piss poor embalming or decompsition?

Question

My twin sister was buried last week after a heroin overdose. When we saw her body at the viewing she looked awful, even for a corpse. Her skin was a livid gray even through the makeup, her face and upper body swollen. Her mouth I guess, they couldn't close all the way. And as heartless as it sounds to say about my sister, she smelled awful. Like the cats she and I dissected in biology. Did we just hit the shitty mortician jackpot, or was her body and cause of death the problem? We closed the coffin but I keep having nightmares about her face.

Answer 1

Heroin causes an adverse reaction with the embalming fluid, basically negating the fluid altogether and there is nothing that can rectify this. This also occurs with deaths related to methamphetamines and are an embalmers worst nightmare. I can assure you that it was her manner and cause of death for her looking like this, as I have been in this situation before and there is truly nothing we can do about it. My deepest sympathies to you and your family during this trying time.

Answer 2

Embalming Stories

Answer 3

It could actually be a combination of a number of things. First off, they should have sewn the mouth shut "from the inside" so you wouldn't have seen the stitching, giving her a calmer appearance. Another thing, the drugs could have broken down the underlaying tissues that support the skin giving it less elasticity and therefore making it look "older" than she actually was and appearing to be like she was dead longer than she actually was. This would also cause a "thinning" of the skin, causing it to discolor and the embalming fluid would removing any "natural" rosiness or pinkness. So, that was a P1ss poor make-up job by the embalmers. The smell too could have been skillfully covered had someone tried, then again, perhaps their normal people were on vacation. We'll never know. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone else who lost a loved one though and I would write a letter letting them know of my disappointment in the way my loving sister was "sent off." After all, its not HOW she died that is important!!!

Its saying Goodbye that is important. I hope you can move past this and remember her with good memories.

Answer 4

I am very sorry for your loss.I think it is because you will never see her again the way you need to see her and also the very poor job that was done in her makeup is making you have nightmares.First thing...You will never get over your sister's death,especially you two being twins.I am sorry and am not trying to make you feel worse.Please accept the fact that she is gone but on your own terms and time.Even though your sister was going thru some things she was still your sister and always a human.She lost her way but is now found in the ultimate home.She is now watching over you.Second...when you are emotionally strong enough,I would definently complain about how your sister was presented to you and your family at the viewing.She deserved better and so did you and your family.I hope you will come to accept what we cannot change and move on to be stronger.I think your sister would want that.BE BLESSED ALWAYS!

Answer 5

I'm so sorry about your loss. I'm not a twin, but two of my sisters are twins, and I understand that the bond between twins is even stronger than that between non-twin siblings. What a terrible thing for you to see.

I have heard that various drugs cause the changes you saw, so it was probably that and not the mortician.

Could you and your family and friends have a small private remembrance ceremony, where you look at old pictures (from before she began to have drug problems) and share good memories in order to "erase" the horrible scenes of her death? (Remember, your parents must be suffering just as much as you, but in a somewhat different way.) Just laugh and cry with people who love you--my family is Irish, and the older generations have wakes where everyone gets drunk (possible not the best thing to do, but it's what they do), tells stories about the person who has died, sings, laughs, cries, and ends up exhausted but somehow at peace.

Do lean on your friends at this time--they don't know what to do to help you, but they want to do do something.

Answer 6

I am so sorry for your loss. If your nightmares continue, please see a therapist. Try to remember the good times you had with your sister, no matter what age that would be. As for your question, I would say that it was a combination, but mainly, a poor mortician. I know of people that passed away from liver disease and they had jaundice. But, you couldn't tell. There shouldn't have been a smell. With time, you'll forget that, hopefully. Just keep thinking of the good times.

Answer 7

For starters, I'm really sorry that your sister passed away; I'd like to offer my condolences. About your question, it could have been a combination of all things. Since she overdosed, it was likely that it messed up her system quite a bit before her death, so that could have resulted in her strange coloration. It could have also been a bit of decomposition, which probably would not have occurred if the mortician was really good.

Answer 8

First of all, I am so sorry you lost your twin sister!!

I buried my brother last summer (he died the day before my birthday!) - he died of drugs too, 10 years of hard liquor, cocaine and methamphetamines slowly destroyed his heart, and it took two long years for him to pass away.

I really feel for you that your last image of your sister was seeing her poorly embalmed body in the first stages of decompostion. It sounds like the funeral home did a truly awful job of preparing her body for the service.

Bad enough that I think you should sue them.

I'm glad I talked my family into cremating my brother (I don't know if I could have handled seeing what you described!)

Again, I'm sorry for your loss - I know what it's like to lose a sibling to drugs!

Answer 9

I have read some of your previous questions and you have to be one of the most unlucky people in the world. Were you able to get out of the room you were locked in and walk or did a seizure get in the way of your last misfortune. I don't believe you.

Answer 10

It sounds to me like the mortician either cut corners or used cheap materials.Any competent mortician should have been able to make her appear as if she were asleep.