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Re: Any ethicists out there?

Posted by gardenergirl on December 12, 2004, at 18:38:50

In reply to Re: Any ethicists out there? » Dinah, posted by TofuEmmy on December 12, 2004, at 18:10:23

Oh Dinah, what a difficult situation.

I was struck by a couple of things in your original post. First, it sounds like they ARE treating the pneumonia, although perhaps not as aggressively as they might in the hospital. In his condition, I have to think it would be impossible to know if more aggressive treatment would actually make a difference or not. So it doesn't feel to me as if treatment were being withheld in order to speed his death. Perhaps I am assuming too much, however.

I know that one thing Hospice does in order to increase comfort and quality of life in the end is to avoid constant back and forths to the hospital. I've seen lots of older adults in nursing homes, who, when they deteriorate, can be back and forth so much it makes your head spin. All that transporting and changing caregivers, chaos, and so on seems like it would be disturbing on some level. So that may be another reason they are treating the pneumonia as they are...to avoid beginning a cycle of back and forths.

Regarding causality, I can certainly understand the distress that thinking along those lines would bring. And I think most of us would worry about second-guessing and whether we made the right choice or not. But there is another factor or two that is at play. Regardless of the decision, it's also up to your dad's body and spirit to some extent. And perhaps God. Or fate, or whatever you believe. I guess I'm just saying there's more at play in the outcome than any one decision.

Okay, mostly I just want to be with you in spirit. I'll be thinking of you in the coming days, and I hope you know you are valued here and I'm sure IRL. I know you will not make a capricious decision and that will be hard for you. Just know that we care.

'K?

((((((dinah))))))

gg

 

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URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20041209/msgs/428499.html