.
I’ve had two liver transplants I’m so thankful
Thats exactly what I thought! They get ruined anyway. Let someone else make use of them.
Wow. I used to want to be a transplant coordinator. That's not happening now but I wonder if they ever use that argument when talking to bereaved families. If not, they should.
True, I changed my view with this video.
@@once.5746 same!
I can't believe you made this. This is why we stan.
I don't have any friends because they are ashamed of the videos I upload. Are they really that bad, dear mi
Who's stan?
What does stan mean? I heard this on another video and I don't get it.
@@coyoteartist Basically fanboy / fangirl, but I think the term comes from the Eminem song of the same name.
@@coyoteartist stalker + fan = stan. Also comes from the song “Stan” by Eminem who’s about an obsessed fan. Most people when they use it use it in a more fun way to say “this is why I’m a total fanboy/girl.”
Caitlin on table: "How long is this gonna take?"
"And the nominees for Pushiest Corpse Of The Year are..." [cue same 70s soft porn music used in embalming demo] Was Monica thinking at that moment: "A corpse has NEVER asked me that before!"
"Karen, if you don't settle down and behave, we'll put you RIGHT back among the living!"
I have places to go and things to do ... Oh wait ...
This video enabled me to have a discussion with my husband about whether or not we want to be embalmed before cremation, especially since we will be scattered on our property after cremation. Sitting in our hot tub, we made our decision, no embalming for us, also discussed finer points, like no expensive caskets etc. Thank you for providing the education that you do with hilarity, yet respect.
Hello how are you doing?
"Golden Trocar" very much sounds like a type of coinage in a fantasy novel.
Or a death god's relic. Both would work!
either that of the books McGuffin. for example: "We must form a band of mighty warriors to strom the castle of the Dread Lord and finally reclaim the Golden Trocar"
I think this is a great rock band name!
Should put a notch on it for each embalming completed.
Would have made Golden Compass a bit more awkward: "Lyra… where exactly did a little girl like you get a trocar?"
Caitlin: "How was your pandemic?"
Monica: "We survived!"
Caitlin (weird facial expression and tired voice): "Exactly"
Dear Death Momma I think we can *ALL* relate to how you're feeling here. 😔
#FückCovid19
Yeah I felt that, however difficult it was (still is here in the UK, where MiniTrump rules supreme) for most of us, it cannot compare to those in the healthcare and deathcare industries. Amazing people who did more than anyone has a right to expect.
I felt her pain and hesitancy in that moment for sure.
@@katbairwell So true!! Respect forever
@@katbairwell I think they all deserve a month at their favorite/dream vacation spot.
I love how they both work for very different situations but they don't step on each other toes and respect each other's way of working. Those funeral industry people hating Caitlin must be fuming
A big applause for you both! I'm 59, terminally ill, (liver), but now I'm feeling better about what happens postmortem. Thank you both deeply, Charlene aka Catlady Redd, & Felina Crimson.
You still alive?
Many prayers to you
@IamOneWithIam your ignorant af ! My grandmother didn't have a drop of alcohol in her life and she passed of cyrosis of the liver . Not everyone has to be a drunk! And your time and your relatives time will come no one is immortal
@@bloodangel19 I guess he passed on...
Could anyone tell me where they store our bodies after they are embalmed us until our funeral and burial?
So I guess I don't have to be afraid anymore of being accidentally buried alive. I just have to be afraid of being trocar-ed alive.
The was en episode of "Bones" where that happened, except the trocar was all wrong.
The trocar was after the blood replacement with the embalming fluids in the arteries, wasn't it? After the massage to ease the rigor mortis and the cleaning. They make the cut by the neck and place the little bomb to extract the blood. THEN, it's the trocar action, if I'm not mistaken. But I get it. I was afraid of the cut, and of waking up too late to stay alive any longer.
Yeah, that was some trip😯
Well, the upside is you won't be "alive" for long past the first trocar insertion ;)
She recently did a thing on that about a person with disabilities.
The “Golden Trocar” sounds like a special service award.
The name of the trophy given to the Mortician of the Year.
I have always thought a trocar sounds like a type of spear used by Roman soldiers. 😂 Either way, blood and fluids ARE the end result.
@@joanodom2104 "trocar" in portuguese means to switch or to change. So it would be the golden switch/change? Sounds weird
Or a tool you'd get in a strange version of Animal Crossing
Or an Alt Rock band.
Since it says "not clickbait", for a fleeting second I thought Caitlin had pre-recorded an intro so when she died her embalming would be filmed, thus, this video. First, I'm relieved that Caitlin is thankfully still amongst the living, and then I remembered that she wouldn't be embalmed in the first place if she were dead. My bad.
🧍
Honestly? I wouldnt put it past her
Patreon only exclusive 😂 if it should happen
@@grrfilter No please 😂😂😂😂
Watch me be wrapped in linen and eaten by gentle foxes
I work at a coroner's office and I investigate deaths and I actively participate in autopsies from a forensic perspective. I appreciate these videos and explanations because I can learn and appreciate the expertise, skills, and compassion that those in the embalming and funeral professions possess. I tie off the neck arteries at autopsies so embalming is easier. I have never witnessed the embalming process or a cremation. The reason that I searched and found this series is because I had a lady who was mummified last week and I was curious about the physiology. The only insects were "coffin flies" (Megaselia scalaris) and a slight decomp odor. I am a career police officer since 1973 and have been doing medicolegal death investigtions for 12 years and I have yet to puke. I approach decomposition from the attitude that everything that is organic dies and that decomposition is a natural process. Further, I do an investigation or assist in an autopsy, it is to provide answers to the families and friends. Monica Torres, who embalms and attempts to present decomposed bodies for viewing, is a saint! Thank your for sharing. Your videos are enlightening and educational for me. Not morbid curiosity.
So you're telling me that any zombies who arise from the dead ready to chew my brains literally could not open their mouths because they are sown shut? Good to know.
Well if they‘re embalmed yes! BUT what if they just die on the street? We‘ll never be safe
And I must scream lol
Actually, a Deseco needle injector is used to secure the mouth.
It reminded me of the zombie in Hocus Pocus. I always wondered why he had to cut his mouth open...
They also couldnt possibly come back to life if embalmed
“Oh, I don’t know, Janice. A little thing called THE PANDEMIC.”
Well there’s my new favourite saying.
And intonation and inflection are SO vital when you say it. 😉
New? This has been a catch-phrase for so many people for far too long. Have you been living as a shut-in for the past year?
BC of Caitlyn... Every female will now be Janice!! Karen is dead... Long live JANICE!
Is “embalming coagulates protein” the mortuary school version of “the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell”?
LOVE IT
@@erinhowett3630 -McDonald’s slogan 🎶
There is no preservation without aggradation, Like charges repel, Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell, and Embalming coagulates protein. Thanks, this is all I need to know to graduate college
@@clottedscream ur username is rad
Make an original comment next time.
I remember when my grandmother had cancer. Towards the end she was emaciated and extremely yellow from jaundice. When I saw her at the funeral she looked pink and plump as she had in life and I wondered how she was transformed. Thank you for clearing up my confusion.
I'm a simple Deathling - I see a Caitlin Doughty notification and I click.
Same
I guess I’ll donate my organs then. No points in keeping them if they are not coming with me.
right? they will become a mush anyway, definitely would make the mortician's work easier lmao
Nobody is cutting me open
@@calipigenia Yes, I thought embalming was less invasive than it is. At least I’ll be ending other people’s suffering instead of making organ juice.
@@SamuelBlack84 make sure you let someone you trust know, so they can intervene in your name if needed
@@once.5746 mmmmmm organ juice tasty
My dad passed away last month.He had skin cancer tumors on the right side of his face.He didn't want people to see it when he alive, and especially after he died. someday.They did a wonderful job removing the tumors and rebuilding his face.I just wish he would have got to see how good it looked.
So sorry for your loss. Skin cancer and cancer in general is sneaky and cruel.
I’m so sorry for your loss. Remember your daddy as happy as he was before stupid cancer. God bless you!
Imma bet that he is already impressed(in the afterlife) as heck with his mortician's work.
If you don't mind me asking, why couldn't he have the tumor removed when he was alive?
Even if they could've removed it,he had leukemia nearly twenty years,and had just gotten diagnosed with lymphoma in his lungs.He was a fighter.I'm just glad his viewing went as he would've wanted it to.
As a hospice nurse my work can involve post-mortem care. As I wait for the funeral home to arrive the post-mortem care can involve bathing, addressing odors, applying simple cosmetic, and dressing the body, especially in situations when the body is going to a direct cremation provider. In other words, this will be the last time loved ones see the body.
Thank you for providing better understanding of funeral director services.
I was grateful for the car our hospice nurse took with my dad. She changed his clothes shaved him. Washed his hair. So thankful.
I was a nursing assistant in a full-care facility. We always honored our patients by lovingly washing them, dressing their hair, and changing them into fresh clothing before the mortician arrived. Of the several deaths I attended over the years, no family members were present, but if they had been, I would have asked if they wanted to participate. There is something deeply spiritual about taking care of a body after its soul has peacefully departed.
On the other hand, despite having been present for dozens of human and animal deaths, when I found my brother's body following his suicide, I could not bring myself to even get close enough to verify that he was truly deceased and not revivable. The person who had searched with me did it instead. My daughter, who had also searched with us, protected and honored his body by throwing rocks at people who showed up to rubberneck when the emergency personnel arrived.
My father just passed and because of you and me watching you, I knew our options for burial so well it scared people. My family didn’t know we could go the straight to cremation, no embalming route. They also didn’t know you could attend the cremation. Thank you. It made a terrible process better
I'm sorry you lost your father. 😞 My mother just passed a few weeks ago and same here. I've learned so much from Catlin. We donated my mom because they can learn from her body and due to pandemic we had no money for cremation. With the donation program it is free and they will cremate her and send her home when they finish.
Cremated without the need to be embalmed. I'll take it
I lost my mom a couple years ago an I was able to have her aqua-cremated. I attended the procedure. It was oddly healing and I have no regrets. Caitlin was a huge part of my comfort in the whole process.
I'm sorry for your loss . . . I hope you find peace.
My dad was cremated and I don't know if I could have attended that for a few reasons.
Sorry for your loss.
I recently lost my brother to suicide. Just wanted to let you know your channel helped make the whole process a bit easier to deal with.
I'm sorry for your loss 💔
Joe, I'm so sorry to hear about your loss, and that it was to suicide. I've been in the same terrible pit as your brother. I managed to crawl out, but so many do not. Please know, it's not your fault or anyone else's he took his life. It wasn't out of selfishness or loathing. It was out of his own demons getting the better of him. Do not blame yourself, and do not blame him. Sometimes, the invisible wounds get the better of us, and with the way mental health is stigmatized, especially for men, it can be unbearable. It's okay to cry, to grieve, to mourn however you need to. I can't imagine the pain it must be like, knowing your brother is gone, but please know I am sure he loved you and his family as much as you loved him. He was battling a terrible battle from within, one that it's difficult to conceive of if you haven't dealt with it. Just please know it was not, WAS NOT, your fault - and no, no matter what your thoughts tell you, there may not have been a way to stop it. He would have had to reach out and get the help himself.
I'd suggest you talk with someone yourself. Not only are you grieving, there is a higher risk that loved ones of a suicide casualty may end up becoming a statistic, too, falling into depression. It also does tend to run in families. I assume you are, but just in case, I would reach out to someone. Lean on your family. You will need it in this difficult time.
I'm so sorry for your loss 💔
It's rough losing loved ones, especially to suicide.
So sorry for you loss. Sending love and positivity. I lost a best friend from the same thing. Stay strong
I just lost my father to suicide, as well. I'm sorry for your loss. But I totally agree that I have been much more calm, steady and informed by having watched this channel for a while. Caitlin takes so much of the "fright factor" out, that it's much easier to take care of business.
Caitlin helped to educate me, so when my Mom passed from COVID in January, we were aware that we did not need to spend a fortune on her corpse. It was a terrible ordeal, but going in to the mortuary armed with education made things a little easier. We chose no embalming and the most basic container for the cremation. Everyone has their own ideas on how they want their passed loved ones handled, which I absolutely respect. We just wanted my Mom's ashes. Thank you, Caitlin. ❤
Did you get alot of push back from the funeral director?
@@cflotronsong No, we didn't get much push back at all. My father and I discussed what we wanted beforehand and kept on track. The funeral director respected our choices once she understood we knew what we wanted.
Sorry for your loss
Sorry for your loss :( may she rest in peace
I'm so glad our local funeral director is a family friend so he's never been a dick about any funeral cost but my Grandpa passed away when he was visiting my Aunt in another province and the funeral director there told my Aunt she "must not love her father if she wants only the basic package!"
He wanted to be cremated he didn't want us to spend money on a casket and he'd had an Urn custom made for him and my grandma (who passed before him). All that was required from the funeral home was the cremation process and a container to take the ashes home on the plane and he was a total f**cking dick.
the way she was really putting all those sharp things near you was just killing me. you're so brave
Always forget how tall Caitlin is until she's standing next to someone who isn't six feet tall. Tall goth queen!
A lot of "Miranda" vibes.
🤫 Shhhh, we mustn't let Markiplier find out 😳
She’s tall, but where I’m from she wouldn’t really stand out.
The AVERAGE heights over here in 2018 were 181.95 cm = 5’-11.6” for men, and 168.6 cm = 5’-6.4” for women.
Is she really 6 feet tall or is the other women really short?
@@elizabethkeen7851 She's really six feet tall. Watch her Ted Talks
C: "¿How was your pandemic?"
M: "We survived"
Best short straight answer.
In the case of the UK "so far". Sigh.
@@starlinguk Same in the US, even though everyone is behaving as though it never happened.
@@starlinguk as in Australia we are going into lockdowns in some states again, not long untill a full lockdown
@@annieinwonderland694 Damn.. I can actually say that it's being going really good here in Norway. It's not long ago at all we got out of lockdown, and especially in the capitol of Norway where I live, Oslo, ad well as the other big cities, and a few small ones, lockdown have lasted just about almost two straight years now, leaving out a few reopening periods that never lasted more than a couple of weeks (except summer of 2020 for about 2 months or so..). So we've had HARD restrictions from early on, way before it even reached the US and started spreading there, so... yup. Fun times.
Now tho, only young people are left to be vacvinated and it's going good, I had my 1st Phizer-shot just about a week ago. Now finally, we've actually reopened most places to at least near full capacity or even full capacity, depending on how many people are gathering. Mask mandates have finally dropped as well! As long as our young population continues getting vaxxed, it really does seem like it's as close to over as we can get.. ***knock on wood, holy smokes..*** the Delta variant is scary tho, considering both young people and vaccinated people gets much more easily infected by that variant.. sheesh. Let's just hope that our young population continues being highly willing to cooperate as we've been really good at the entire time, this can turn out great for us! This is the FIRST TIME I've felt even a glimmer of hope, and I'm actually seeing a light at the end of the tunnel now. We're so close, and it's so incredibly great!
I've gotta say, I'm really proud of how we've all managed to stick this through, despite having such huge lockdowns for 2 years now. Truly. We managed so well to be selfless enough, (almost) each and every one of us to work hard to get to where we are now. Taking this as seriously as we did, especially us in Oslo who's had THE WORST outbreak and restrictions from the very beginning is such a good accomplishment. Each and every one of us really stepping up to the plate without making a fuzz about it, just knowing that we're doing this as a community service; all for one, one for all really made the fight so much easier. Gosh, I'm proud of you Oslo!! And the rest of the country of Norway as well, tho lol.. just think that we, the people of Oslo, have done the most hard and sufficient work, allowing me to give myself and the rest of my city's people extra credit. That credit surely is as due as it gets. Well done to us, and to everyone else still doing our part for our city, our country, and all of our globe. We're not done and out of the trenches until we all are, united. We can't forget that.
Can't have been bad for business...
“Weirdly not clickbait” lol. ❤️
Hıxlmufıfı
I seriously thought about becoming a mortician years ago, but I changed my mind after doing so much research. For me it was too personal, and my personality clashed with what it takes. So with a lot of respect I walked away lol, morticians are some thing special...like me I’m a trucker always have been and that’s where I belong.
Well now I'm *definitely* going green. I'm actually weirdly comforted by the thought of my gut bacteria, after having helped me digest food for so many years, finally breaking free and digesting me, too. My little friends. I don't wanna be embalmed and kill them! :(
Heh that’s a cute way of looking at it
The little prisoners, finally set free.. well I guess that's a life sentence for ya
My thoughts exactlyyy
I have always wanted to go green. It just feels like the most natural way to go.
ive had various chronic stomach issues so i'm the opposite. i would love nothing more than to give a final "fuck you" to my stomach lol
This is why i love Catlin. She is actually lying on the table where embalming is done. Amazing! She kept her word.
Yelp review of embalming: 5 stars (1 review)
All corpses:
Caitlyn: "I'm not going to lie, this is so relaxing and nice. I'm having a great time." (4:55)
*slow clap*
My dad passed away from cancer just a little bit ago and it had left him looking aged and sickly beforehand. We had him embalmed and the mortician did a wonderful job making him look bright and healthier like before he had cancer. This video was not just informative but surprisingly helpful and therapeutic in this time.
People will totally freak out over the idea of having their organs removed for donation to save someone's life, but then turn around be like, "I'm getting embalmed so my family can see me how God made me" and not even acknowledge their organs are going to get liposuctioned out after a dye job.
Yeah cause we're largely uninformed. I'm a registered organ donor, but like... so reluctant about it. It honestly freaks me out so much, but I also think once I die it probably won't bother me and it could make a huge difference to someone, so... well, here I am. I'd prefer to be cremated "intact" and not be allowed to decompose or be cut into, but if it saves a life and I don't need it and I'm just gonna burn it, like... I'm SO creeped out but how can I say no?
@@bumblebee560 Exact same here! Something about being fully cremated sounds best because at least ill know all of my body is in one place and no pieces are lost, but its odd how it seems less scary when id be dead anyways lol. I think its just freaky to imagine my body ever being separate and not intact, its like the moment my physical form doesnt exist is when im forced to imagine myself as truly dead.
I'll donate it so I could live on one way or another 😃👍
@@disgusted2704 That's a good way of thinking about it!
No i dont think it's that it's more the fact the thought of being completely cut open and sewn back together. I think alot of people want to be remembered and last after they are gone (weird thing) yet most of us will be forgotten in 3 generations. It's a but like being scared of planes yet it's more likely you'll get in a car crash........ irrational thoughts usually because of fear
1:12
"Exactly"
The tone in her voice is a woman who has seen some serious stuff this last year
When?
@@Julleo12 1:09 and further
I was surprised by how much of embalming is corpse massage!
I'm 11 turning 12 in like, 12 days and I've always loved the idea of being a mortician, and just having the power to help families and work with bodies. You're content makes me excited to learn about it. Thank you! Xx
Just the age for Addams Family reruns.
What a great path to follow! Just don’t fall down the hole of greed. Remember why you started. And you’ll do great 💜
@@katscratchfever3506 thank you. I definitely won't haha, I've been set on being a mortician for 2-3 years now, and money just doesn't seem like a big thing to me at the moment.
@@aaronfreeman5264 pardon? I don't get what you're trying to say.
You will always have work.
The funeral home was absolutely brilliant with my dad, especially considering that the hospital left him in his room unrefrigerated for 8 hours before they were able to pick him up. Not only did they PERFECTLY balance his skin against any discoloration, they allowed me to check how he looked before my mom saw him. I am forever grateful to them. It's a true art.
That's pretty sad that he was left unrefrigerated for 8 hours before pickup, and I'm sorry to hear about your dad. But it's lovely to know they did an amazing job regardless. If I might ask, was he a COVID casualty, or was it another cause of death? Did he at least die peacefully?
Oh that's rough, I'm so sorry. Good on you for protecting your mother. Are YOU okay? Make sure you talk to friends or even a therapist if you need to. I'm sorry for your loss. ❤
I was hired at a mortuary which I found out left their bodies in the hot crematory (the room, not the retort chamber) for days on end. I reported them to the state funeral board and was blown off. They were in cahoots with them as the owner had a family friend on the board 🙄 Nothing was done and all I could do was quit. No other entity cared either. Worst state funeral board in the nation by far. Very negligent and repulsive 😡
@@shawnaaustin3396 Utterly disgusting!! Thank you for speaking up and reporting them!!
@@shawnaaustin3396 what is the name? Start name dropping it online like this and start getting people demanding accountability from them, or at least forcing some action by 2ay of reducing income and customers to their facility
Mortician Spa, where you rest in peace. Makeovers and massages.
TAKE MY MONEY!
❤
As a massage therapist, I have to say Monica's got her massage moves down even if it is post death for embalming. I think that's a really cool bit I never knew. Loving that you guys got to collab again!
I really felt that "Massage toward the heart" lol
We just buried my grandfather, and we chose not to have him embalmed, in part because of what I learned from you both. Thank you for your knowledge, enthusiasm, humor, and empathy.
It is so heartwarming to see how gently Monica placed your hands at the end of the video, with so much care and respect - this made me a bit emotional) because this shows that she treats all of her clients like that and it's great to have your loved ones in such caring hands after they passed...
Ask-a-Mortician Question: When a person wants a green burial, do they need to be off of medications for a certain amount of time before death? How do you keep any meds or chemicals in a body from impacting the environment?
Awesome question! I’ve been wondering that too
I would think only very strong cytotoxic drugs might pose an issue. Interesting question.
This is interesting to think about, when I was a vet tech I'd assist the veterinarian during euthanasia which is most often a lethally high dose of pentobarbitol or phenytoin, which weirdly enough are seizure meds but can cause issues if the animal is not buried properly as it can also be toxic to wildlife that might consume the animal after death (including insects and other decomposers) so we'd always push for cremation. I wonder for those receiving lethal injection would be the procedure for that too?
Good Q. It might depend on the meds?
This is an interesting question. I would like to hear the answer to it.
"You can't embalm a living person on RUclips, come on! That's only for my Patreon... kidding! I'm kidding!" - It's actually for her OnlyFans.
got a Necrobabes vibe from that xD
Dark af😂😂😂
LMAO You won this comment section!
And here Iam sitting in a train, giggling xD
Also currently streaming on Twitch 😂
This is really interesting, but has also REALLY solidified my decision in favour of a green funeral. I know I won't really be there to experience it, but even still the idea of someone doing this to my body is utterly horrifying.
What is horrifying? You won't be there, won't have knowledge of it nor would you feel a thing!
I agree I'd rather just turn to dust and be spread somewhere beautiful back in nature
The Golden Trocar is going to be the name of my Death Cleric Guild in my campaign.
I'm sorry, but I'm also stealing this idea for my next Grave Cleric. It's such a good idea
My father couldn’t talk the final year of his life due to oral cancer. He had printed pencils with his name….his hands just looked so empty in the casket….I just had to do it. He would have approved. I could here his voice in my head saying, “good god so much makeup I look like a street walker”. A card to the end and beyond.
That’s a great story. My grandma passed away with oral cancer & I did her makeup at her funeral. She looked beautiful. All of my great aunts, and older ladies at the funeral were standing around talking about how great she looked.
My mom blurted out that I was actually the one who did her makeup. All I heard was a bunch of gasping then they walked up to me and were like “Mija, will you do me? Please? You have to do me when I die!” I guess I’m obligated now.
i love this. a father figure of mine was buried with his costco membership card tucked in his shirt pocket. it’s really the little things.
@@liz5773 We buried my dad with the urn containing his feline "grandson" Mac's ashes tucked into his arm, and I brought homemade chocolate chip oatmeal cookies and some of the catnip that he grew for Mac in separate baggies that were put in his pockets--it occurred to me while I was running around packing to go home and deal with things that the two of them ought to each have a snack along the way. He also got to wear his favorite official Red Sox hat (bought at the official souvenir store); sometimes I wish we'd kept it, but he did love that hat that I got him so much that it just seemed like the right thing to do.
When my mother died the mortician kept calling my dad and me to come in and see the great job he had done on my mother. Now I understand why he wanted to show off his work!
I want to publicly thank you for your honest and open discussion of death and the funeral industry. I never knew that watching your videos (and your appearances elsewhere) could be so helpful. My wife recently passed away and the things I learned from you helped me navigate my way through her final arrangements. She had asked to be cremated,which I honored. I was able to make many of the other necessary choices more easily because of your videos.
Yes! We finally got her embalmed! Now she can remain young FOREVER.
This is Caitlin's first step to becoming the Lich Queen of Everything.
Like Evita Peron? (Not like Lenin, I hope).
Now Caitlin can keep up with her hair
* sees tittle *
* drops everything I have *
Oh, I gotta see this.
Gotta love tittles
Literally
What did you drop though? 🤔
@@Day1onDay1 Hahah, a shovel (don’t ask what for)😅
@@emilycottingham99 🤣🤣🤣❣️
It would be awesome if Monica went to LA to have Catlin demonstrate how she as a mortician would care for her
I think this would be epic!
It's like that show Wife Swap, but for funerals!
Yes!!!!!
yes i love that idea
Also.... Caitlin got a massage, so it's only fair she gives a spa day in return (I assume there's not as much massaging involved, but I'm sure there's essential oils and nice pillows)
Licensed massage therapist here and it’s so awesome that this video helps inform that you should always massage toward the heart because it helps blood flow! That is one of the BIGGEST things I tell people when they’re learning massage from me, even on a casual basis just to help friends and family. Always always ALWAYS massage toward the heart!! (Also going the other way on extremities normally strips muscle but that’s a different comment for a different day)
This was like a very dark Mister Rogers field trip, and I am here for it. I really appreciate learning about this compassionate work that you do.
I literally watched Its A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood yesterday and still in tears.
Wow, Caitlin. This is going above, beyond, sideways and every-which-way. You are amazing.
She sure is!!!
and now I'm singing every which way but loose
right turn, Clyde
In a fan-like motion. 🖤
Above, Beyond & To the Grave!!!
Grew up in a small southern town. We always knew what mortuary the family had chosen by the appearance of the person being buried. It is truly an art form.
There's only one funeral home in the town I grew up in, to the point where the owner was referred to as 'The Pilot' Surname. Meant that people weren't so much guessing who the family went with as, whether they'd asked for a lot of work to be done and how good a job they'd done. Eg "Oh, she looked great, they did a lovely job on her, you'd hardly even know."
Embalming isn't really much of a thing here in Ireland, funerals take place inside of 3 days generally unless there's a delay on the post-mortem for whatever reason.
@@niamhybeagable here in the US south it's usually a viewing within 2 or 3 days, the funeral the next day. The highest compliment is, lord did you see aunt pearl?? She just looked like she was sleepin didn she? Bless her soul.
Only you two can make an embalming look like a spa day!
I suppose it is a spa day for them. I adore this industry
@@Falanu I grew up in the atmosphere of a family run funeral home. We actually used to have family reunions (the ones where nobody actually died) there.
@@kdbee6086 that's great! Those buildings are conducive to hosting, entertaining, living, and "unliving" or whatever it is they do ☺️
@@Falanu As kids, we used to play hide and seek all over the building (except the "work room". We were never allowed in there. I had one crazy aunt who decided to test the coffins out one year for comfort and she actually took a cat nap in one.
@@kdbee6086 omg it's my dream to buy one of these places one day and change NOTHING but the zoning. I'll have a coffin in the bedroom, the workroom will stay as is, and a plastinate that may have to nap there since a coffin won't hold two. 🧛🏾⚰️☠️🩸🪦❤️🧟
“Thats only for my patreon”
Me, alone on a boat with half a nectarine in my mouth
“I love you”
Embalming OnlyFans?
Embalming tools: Normal cosmetic surgery, but if you do it to a live human, they die!
If you embalm a living person twice the second time will always work
It’s so rad that two woman with different mentalities of what to do with our dearly departed can respect each other’s input and output. Love it!
Ghouls in general tend to get along.
I couldn’t have said it better
I’m so grateful for this channel. I’ve been interested in death care for a long time and the idea of what makes a good death. My Nan passed away recently with my mum holding her hand and I was honoured to have spent a week by her side, holding her hand, swabbing her mouth and helping her ease into her final days. It was the most perfect death and your videos really helped me to understand and be ok with everything that was happening.
Monica seems just so gentle and tender. I hope my mortician is like that
I am so nauseous with morning sickness but determined to watch the whole video.
Aw congratulations!! 🎉 I hope you have a safe and healthy pregnancy!
you are not alone 😂😂🤢
Congratulations! I’m nauseous from endometriosis pain, but determined to watch!
Congrats
Congratulations!
i know caitlin is alive, but you can tell she's so careful and respectful with the people she takes care of...the way she closes her eyes at 13:02 is so gentle 🥺
My prof in my Death and Dying in Cross Cultural Perspectives class sent us here to learn things but little does she know that she's started an obsession in me♡
GUYS I got into the actual mortuary program at my school im starting this fall I can't wait for the real stuff to begin 😭❤️
Congratulations from Down Under! I’m really pleased for you, and hope it’s all you want it to be.
Congrats! That's a big achievement! I didn't meet the requirements for my local one so I decided to study forensic chemistry instead. Best of luck in your future studies!
Congrats to you! Get plenty of sleep now because the curriculum can get grueling. You'll need to memorize & retain a ton of material. If you don't know medical terminology now, please get acquainted with it. Good luck!
Thanks for all your support yall!! I learned basic medical terms and all that fun stuff in the prerequisites! 😀
Congratulations!
I am a licensed massage therapist, and it made me laugh when she was "massaging" your arm and hand. This made me laugh because we had a woman in my class that mentioned that she came from a family of funeral directors. She said that she had seen this process seen many times.
We need a crossover episode now, lol.
Would you recommend being a licensed massage therapist? I'm a teacher but would like to become a massage therapist for summers and weekends
@@laurenrobson46 I love what I do! Depending on what state you live in, the schooling can be quite grueling. Here in NY it's 1000 hours of class time, 100 hours of clinic time, and 12 hours of community service time.
@@amandakohler8810 I was talking to my massage therapist about it here in Wisconsin and she didn't tell me too much about it being grueling, but she said it was 6 months of classes at like $12,000 lol
@@laurenrobson46 I did it in 18 months, and it was $15,000. But, I could have done it in 6, but it would have been classes all day long, plus clinic time in the evening on the weekends.
This was very confronting in terms of the very honest, clear descriptions of what's being done. But still light hearted and accessible to anyone who wants to understand the process. Wonderfully educational. She is truly doing the most to destigmatize talking about death. We stan a fake-embalmed legend. 💕
Thank you for your education on death and burial options. I cannot tell you how much it helped when my daddy died in June. I knew what our options were. The pain is still there, but you’ve literally been cathartic. The death of a parent was my worst fear.
THE WORLD HAS BEEN WAITING FOR THIS
CAITLYN ALWAYS keeps her word!
#MyHero
✌🏽❤🙏
I find the idea of the all over body massage after death kind of comforting. Like, it really has a “be at peace” self care kinda vibe to it. Kinda wholesome
Nothin like having a custom, engraved, golden, organ vacuum spike.
It’s already on my Christmas list.
Hypnotising. Wow, i was not expecting this to be this interesting, this confronting and this impressive. Thanks so much for the respectful tour.
Me either 😮
I just finished watching the Haunting of Hill House (Netflix TV series)... one of the characters is a mortician, and she went on and on about how embalming keeps a body beautiful forever (the same claim was made in the Netflix docu series called The Staircase) and I yelled at the TV both times with "That's not what Caitlin says! And she knows EVERYTHING, idiots!"
I believe that scene in Hill House was when she was explaining death to that young boy who was already highly uncomfortable. Any more honesty would have been too much for a child.
as someone who's been to at least like 20 funerals and watched 2 people die in my 21 years of life this channel has really helped me understand and cope with a lot of things about death I just wanna say thanks for making these videos
edit: sorry i just like said the same sentence twice so i changed it lol
That is a LOT of funerals... Big family?
Jesus lad. I though 2 close family members within 7 months of each other was bad. 10 funerals over 35 years, and hoping to go a few more years before I need to see another one.
Hopefully you get a good few years before the next one.
AskAMortician has definitely helped me a lot, too.
@@melskunk yeah.. and i'm the youngest
@@victoriashevlin8587 hope you do too. yeah it's an unfortunate part of life, but it's great to be able to be open about it here.
Hope you're doing ok 😊
I can’t believe she actually died for this video
proof that you can't cancel celebrities; even after embalming she'll come back for enough likes
🤣🤣🤣
I would die for that massage
Very reasonable not to believe she actually died…
That must have been such a bizarre experience. It was for me just watching it but still very interesting and she has such a way of explaining what she’s doing while “showing” it as well.
Golden Trocar would be the BEST band name ever.
Death Metal??? 😜🤣🤣🤣🤣😉👍💖
@@badkitty4922 I’d name a ska or swing band like that since most people don’t seem to actually know what a trocar is. It would make the band’s name memorable once people found out. LoL
I love seeing these two together. It's such a good example of "we have different approaches, but we complement each other".
From one Kaitlin to another (Caitlin) I wanted to let you know that you partially inspired me to build my own coffin and throw my own funeral for my BFA thesis! It was a life changing experience
That's epic, bro!
@@dianeaishamonday9125 Yeah it was pretty great!! I think everyone should try having their own funeral at least once in their life because the eulogies my friends gave made me genuinely happy to be alive❤
Interesting! What’s your degree in?!
@@kaylafrost1304 I am currently getting my Bachelors in Art Education with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in printmaking!
Caitlin, since I’ve started watching your videos, it’s helped me to deal with my husband’s and moms passing a bit better. I sincerely thank you. I absolutely love the Deathling Den! ❤️❤️❤️
Hello how’re you doing?
The fact that this is lowkey ASMR is disturbing but also so calming and death positive in full Caitlin style
I thought the same.
You got my like!! When dad passed, he had pancreatic cancer. He was so yellow and jaundice. After embalming, he looked exactly as he did prior to the cancer finally taking him down. I was very impressed with the work they did on him. I cried my eyes out.
When my grandfather passed away I was at first fine because he had been suffering for so long and was finally pain free. However, after he was embalmed he was my grandpa again and I crying my eyes out.
My Dad had pancreatic cancer as well, and the funeral home we took him to, did a marvelous job. He looked like he was sleeping, right after he passed, at home, we had time with him at home about an hour before the mortuary came to get him. I had time to sit with him on my own, while the family was in the other room talking to the mortuary staff.
My grandfather was the same. He lost so much color from cancer and the cancer treatments. The funeral home was able to bring so much back to his skin and make him look so healthy.
This is like Caitlin’s spa day. 🧟♀️
The respect that you both treat the deceased with is something that truly warms my heart. I know it sounds like a must-have trait for morticians, but many forget that these people were alive and breathing at some stage. Just because they’re a corpse now doesn’t mean they weren’t alive before. The dignity and respect that you treat the deceased with is indicative of the kindness you both radiate. You greatly care about the wellbeing of these people and their families.
As someone who was exposed to death from a very young age (and someone who wants to work with unidentified decedents) I have always had this curiosity, and I’m so grateful that you guys have taken the time to explain every step. I think every BODY is important - it was someone’s mortal vessel, and you guys do an impressive and beautiful job at restoring these people to who they once were. I love it so, so much. Respect and love to you amazing humans ❤️