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CrawlingChaos

(1,893 posts)
23. I also agree with you
Mon Feb 11, 2013, 05:38 AM
Feb 2013

I agree that variations on this article are popping up everywhere, with a definite treatment-denial agenda behind them that goes way beyond DNR orders.

I am extremely cynical about this, having been through it a number of times. With regard to my elderly family members, forget the life-saving heroics, we had to fight for just basic care - even palliative care. My mother was refused a simple 6-week course of palliative chemotherapy that had a 60% chance of relieving her pain and possibly extending her life by two years (her doctor lied to us and told us there was a 20% chance, but a hospice nurse inadvertently let the truth slip later).

What my mother did receive was a gross excess of nuclear scans, which were profitable for the hospital, and when those scans put her into kidney failure, she was refused dialysis. They (Kaiser Permanente, btw) did not want to do anything for her, except scan her into organ failure and put her in hospice.

I've been through this four times with elderly relatives and in each instance, we were pressured to refuse therapeutic treatment. Even with my 62 year old uncle who had an entirely treatable respiratory condition, we were under intense pressure to deny him life-saving intubation. We insisted, he recovered and had six more good quality years.

Everything I've experienced tells me you should worry more about your elderly loved ones receiving enough care, rather than too much.

Not just doctors newfie11 Feb 2013 #1
It seems the more you know about life- (and suffering-) prolonging procedures... trotsky Feb 2013 #3
I've had this talk with many medical professionals. polly7 Feb 2013 #7
ugh a2liberal Feb 2013 #2
Not wanting to debate you here, but... trotsky Feb 2013 #4
Um, no. eggplant Feb 2013 #5
Quality of Life and end of life spiritual considerations take priority over futile KurtNYC Feb 2013 #10
OR, it could also mean we need to begin thinking about legalizing voluntary euthanasia BlueCaliDem Feb 2013 #11
You've never been through this, have you? sarge43 Feb 2013 #12
Brings back the Terri Schiavo case. maddiemom Feb 2013 #14
It sure does. sarge43 Feb 2013 #15
I was able to make my mother DNR Warpy Feb 2013 #17
"I wanted them to live forever, sarge43 Feb 2013 #18
I know that as a nurse, too. Warpy Feb 2013 #20
Yep, that's pretty much it in a nutshell. NorthCarolina Feb 2013 #13
Thank you. a2liberal Feb 2013 #22
Not true. cbayer Feb 2013 #19
I also agree with you CrawlingChaos Feb 2013 #23
A good friend is an ER doctor and he told that in 80% + of the cases bringing someone back ... Botany Feb 2013 #6
Another view ColumbusLib Feb 2013 #8
It depends on the circumstances Bibliovore Feb 2013 #9
Nurses tend to be the same way Warpy Feb 2013 #16
doctors know how much suffering is driven for profit only Skittles Feb 2013 #21
Conversely, my father's a retired physician. no_hypocrisy Feb 2013 #24
Latest Discussions»Issue Forums»Health»Doctors die differently t...»Reply #23