Hello and Good-bye

Summary

Podcast Summary: Dr. Laura Call of the Day

Episode: Hello and Good-bye
Date: October 16, 2025
Host: Dr. Laura Schlessinger
Caller: Ella Langley

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Main Theme

In this deeply affecting episode, Dr. Laura takes a poignant call from Ella Langley, a listener facing her final days due to stage four uterine cancer. Ella reaches out for support as she nears death, seeking advice on mentally preparing for the end and leaving a message for listeners about acceptance and the journey beyond life. Dr. Laura gently guides the conversation, offering compassion, curiosity, and respect for Ella’s beliefs and wishes.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Facing Mortality

[01:17]

• Ella, the caller, shares she is dying from stage four uterine cancer.
• She describes her condition: no longer able to eat, having moved to Northern Nevada to be with family rather than dying alone.
• "I'm with family. I'm not alone. ... I just would like you to help me mentally prepare for the next step, for the journey." — Ella Langley [01:17]

2. Beliefs About the Afterlife

[01:58] – [03:44]

• Dr. Laura asks Ella to share her beliefs about what happens after death.
• Ella explains she believes she will go to heaven, be with God, and reunite with loved ones who have passed.
• She is calm and accepting of her imminent passing, expressing she has no children or grandchildren and feels ready to go.
• Ella declines any life-extending treatments, stating she does not want "heroics" and has opted for comfort.

3. Ella’s Current Situation

[03:44] – [05:12]

• Ella is in hospice care at her cousin’s home in a scenic area above Gardnerville, near Lake Tahoe.
• She expresses gratitude that she’s not in pain:
  "No, I am not. That's the same grace is. No, I don't." — Ella Langley [05:12]

4. Final Wishes and Reflections

[05:24] – [05:36]; [07:31] – [08:13]

• When asked what Ella wants to do with her remaining time, she says she just wants to be comfortable at home, enjoying the view from the window.
• "You don't want to be wheelchaired to a park." — Dr. Laura [07:31]
  "No… it's beautiful country here, but… I'm good." — Ella Langley [07:36]
• Dr. Laura offers Ella an opportunity to address listeners. Ella chooses to share a message about acceptance and faith in something beyond this world:
  "When it's the end now, when it's time to go, just accept it. And this world’s not the final destination... This is the journey to a better world." — Ella Langley [08:13]

5. Gratitude and Looking Back

[09:00] – [10:10]

• Ella thanks Dr. Laura for guidance across decades, specifically in navigating family dynamics and acceptance ("All I was going to change was my attitude").
• She reflects on family history, loss, and cancer’s presence throughout her family.

6. Nature of Heaven and Spirituality

[10:10] – [11:29]

• Dr. Laura inquires about what Ella imagines heaven to be.
• Ella describes her vision: reunion with family, beauty greater than earth, and a spiritual (not physical) existence, "bodies of light... energy."
  "I believe it's being with God… it's a spiritual form. Bodies of light." — Ella Langley [10:37–11:17]
• Dr. Laura responds warmly, affirming Ella’s view.
  "Yeah." — Dr. Laura [11:29]

7. Parting Words

[11:42] – [12:00]

• Ella thanks Dr. Laura once more.
• Dr. Laura bids Ella farewell in a heartfelt closing:
  "Enjoy heaven, dear. Enjoy it." — Dr. Laura [11:52]
  "Okay, thank you, Dr. Laura." — Ella Langley [11:55]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "You can’t cure normal." — Ella Langley [01:17]
• "I'm dying from stage four uterine cancer… I’m just ready to expire." — Ella Langley [01:17–02:58]
• "No, I am not [in pain]. That's the same grace." — Ella Langley [05:12]
• "When it’s time to go, just accept it… This is the journey to a better world." — Ella Langley [08:13]
• "All I was going to change was my attitude…" — Ella Langley [09:44]
• "Do you believe… when you’re in heaven you can watch what’s happening down here?" — Dr. Laura [10:15]
• "I believe it’s a spiritual form. Bodies of light… energy." — Ella Langley [11:17–11:28]
• "Enjoy heaven, dear. Enjoy it." — Dr. Laura [11:52]

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Important Timestamps

• [01:17]: Ella introduces her terminal diagnosis and intention for the call
• [02:06]: Ella discusses her beliefs about the afterlife
• [03:34]: Ella explains her choice to decline life-prolonging interventions
• [05:12]: Ella confirms she is not in pain
• [08:13]: Ella’s message to listeners about acceptance and the afterlife
• [09:44]: Reflections on family and personal growth
• [10:37]: Ella describes her vision of heaven
• [11:52]: Heartfelt goodbye between Dr. Laura and Ella

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Tone and Style

The conversation is serene, honest, and emotionally resonant, with Dr. Laura offering gentle curiosity and solace, and Ella speaking with clarity, grace, and acceptance of her passing. The episode stands as a powerful reflection on mortality, spiritual belief, and the importance of acceptance at the end of life.

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Transcript

[Narrator/Announcer]

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[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

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[Caller (Ella Langley)]

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[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Thanks for listening to my Call of the Day podcast. You can hear my live radio program Monday through Friday from 2 to 5pm Eastern Time on Sirius XM Triumph 111. Linda Marie. Welcome to the program.

[Caller (Ella Langley)]

Hi, Dr. Laura. Thank you for taking my call.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

You're welcome.

[Commercial Voice]

What's happening?

[Caller (Ella Langley)]

Yes. Well, I'm facing my mortality. I'm. I'm dying from stage four uterine cancer. I'm with family. I'm not alone. It young and so I know we can't cure normal, but I, I just. I would just like you to. To help me mentally prepare for the. You know, for the next. You know, for the next step, for the next. For the journey.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

What do you personally believe happens after death?

[Caller (Ella Langley)]

I believe that I died and I'm going to heaven. That I want to be with God. And I took my. I. I ate my last. I ate my last meal this morning. All it was is a half a banana and a cup of coffee and it. It went straight back up again. So I'm no longer. I can no longer digest food. And, and when I. And then I believe when you can't eat, you know, just like you and your kid, you can't eat anymore. You're not living. And I have no. I have no children or grandchildren and I'm just ready to. Ready to expire.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

You mean this is, this is imminent?

[Caller (Ella Langley)]

Yes.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

How much time are we looking at?

[Caller (Ella Langley)]

I like a matter of. Maybe a matter of days or a couple of weeks. I don't. I mean, I don't know what happens to the body when you no longer can accept it. No longer accepts solid food. So are they.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Are they putting you on a tube with nutrients or have you said you don't want that or what?

[Caller (Ella Langley)]

I don't want that. I don't want heroics. I already said I don't want to. Yeah, I said no to that.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Okay. Are you in hospice? Are you home? Where are you?

[Caller (Ella Langley)]

I have. I have hospice care. I'm with my fourth cousin and her husband in their home. I moved from Oregon to. To Northern Nevada. Be with them because before then I was alone and I did not want to dial.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Yes. Anything you want to do, say or see now?

[Caller (Ella Langley)]

Excuse me? Yeah, well, I'm sorry, what. What was the question?

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Is there anything you want to do, say or see now?

[Caller (Ella Langley)]

No, not really. I used to. I would. You know, I'm a. I'm a singer, and so that's what I. What if I used to sing with my mom when she. When she was alive? She died of COVID Three. Three years ago. And. Yeah, I'm pretty much ready to. Just. Just hanging up. That would just, you know, and notice naturally.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Are you in pain?

[Caller (Ella Langley)]

No, I am not. That's the same grace is. No, I don't.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

What do you want to do in these remaining days? What do you want to do?

[Caller (Ella Langley)]

Just be comfortable.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Want to stay in the house?

[Caller (Ella Langley)]

Yes.

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[Caller (Ella Langley)]

Billy.

[Narrator/Announcer]

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[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

You don't want to be wheelchaired to a park.

[Caller (Ella Langley)]

No, I, I at your is beautiful, beautiful country where I am but no I'm yet and yeah, it's above Gardnerville is near Lake Tahoe so it's a really nice area. Pretty.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Yeah, you don't need to go to a park. Just look out the window. Yeah.

[Caller (Ella Langley)]

Yeah.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

So you got millions of people listening to you right now. What would you like to say to them?

[Caller (Ella Langley)]

That when it's the end now, when it's time to, when it's time to go, just, just accept it. And this is, this is not the, this world's not the final destination. I just want people to know that, that this is the what is the journey to the, to a better world. And I think that's what I would like to. Why, why I wanted to get on the air and, and let people know that.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

So basically this is goodbye.

[Caller (Ella Langley)]

Yes.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Well, I'm very moved that you wanted to say goodbye here. Thank you.

[Caller (Ella Langley)]

Thank you. And, and I thank you for I visiting for about 30 or 40 years and, and I had, I, I had a kind of a, not a troubled task but when my mom and my mom and dad married, you know, they, yeah, they, she was, she was Catholic and my dad was Jewish and you, you've, and I did have difficulty with my, with my grandparents on my dad's side. And I thank you for helping me just be polite and realizing that they're not, they were not going to change. They're no longer living in ports. But just all I could do is change. All I was going to change was my attitude, you know, toward them. And I thank you for helping me with that. And the last time I visited my, my Grandmother before she died of cancer. Yeah, that's cancer in my family.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Ah. Well. May I. I'd like to ask you another question.

[Caller (Ella Langley)]

Okay.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Do you believe. Is it your belief that when you're in heaven that you can watch what's happening down here?

[Caller (Ella Langley)]

No, I don't believe that.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

So, what. What do you believe heaven is? Because it's a belief. I mean, we. We don't have brochures.

[Caller (Ella Langley)]

You know, I believe it's. I believe it's being with God and with possibly with. I think, with. With my family who was gone for me and that. And that, you know, as beautiful as the earth is, I do believe heaven is even more. Is, of course, even more beautiful.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

And do you imagine that you'll be in physical form, so when you see family, you'll see them in a physical form?

[Caller (Ella Langley)]

It. No, I believe it's a spiritual form. I believe it. Bodies of light.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Ah, energy.

[Caller (Ella Langley)]

Yes.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Yeah.

[Commercial Voice]

Nice.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Is there anything else you'd like to say right now?

[Caller (Ella Langley)]

Just. Thank you. I think that's it.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

I'd like to thank you for calling very much.

[Caller (Ella Langley)]

Thank you.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Enjoy heaven, dear. Enjoy it.

[Caller (Ella Langley)]

Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Dr. Lohr.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

You're welcome.

[Caller (Ella Langley)]

Goodbye.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

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