# 187 Surviving with Laughter: Angela Nissel Talks Hospice and Healing

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/hospice-explained-3645914/187-surviving-with-laughter-angela-nissel-talks-hospice-and-healing
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/hospice-explained-3645914/187-surviving-with-laughter-angela-nissel-talks-hospice-and-healing.md
Podcast: [Hospice Explained](https://stenobird.com/podcast/hospice-explained-3645914)
Published: 2026-05-24T17:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://hospiceexplained.libsyn.com/187-surviving-with-laughter-angela-nissel-talks-hospice-and-healing
Audio file: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/hospiceexplained/Episode187_Audition_v1_mixdown.mp3?dest-id=2694440
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/hospice-explained-3645914/episodes/187-surviving-with-laughter-angela-nissel-talks-hospice-and-healing
Duration seconds: 2052

## Resource

187 Surviving with Laughter: Angela Nissel Talks Hospice and Healing Host Marie Betcher, a former hospice nurse, interviews writer and memoirist Angela Nissel about her book "Good Grief: Pass the Bread, Mom is Dead" and her mother's end-of-life journey. Angela describes a complicated, achievement-focused relationship with her RN mother, who hid advanced breast cancer and feared judgment for "giving up." Angela brought her to Los Angeles, expecting more treatment, but a doctor recommended hospice; her mother felt relief and was on hospice about six weeks. Angela shares what caregiving taught her, including learning to "just be her daughter," navigating pain medication fears, misconceptions that hospice hastens death, a brief end-of-life rally, and the value of dignity, trust-building, and services like 24/7 care and music therapy. She says hospice became their best, most connected time together and writing later helped her talk about death and grief. 00:00 Welcome and Disclaimer 00:35 Meet Angela Nissel 03:08 A Complicated Mother Daughter Bond 04:54 Caregiving Lessons in Hospice 07:53 Cancer Progression and Hospice Decision 10:26 Nurse Identity and Letting Go 11:55 Her Nursing Career and NICU Work 14:33 Grief Writing and Dark Humor 16:21 Siblings and Hiding Illness 19:24 Changing the Fight Cancer Narrative 22:12 Comfort Meds and Hospice Myths 25:21 Terminal Rally and 24 7 Care 29:44 Inside the Book and Hospice Journals 32:09 Final Reflections and Goodbye If you want to help, you can donate to help support Hospice Explained at the Buy me a Coffee link https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Hospice Hospice Explained Affiliates & Contact Information Buying from these Affilite links will help support this Podcast. Maire introduces a partnership with Suzanne Mayer RN inventor of the c…

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## Transcript

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