Mortician

What's something about dead bodies that would surprise most people?

Asked by DRathzz about 11 years ago

The two things that were surprising to me, and two things I am confronted with every day, were the smell and the sheer weight of people. The saying is "dead weight" for a reason. I put bodies onto a stretcher, put the stretcher in my van, unload the van at the funeral home, and put the body onto an embalming table at least once a day. Not only are they heavy, but the body on a stretcher or a table is at a strange height from the floor (just above my waist on myself, I'm a little short), so you have to be very careful not to hurt your back, shoulder, or elbow. And don't get me started on getting a body dressed for a funeral. Just imagine dressing an adult male in a three piece suit without any help from him, and without ripping or getting smudges on any of his clothing.

Then there's the smell. Even a person that has recently passed has an odor, especially once you move them around and jostle some of the gases inside of them. A decomposing body is a special kind of horrible smell, like very old chicken mixed with hot garbage. The smell is one thing that I'm very glad embalming takes care of.

When you hear about cases where a guy wakes up alive in a bodybag or a morgue freezer, has there ALWAYS been a mistake made by someone, or is it actually possible for a body to exhibit no vital signs at all, and then regain them later?

Asked by Blueblood about 11 years ago

I'm assuming that you're referring to the case that happened recently in Holmes County, Mississippi. Things like this almost never ever happen these days, because we have technology to moniter the most minute heartbeats, to check for the slightest breath, and to register every little pupil dilation. In this newest case with the Mississippi man named Walter Williams, they're hypothisysing that his pacemaker stopped, and then started again, and he came back to consciousness with the restart of his heart. Now, he was unconscious for about two hours (from what I understand), which means there has almost certainly been some harm done to things like his brain and vital organs from being deprived of oxygen for so long. The fact that he is alive at all really is a miracle. 

Honestly, I'm not a doctor or a coroner, and they are the people that make those final decisions about whether a person is truly dead or not. I know the first signs of a death, like the lips turning blue, no pupil dilations or contractions, no detectable pulse or breath, but a doctor, coroner, or a registered nurse must call the final time of death and diagnose the person as being dead. These people that make these kind of decisions do not make up their mind quickly or haistily in any way, so I do believe that when a person "comes back to life," that they really were originally not showing any detectable signs of life. 

Have you ever been involved in a case where they had to had to dig up a grave for a police investigation? What would a body dug up after 5+ years look like? Just a skeleton?

Asked by Aaron about 11 years ago

I've never been involved in a disinterment personally, but my embalming instructor was involved in a case not long ago. He embalmed a very young girl and, about a year later, she was exhumed because it was suspected that one of her parents actually murdered her. After a year of being buried, she was still very much intact, and the authorities were able to gather the evidence they needed.

If a body is embalmed, it can last fairly intact for some time. It varies from person to person because of things like what condition the body was in when it was embalmed, whether or not the person had been on medications or had been a habitual drug user (especially methamphetamines, those can make embalming almost impossible), or how well the embalming fluid had been distributed throughout the body. There are no guarantees that embalming would prevent a body from decomposing for 10 years, 20 years, etc., but it does slow the decomposing process immensely.

What is "funeral college" like? Not trying to offend, but but what about being a mortician requires years of study? What was the single most difficult part of the program?

Asked by JessicaW about 11 years ago

Funeral college was actually very enjoyable, but surprisingly difficult. Everyone that goes to school there is going to acheive the same goal, so it's easy to find study groups and classmates trying to memorize the same vocabulary words as you :) It's difficult because you're learning a broad range of subjects. It's American History, Pathology, Grief Psychology, History of Funeral Service, and your Embalming clinicals in one day, and you'll have an exam over 3 of those classes the next day. The curriculum is accelerated, so their expectations of their students are quite high.

Personally, the most difficult part of it for me was Accounting. Accounting, and waking up at 5am to drive to school every day, haha.

How soon do you have to start to embalm a body to prevent it from decaying and making an open-casket impossible?

Asked by David1 about 11 years ago

 It really depends on a lot of factors. A body that died this morning in their bed is going to embalm much differently than a body that died this morning in the ocean. Things such as heat, moisture, exposure to the elements or wild animals, & even the person's body fat can cause decomposition to speed up. The rule with embalming is always the sooner, the better. The goal is to preserve and even restore what you can. Embalming really is incredible, in that it can not only disinfect & preserve a body, but it also plumps tissues and restores a rosy quality to the skin.

As far as an open casket goes, as long as any odor is retained, and the deceased's face is viewable, it is acceptable to show the family and friends.

 

Do you do a little of everything when you work at a funeral home? (E.g. embalming, makeup, cremation) What if you specifically want to do one type of work? Are there majors or concentrations in certain areas you can choose when in school?

Asked by minsy about 11 years ago

Almost everyone does a little of everything. I originally went to school mostly interested in mortuary cosmetology, only to find that profession is almost totally phased out because any funeral director who knows anything should be able to cosmetize a body. Employers look for the most useful person to hire; someone who is multitalented and does not have limitations to what they can or can't do. In school, eveyone is taught the same course load. Funeral college is technically a trade school, and (at least in my college) the courses are taught in an "accelerated learning" style, so you're taught 5-7 courses a semester, with a semester lasting 3 months, and 6 semesters total (18 months). Courses taught are:

• Principles of Anatomy I
• Principles of Anatomy II
• Principles of Inorganic Chemistry I
• Principles of Inorganic Chemistry II
• Principles of Embalming I
• Principles of Embalming II
• Principles of Embalming III
• Embalming Clinical Program (goes on throughout 2 semesters)
• Principles of Microbiology I
• Principles of Microbiology II
• Principles of Pathology I
• Principles of Pathology II
• Principles of Restorative Art I
• Principles of Restorative Art II
• Principles of Restorative Art III
• Principles of Accounting
• Computers in Funeral Service
• Funeral Service Management I
• Funeral Service Management II
• Funeral Service Management III
• Small Business Management
• Communication Sklls for Funeral Service
• Sociology of Funeral Service
• Psychology of Funeral Service
• Counseling/Grief Counseling
• History of Funeral Service
• Business Law
• Mortuary Law/Ethics
• United States History to 1865
• United States History from 1865
• English Composition
• Introduction to Literature
• Applied Business Mathematics
• General Psychology
• Comprehensive Survey and Review

How quickly did you get desensitized to death, or have you always been that way even before funeral college?

Asked by teletina about 11 years ago

I think it's been a fairly gradual process. The first time I had ever seen a dead body wasn't until I'd been in mortuary school for almost 9 months. I knew that I wasn't going to be squeamish or anything like that, and you're taught to look at the deceased human body in a very scientific and objective way. Your goal is to make this person look, well... less dead. I've learned to take pride in my work, and there's a very accomplished feeling that comes with fixing whatever may be physically wrong with this person (abrasions on the face, repairing an autopsied body, etc.)

I remember in one of my first cases that I assisted in embalming, I noticed my eyes playing tricks on me. If I stared at the deceased person's chest for a few moments, it would look like their chest was moving up and down, but only for a second.

Do people lose all color in their face when they're dead, and if so how do you make them look normal for an open casket viewing? Is it all just makeup?

Asked by B1 about 11 years ago

People's skin can turn a wonderful rainbow of colors after they've passed. Assuming they are of a lighter complexion, the deceased can become very pale, very cyan blue, very dark red/purple in the face (especially if they've had a heat attack), green, or in special cases of jaundice, just exactly as yellow as a Simpson's character. Even people with darker skin tones can have these color issues, but it's a little less noticable because their skin isn't so translucent. 

In the case of being pale, blue, or green, embalming will take care of that. The embalming fluid rinses out the vessels, while depositing subcutaneous dyes that are usually either tinted pink, to recreate the effect of blood flow under the tissues, or they're sort of a peachy orange color, which is very helpful for people with more of an olive skin tone and creates a bit of a tanned effect. This happens not only in the face, but all over the body, which helps makes things like the arms and hands look a little bit more pleasant for viewing. 

In the case of being a deep red or purple in the face, it is rather tricky. This is usually known as livor mortis, or post mortem stain. It happens when the blood has pooled in one place in the body for several hours, and the hemoglobin (the stuff that makes blood red) has been released from the blood cells and is now trapped in the skin. This stain will not come out, or will only rinse out minimally. This can happen anywhere on the body. In this case, yes, make up will be necessary to recreate a more accurate and pleasant complexion. 

In the case of jaundice, or being very very yellow, special embalming fluids are used to help rectify this problem. Embalming fluids come in different concentrations of formaldehyde. I like to compare it to the proof of different alcohols. A higher proof will contain more formaldehyde and will be stronger, while a lower proof will contain less formaldehyde and will be more gentle. For jaundice, lower proof fluids are used in large amounts, and the vessels are rinsed, letting the fluid cycle into and then out of the body and down the drain. This literally rinses the jaundice coloring out of the body, and when you are finished, the yellow discoloration will be almost, if not entirely, gone. If an embalmer was to accidentally embalm a jaundice body with medium to strong fluid, it would turn the body a deep, stained green, much like the Jolly Green Giant. This green is very bad news, and can only be fixed with a fair layer of cosmetics. 

Something I never understood was how the police could ever tell if there'd been foul play years after a burial, when I assume a non-embalmed body would just be a skeleton. Don't bones decay too? How can you look for subtle signs of foul play then?

Asked by Aaron about 11 years ago

Some things do waste away fairly rapidly. Bones, though, will remain (at least partially) for decades. You can see things in bones like breaks/fractures, or bullet holes. I'm not really trained to check bodies for evidence, though. That may be more of a question for the forensic scientist on here :)

Is it sometimes scary to be around the dead bodies when you're by yourself?

Asked by yellox about 11 years ago

I don't know a better way to describe this, but they're just so dead. When the reality of this person being dead is right in front of you, it's almost hard to believe that they have ever moved before. Now if you're asking about ghosts or anything like that, everyone has their own beliefs about the afterlife. I don't personally think one way or the other about an afterlife, but I am not going to deny that one or two strange things have happened when I'm completely alone in the funeral home. 99.9% of the time, it's completely normal. There have been a handful of times, though, when I hear a door close and when I go to investigate to see who's come in, I'm still alone. And once, I left the embalming room and came back a moment later, and a cabinet door was open that I certainly hadn't had a reason to open that day.

So to answer your question, no, it's not really scary; but sometimes it's a tiny bit creepy.

What's the worst funeral home screw-up you've ever seen? Like the wrong ashes being given to a family, or an embalming that went wrong, etc?

Asked by dan79 about 11 years ago

I have to say, in the few years that I've been embalming, this is the only time that a mistake like this was made. An embalmer double and triple and quadruple checks everything before they start, checking things like identity, making sure the paperwork has been signed by the next of kin stating that they authorize an embalming to be performed, etc. This one particular time, though, the embalming room had been very busy that day, and we were embalming one body after another. I was assisting in embalming, not in charge, so it was not my decision whether or not to embalm different bodies. The head embalmer was in charge of checking paperwork and things like that. So, we were embalming this woman, and we were about halfway done when the phone in the embalming room kept ringing over and over. The phone in the embalming room rings whenever the funeral home is called, and there's another phone at the front desk, so there's no reason really to answer that phone while you're embalming unless it's an emergency, so no one was picking it up. But it kept ringing over and over, so finally, one of the funeral directors came in from the other room and answered it. They spoke to the person on the other line for maybe 20 seconds, then called the head embalmer into the other room to speak to the person on the other line. It turned out the person on the other line was one of the managers, asking if it was true that we were embalming the woman that we were currently embalming. The embalmer said yes, she was almost finished. Apparently, not only was the woman not supposed to be embalmed, but she was a member of the Orthodox Greek church, so she really really wasn't supposed to be embalmed. All we could do was stop what we were doing and clean up our mess. As far as I know, the embalmer was fired, because that is one grievous error that could have been so easily prevented.

Wow your job is pretty cool. Is it what you always wanted to do?

Asked by amber.stafford about 11 years ago

Thanks!! It actually was not what I always wanted to do. My parents always expected their kids to go to college, but I really had no idea what I wanted to go to school for. I had a list of schools to check, mostly cosmetology and aesthetic schools. I'd heard of the state funeral school, and I put it on my list; half as a joke, half because I was really just curious. The open house ended up being so interesting, and everyone there was so helpful and friendly, I settled on trying it out. I loved it, and I actually ended up being pretty good at it. So here I am today :)

What does funeral college teach students about compassion toward a grieving family? Is it better to show a lot of emotion and sympathize with them, or to remain professional, given that you didn't have any connection to their loved one?

Asked by thatguybrian about 11 years ago

In school, we take a couple different classes to help us generally understand the human psyche and the grieving process. Not everyone follows through every step of the grieving process, or sometimes they do but it's out of order, but to be knowledgable about it and to know what to expect helps tremendously when trying to help people out. As far as being emotional vs. remaining professional, that is sort of up to the funeral home's preference. Some businesses prefer their employees to be very compassionate, very sympathetic toward their families, while other businesses would rather you remain more professionally-minded and take on the situation as a leader and as a person these people can depend on.

When you meet people outside of work and you tell them you're a mortician, do they get creeped out or make assumptions about who you are as a person? Has it been a blessing, curse, or a non-issue with regard to you're romantic life?

Asked by AZ Sam about 11 years ago

A lot of people seem surprised when I tell them about what I do. I've heard stories from other funeral directors about people being grossed out or even afraid of them once they hear what they do for a living, but that's never happened to me personally. Almost every time that I mention my work, I immediatly get of questions (like on here, lol) like "Isn't it really sad, though?" or "Aren't you scared or grossed out by that stuff??" People seem to be more curious than afraid, thankfully, and I obviously enjoy answering all kinds of questions.

As far as my romantic life, I was in a relationship before I even started funeral school. My girlfriend thought it was interesting when I told her what I'd be doing, and even though she nearly faints at the thought of blood, she hung in there all through nighttime study sessions, and I'm happy to say we're still together today. The only part of my job that really rubs any part of my relationship the wrong way is my call nights. As you can imagine, people don't just die between 9am-5pm. If you work in a funeral home, you will be on call sometimes, and you will be woken up in the middle of the night on multiple occasions. She doesn't hold it against me or anything, but I'm certain she would prefer that my phone didn't ring over and over and over some nights.

I've been told that my partners body cannot be embalmed. Why would this be?

Asked by Karen almost 11 years ago

Hmm. That's a tough question. If he/she passed away some time ago (like 4+ days) and hadn't been refridgerated, then it would be more difficult or impossible to make him/her presentable and acceptably disinfected for an open casket or a visitation. I cannot speak for the funeral home that you have chosen, though, because everyone's rules are different and every business' definition of "too much" decomposition is different. I also don't know under what circumstances your partner passed. If there were substantial burns sustained, then that is also very very difficult to remedy. It is nearly impossible to say without knowing the specifics of what happened. I'm not asking you to divulge that kind of information over the internet, it's just a decision that hinders on a number of factors. No matter what, though, I am terribly sorry to hear about the loss of someone so close to you.

What's the difference in price between a traditional casket burial and cremation?

Asked by Chen.Aaron about 11 years ago

A lot of people assume that cremation is going to be way cheaper than a burial. The truth is, there are a couple different ways to go about a cremation. The most inexpensive method of disposition is known as Direct Cremation, which consists of the deceased being cremated and placed into an urn. Everyone is different, but I wouldn't personally recommend this to families. I believe that the viewing of the body, known as the visitation or the wake, is very important to the surviving members of the family. They should see their loved one one last time to say good-byes, to see that it really is them and they really are dead, etc. With direct cremation, there's just no ceremony to it. It's very informal, with no visitation, no flowers, no burial. Once you add those things to the cremation, however, it becomes a Full Service Cremation, and that can add up to almost as much as, if not equal to, what a Traditional Funeral Service and Burial would add up to.

What I recommend to families that prefer cremation but just don't have the financial means for all the frills is to have a memorial service anyway. There's no reason for the family not to host a get-together to remember the life of the deceased, with or without the cremated remains present. Families can host these in their homes, at their own place of worship, at the park... Literally anywhere they'd like to come together and share memories.

Has working in a mortuary changed your views on religion or about what happens after we die?

Asked by DJL almost 11 years ago

A little. I wasn't a religious person at all before I started mortuary school, but while attending school I started learning about Hinduism. The timing was sort of coincidence, but learning about this religion helped calm some of my worries and stress about dying. I was raised Catholic, but I find Hinduism to be more comforting and just makes more sense to me. I am not a practicing Hindu by any stretch. I just like the beliefs that come with it.

Many people in the funeral business are devoutly religious, while many others are strictly without belief.

Do you find it sad when very few people show up for someone's funeral?

Asked by Denise about 11 years ago

Sometimes. Funerals are usually pretty sad all across the board, though. There are the occasional gatherings where the deceased is very old or has been very sick, and everyone seems almost relieved that the person's suffering is over; but most every funeral there are people mourning, no matter how many or how few people show up. I've never had a visitation where not a single person shows up.

Have you ever been around a rotting body, and does it smell as bad as they say?

Asked by L.A.M. almost 11 years ago

Yes, and YES. I'd say I see a substantially decomposed body every 7-10 days. The smell of dead bodies, on average, is pretty stinky, but it's something that a person can typically get used to over time (I hardly notice it anymore). A very decomposed body, however, is remarkably foul. It is indescribable. If I have to drive one here or there in my work van, even with the body sealed in a body bag, my car will smell terrible for the next few days. This is with the windows down and many layers of an odor-eliminating spray called Ozium.

Will we eventually run out of room for new cemeteries? In some ways I'm surprised that's not a bigger issue, since hundreds of people must die every day in bigger cities, no?

Asked by Avaring about 11 years ago

This is actually something that I've thought about before! A lot of cemeteries are now considered "historical," which basically means there's someone buried there that was fairly well-known, and the cemetery is basically full. Many states and countries that don't have a lot of land for burial tend to have a higher cremation rate (Japan has a rate of something like 90% of all deaths are cremations). Cremation takes up much less space when buried, obviously, and there's always the option of scattering the remains. Cremation rates are on the rise everywhere, and I believe that it will one day become the preferred method over traditional burial.

hi dr. thanatos, when a person dies a very violent death, such as being hit by a train or burned in a fire, what is protocol for handling the body or body parts. how do you embalm or preserve body parts should there be investigation at a later date?

Asked by bluetiger over 10 years ago

Good question! If a person dies in a way that leaves their body terribly disfigured, like being severely burned or dismembered, embalming is still an option. The funeral home ultimately decides whether they deem a deceased person fit to be seen by the family and loved ones, and in these sort of cases, unfortunately sometimes you have to tell people that the casket needs to be closed for the funeral. The rule everyone learns in mortuary school is that, if at least 2/3 of the deceased's face and head is intact and recognizable, we can rebuild the missing parts through analyzing the bone structures remaining. A picture or two is also very helpful!

For the actual embalming, if the person will not be viewed, the embalming is needed more for the purpose of containing any odors and eliminating any bacteria. Even still, everything will be done to put this person into a natural resting pose, even though no one will be seeing them. A dismembered person will be put back together as best as possible, but if say an arm or the head is detached, these are actually embalmed separately and then put back together with the rest of the body. Embalming is done via arteries and veins, so having the exposed vessels is important, and sewing the limb back together before embalming would be counterproductive.

As far as embalming for an investigation at a later date, you embalm the best you can every time. It is not a permanent fix, and everything will eventually decay over time. If a crime was committed or foul play is suspected, an autopsy is usually done as soon as possible after death so that fresh evidence can be gathered. Autopsies months or even years later are not unheard of, though. These investigations are more for physical things like broken bones or other injuries, and not (typically) any bloodwork, as nearly all of the bodily fluids are washed away during embalming.

Hi ! I am a student at a beauty school and I am doing a project on Embalmers because I am interested in joining this profession once I graduate. I wondering if it is possible if I can please ask you a few questions through email?
( Not enough space.)

Asked by Mary about 10 years ago

Absolutely! I don't think there is a place to private message here, though. If you are comfortable with leaving your email address here as a question, I can copy it down and delete it ASAP.

What do you do with the blood? I assume it is drained out of the corpse. Could it be donated to a blood bank if the person had signed a waiver like an organ donor does, or is it "dead" and unusable by then?

Asked by Angie over 7 years ago

My father was embalmed the second day we visited they said they had to fix him fluids were coming out his mouth the next day he smelled so bad we couldnt walk up to the casket the funeral home was way to warm why did this happen?

Asked by sjmitch over 9 years ago

Hi i want to get into being a morticain embalming bodies ect how would i go about getting into it please.

Asked by Linzi about 8 years ago

Hello Dr. Thanatos. I was thinking of using a body bag to sleep in to avoid getting bitten by the bed bugs in my bed. Do you have any advice of what kind to use?

Thank you

Asked by Michael Salih almost 4 years ago

Are people of different ethnicity, say Cuban, embalmed with a different coloring than a caucasion person. Would the face be darker when the hands are "normal"?

Asked by MaryAnn about 8 years ago

When somebody dies with hepatitis C can they still be embalmed I have an open casket

Asked by Natalieann01 almost 7 years ago

Hello. What does someone for a train death look like

Asked by Bianca 6 months ago

I am in interest of becoming a mortician, what sort of courses in college did you take in order to become a mortician and how long did your education take to get your degree? What is the degree needed to become one ?

Asked by Maddee 5 months ago

When a person is shot maybe many times andid bleeds out an dies when they are embalmed doespecially the fluid flow out of the body or do you plug or glue the holes just wandering

Asked by I ecp from nc almost 9 years ago

When I went to view my dad his face from his cheek bones down was green,the undertaker collected him 4 hrs after death and I view him 10 days after death.

Asked by Chez 4 months ago

Why does the chest of a dead woman look so misshappen at her funeral

Asked by Biker t over 8 years ago

How soon after a person dies can an autoposy or embalming be done

Asked by Biker t over 8 years ago

My husband passed and I am certain he was not embalmed even though they say he was. He smelt of decaying ..the process certainly had started. The viewing was 5 days after the accident. They said he was. How would I know?

Asked by soul almost 8 years ago

Please explain the math of height
I'm a mortuary science student

Asked by kristinenoelle1555@gmail.com about 4 years ago

I have been to a lot of funerals but have never actually touched the deceased person. When my mother passes away I may want to touch her hand one last time. I am curious what an embalmed person's body will feel like?

Asked by Taylor over 8 years ago

My father was Caucasian. At his funeral, his body had turned orange. He died of an abdominal aneurysm. What would cause that almost pumpkin orange discoloration?

Asked by barbra53 over 7 years ago

in the book Smoke gets in your eyes Caitlin refers to a chemical to deal with orange skin. What is it?

Asked by bruce about 8 years ago

What is in the solution you pump into a body that makes a bod so stiff like a board days after embalming. Is this some type of glue ?

Asked by johnwheltle@yahoo.com over 6 years ago

I attended a funeral where the deceased had a single tear that streamed down the right side of their face during the service. This wasn't present prior to the start of the service. Is there an explanation for this, or could it be supernatural?

Asked by Molly over 7 years ago

What color is embalming fluid?

Asked by Gwen Dish over 8 years ago

At a recent funeral, I used the restroom. When washing my hands the very strong odor of sulfur came out of the drain. Are chemicals like that allowed to be flushed into public sewers?

Asked by Tami about 7 years ago

How to embalm a body that died of chronic renal failure

Asked by Marci about 7 years ago

Do morticians touch or see the deceased person's private parts? Or is that something that they can't see.

Asked by T-Bone about 8 years ago

My father died when he was 83, died of an aneurysym of the brain, and 2 strokes. He was emalmed at the wake, he is dead a bit over 6 years, He is in a concrete box, within a coffin. How would my father look now?

Asked by fireball over 9 years ago

Does the education required to be a mortician involve animals? (Euthanasing, dissecting, etc.) If so, where do the animals come from? Or do you only work on donated human bodies?

Asked by Stephania over 8 years ago

my father has been dead for over 6 years. he was embalmed, in a coffin. he was buried within a concrete box, within a coffin. how would he look now

Asked by fireball over 9 years ago

how much $ do you make a year

Asked by alias about 9 years ago

hi im a student at Jackson ele my dad is also a morticon so how much money you make a year

Asked by jermiah about 9 years ago

So I am.very curious as to why after being embalmed when we went to view her remains we had tto double check with staff that it was her. She was EXTREMELY bloated , looked nothing like her .. the only way we could tell was from her toes ...

Asked by Witchywoman almost 8 years ago

If a body has been in a river for 10 weeks what care should the mortician give?

Asked by Maurice about 8 years ago

Hi my name is Diamond Pittman and I will be entering into the mortuary program next year in the fall i was wondering is it possible to embalm an severly burned body and how can you fix a body that has severe blows to the head?

Asked by Diamond over 7 years ago

I'm a high school graduate looking into becoming a mortician, but college wise I'm lost. I'm located in texas, is there any advice you can give me?

Asked by Abby almost 8 years ago

Our family wants to exhume a hundred year old grave to determine if our grandfather is in it. Could the remains have completely resolved into the soil making it impossible to tell if a body was there? There may not have been a casket.

Asked by Daniel over 7 years ago

When you have a burial using a casket and a concrete (I think it's coccrete) vault does that casket and vault slow down decomposition? If not what is the purpose, if any, of the casket and vault? Thanks

Asked by Fred Anderson about 9 years ago

Hi- I am really hoping you can help me with this. I am a professional makeup artist (specializing in living people). However, my brother died suddenly this past Tuesday. The funeral director is having a hard time with his face because:livor mortis.

Asked by Lisa almost 9 years ago

I heard of someone named Angel Medina who received a "special embalming treatment" so that he could be standing up when his corpse was displayed. Where could I find more specific details on his treatment? It's for a screenplay I'm working on.

Asked by John668 about 9 years ago

I want to keep one of my mom's fingers when she dies. She says maybe hair would be better. I still want the finger. If my mom agreed....would I be able to get one of her fingers? How could I preserve it?

Asked by Slothling10 almost 8 years ago

How many people are in the room when preparing a body

Asked by Kendarius Ferrell about 8 years ago

Why did my mother's face change to a little kids face after she died? She was 68 when she past, after passing her face was that of a 10 to 12 year old my siblings and I don't understand.

Asked by Vern over 9 years ago

I know of a situation where a grave may be relocated after having been buried for three months. This also involves people who were not at the funeral. In a situation like that, would the body still be able to be viewed before reburial?

Asked by Gump over 7 years ago

Why would a body glow green after being embalmed?

Asked by HelloBeccaJo almost 8 years ago

I'm going to be starting school for mortuary science. Is it hard to find a job after school. Some people say you can't get in the business unless your family owns a funeral home.

Asked by Angela almost 8 years ago

Hi was wondering what happens to our body if we have a pacemaker or other metal in our body do you take it out before cremation or burial

Asked by Erin over 3 years ago

How soon would the smell of a body in a pine coffin be noticeable by humans, animals?

Asked by Dan about 8 years ago

Can you ask the embalmers to preserve / replicate an erection in your will? This is a real question my friends are wondering about and we can’t find anything about it online. Thanks!

Asked by Die_hard about 2 years ago

Is it true that you use less embulming fluid today then a motician would of used 50 years ago? And why?

Asked by Niki over 9 years ago

Why would a body that was removed from the home from a hanging smell like dead meat at the viewing ? Embalming was paid for . But the smell was so stingant ypu couldnt view for longer than 60 seconds

Asked by Aprilmay over 8 years ago

Why would my friends shirt be soaking wet during aviewing

Asked by Aprilmay over 8 years ago

How long after autopsy do a body have to be embalmed before smell. My daughter died on 1/10 the moturary pick her up 2 days later they did not allow the family to see the body until 8 days later to prepare for viewing at that time she had a odor. At

Asked by Weezy02@icloud.com about 8 years ago

Do you advise embalming? As a loved one passed away and it will be 10 days before we can view and say goodbye but we have said no to embalming. Is this going to change the look of our loved one considerably within that amount of time?

Asked by Emily about 8 years ago

My husband was in the casket and his arms felt all bunny and crinkly. I looked under his shirt sleeve at the wrist and saw white crinkle plastic tapes to his wrist and I guess it was up his arm. What was that? He had been shipped from Florida to NY

Asked by Sara stein about 6 years ago

Hello. I've read about unusual wakes with people sitting on motorcycles and things like that. What would be involved with such a wake - such as someone in a sitting position? Would the deceased have to be propped up with special equipment ?hanks.

Asked by Steve over 6 years ago

Are people heavier or lighter after the embalming process

Asked by Angel over 8 years ago

After a body is embalmed, can you still detect the smell of decomposition?

Asked by Rhymer almost 8 years ago

Do you have to pay for the embalming of a person before it is actually done?

Asked by Ariel over 8 years ago

who is responsible for abandoned cemeteries, mausoleums and crypts? I have seen a lot of stuff like this and the occasional graverobbers, but really who can protect the deceased from urban explorations, and desecration? Thank you so very much!

Asked by Michael Proctor almost 9 years ago

The mortician sprayed air fresher on my father and inside his casket when he opened the casket for us to view we all saw him do it and my father had a foul smell coming from the casket

Asked by sassybetchhh69@gmail.com about 8 years ago

If you have someone who died a really bloody death such as a suicide, how would you go about this such as handling the wound?

Asked by Toby almost 4 years ago

Do morticians weigh or measure the body befor embalming?

Asked by Melanie almost 5 years ago

I have been wondering for so long , but after my grandma was embalmed, sat up in the casket and went back down. Can you explain why this may have happened? I heard that only your fingers can move and jerk and that is BEFORE a person is embalmed.

Asked by Maria almost 8 years ago

I’m going to visit my grandads body this week! What should I expect will his body smell and will he look the same?

Asked by Sophie over 6 years ago

Hello I am a young 19 year old female interested in becoming a mortician I am a very emotional person at times so have you ever dealt with a baby? Did it make you emotional? Do you have days where you have to numb yourself into not getting attached?

Asked by DavieHollow over 9 years ago

How do you shut close a dead bodys mouth? And eyes? Do some of them make noises becouse of gasses?

Asked by Mara over 8 years ago

Do you fill them in with cotton before stitch them back together....

Asked by Mara over 8 years ago

How long can a body be embalm before they start the discomposing and starts to smell

Asked by Mara over 8 years ago

Do the body orgams be placed back inside hazard bags and put back into the bodys or inside caskets? I saw funeral director do that when a family member was dressing a love one and i got creep out

Asked by Mara over 8 years ago

I always wanted to become a mortician..... Your first time did you creeped out? What was your hardest job ?with a natural death or homicide?

Asked by Mara over 8 years ago

I always wanted to become a mortician..... Your first time did you creeped out? What was your hardest job ?with a natural death or homicide?

Asked by Mara over 8 years ago

What are the chances of a recent grad able to get a job? Also, I am going to meet a mortician because I'm interested in the study. What can I ask to get to know more about the experience?

Asked by Alex over 7 years ago

I have a question about the lips being sowed shut on a dead body that's is being viewed for a funeral service. Why is that? My friend passed away, and during the viewing, I noticed his lips were stretched out, and sowed shut. It made us all confused

Asked by Victor F. almost 9 years ago

Why would an embalmed body be blueish/green at the funeral, 5 days after death?

Asked by Sparky78 about 8 years ago

Hello, what are the requirements of becoming a mortician?

Asked by Theresa almost 7 years ago

Hello, what are the requirements of becoming a mortician?

Asked by Theresa almost 7 years ago

Is it true that the body goes back into the fetal position after you die? If so can they straighten the body out? Do you do that before or after you embalm them?

Asked by Vel over 9 years ago

Is it possible to put a grin on the deceased face instead of the standard look

Asked by Tony D almost 9 years ago

What do you use to make sure yousont smell like rotting flesh to other people?

Asked by shelly almost 9 years ago

Hi, although extremely rare, I'm terrified of being buried alive from spontaneous recirculation. Without cremation or embalming, is there a way for the mortician to cut the jugular vein or something like that to ensure no live burial?

Asked by Michelle almost 7 years ago

Why did you choose this career?

Asked by Beanie almost 5 years ago

What does your typical day on the job look like?

Asked by Beanie almost 5 years ago

What are embalming concerns, if any of someone who died of Hepatocellular Carcinoma and also suffered with Hep B?

Asked by SJLM about 7 years ago

My mother died of a brain tumor in 1997 and had chemotherapy before her death. If she were to be exhumed now (2018), do you think her remains would be in good condition?

Asked by Matt about 7 years ago

My uncle passed away in Dominican Republic of a lung disease I’m not sure of the name. He was full of too much water and when he passed his skin started to turn darker and darker. At what point is it too late to embalm? Is it possible after 4 hours?

Asked by Sam about 7 years ago

What Is The Best Part Of Your Day ?

Asked by Jaylisa about 7 years ago

I am looking attend college to become a mortician in the very near future. I want to learn ALL aspects. I want to go to a funeral home and ask questions to make sure it's the correct path. Which questions do you think I should ask?

Asked by Chelsey about 9 years ago

My fiancee one side of his face was swollen and he was also gray in the face. Why is that

Asked by Amanda over 7 years ago

Can a corpse be embalmed after some of the organs have been removed? It's research for a screenplay I'm writing.

Asked by Jeff almost 5 years ago

three of us saw our friends head turn and take a breath today at her funeral she enbalmed and ready for creamation how can this be???

Asked by terry knorr about 9 years ago

My coworkers brother in law died last week from a bad batch of drugs (don't know what drug, didn't ask). When she found him his face was black. How long does a body have to be dead to turn black? And why does it do that?

Asked by Christina over 7 years ago

How long after death will the face turn black?

Asked by Christina Blaylock over 7 years ago