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Death and dying is a very touchy subject and one that can really
hit sensitive nerves. I received a number of e-mails and there were
several letters to the editor of the Vancouver Sun in support of
the article, and a few against. A few people really reacted to the
idea of equating death and life with dollar figures. The following
are some of the responses. Some names have been purposely withheld.
Keeping seniors alive
I was so happy to read your article about cheating death. Nobody
talks about this stuff and it is all I think about. I work at a
hospital as an RN in extended care and I am constantly asking, “Why
do we treat these people so aggressively?”
We never used to. We used to let them die peacefully. Not now; they
are treated as if they are going to get better. They get all kinds
of expensive drugs – blood thinners, blood pressure pills,
vitamins, calcium, anti-depressants, bone builders, plus excess
antibiotics when they get sick.
Even if you dismiss the cost, it is the moral and ethical issue
of keeping these people alive past any quality of life (that is
important). All we do is prolong misery and drag out the end of
life. They get IV fluids which keep them going another few weeks
until finally they let go. How many times have I put up tube feeds
on people who push my hand away? They know what it is and they don’t
want to be kept alive artificially, and who does?
But family and the doctor make the decision. I have seen so many
useless surgeries done on people and a month later they are dead.
What a waste. Nobody would choose to suffer this way if given a
choice. I blame the doctors because they are the gatekeepers. They
make the decisions, not the nurses. I don’t know why this
is. We never used to over-treat people this way.
The last time I worked on a discharge planning unit, a lady was
doing really poorly with chronic lung disease, and the doctor saw
her and ordered all the lab work, chest x-ray and ECG. By the time
they came to take the blood she was obviously dying, and they couldn’t
get the blood because her body was shutting down already. So, I
sent the lab people away and cancelled all the tests. The doctor
was so mad and wanted to report me. But I was right. She died a
few hours later.
Who wants people poking you and doing x-rays on your deathbed? I
just don’t get it. And I keep asking where are we going? But
nobody has any answers. I don’t get any info from my union
or professional organization. It’s a crazy world. Now we put
everybody on nutritional drinks so they just go on and on, and suffer
through it.
Please understand, I think that if you want all these treatments
and you live at home, so you should. No problem there. But the people
I work with cannot voice their opinion, and many families want them
to live forever.
Registered Nurse, Extended Care Unit
Get "Do not resuscitate" tattooed on your chest
Dear Rosemary,
I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your article on
“The Cost of Cheating Death”. I am a nurse who has seen
this same scenario happen many times and can say you hit the nail
on the head. Many nurses have suggested that they will get “DO
NOT RESUSCITATE” tattooed on their chest so to hopefully avoid
the same fate. Unfortunately, family members can override a person’s
wishes and it has been my experience that the ones who do, are usually
the ones with unresolved issues with that person and can’t
let them go.
Nurse
Article really hit home
Good morning Rosemary,
I just wanted to compliment you on your great article in this morning’s
Vancouver Sun. Being a volunteer for a Hospice Society, and having
a mother very near death, it really hit home with me and I agree
completely. I will be taking your article to our next meeting and
sharing it. Keep up the good work.
Sincerely
Barb
Interested in experiences of the hereafter
Hi Rosemary,
I read your full-page story in the Sun about a man cheating death
and our welfare state. I found it an intriguing perspective! I am
very interested in your experiences with the hereafter. You say
that you have been a hospice volunteer. So I presume you have knowledge
first hand? I have had some interesting experiences too. I would
love to hear some of yours – or it you could direct me to
where you might have written more about such experiences. I would
appreciate it greatly, as I am still trying to make up my mind about
death and what it means to the evolution of the soul, if anything.
Thanks so much
Lorraine
How to help friends who are dying
Rosemary,
Thanks for your piece in the Sun the other day on the costs of dying.
I was hoping to read more on your site about your experience in
hospice care and how to help friends who are dying but didn’t
see any. Can you direct me to such writing?
Regards
Bill
Where to turn to when you know you are dying
Hi Rosemary,
Thanks for listening this morning. Attached is a quick review of
what I’m trying to do re “The Front End of Dying.”
From the moment of diagnosis there has to be something in place
for us to turn to. We all have to try and understand that it is
okay to talk openly about death. It is stories like yours that will
help us get there…
Gary Fish
Definitely touched a nerve - maybe missed the point?
What in the name of god is wrong with you? To equate, compare,
or value in any way money over human life is evil, stupid and deeply
offensive. Your article “The Cost of Cheating Death”,
treats human life so callously, so illogically, and so trivially
that it staggers the imagination. This article is disgusting and
vile. I don’t care that you have volunteered in a hospice.
Obviously, you learned nothing about the value of human life.
Carl
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