Modern Medicine can keep you alive
Machines, medications and man-made parts: modern medicine continues to find and develop life-saving and life-prolonging interventions.
Advancements in heart research include:
- Bypass surgery
- Man-made implantable cardiac devices like pacemakers
When organs fail, there’s dialysis for kidney failure, and transplants for kidney, lung, liver and heart. Cancer continues to be researched, and survival rates and life expectancy has greatly increased. For neurological (brain) illness and injury, medications and interventions are emerging, and rehab helps with increased function. Even infections – which were regularly the cause of death in past generations – are now treated with antibiotics.
However, as the body winds down, so-called ‘Heroic Measures’ may do more harm than intended. CPR (Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation) Breathing Machines (ventilators), Feeding tubes and specific medications can be considered Heroic Measures or seem more like Futile Treatment. When making decisions about any of these, it can help to understand the longer-term results and possible complications.
A mother, a daughter and Ovarian Cancer: “Love you so much.”
When Karen Greve Young gave me the hot-off-the press copy of ‘Love you so much: a shared memoir’ she explained: “Sometime into my mother’s treatment for ovarian cancer, we decided we wanted to do something meaningful.” Told by both daughter and mother, the title of...
Dialysis and End Stage Kidney (Renal) Disease – ESRD
End of life planning for those with specific chronic conditions: Topic - Kidney Failure "End-of-Life Care planning (aka: Advanced Illness Management) is essential for kidney failure patients." Dr Robert Bear, Nephrologist, Blogger, Tweeter and Author Dr Robert Bear,...
Dr Paula Rochon: Medications and the Elderly
Dr Paula Rochon, Geriatrician,Vice-President Research–Women's College Research Institute; Adjunct Scientist Kunin-Lunenfeld Applied Research Unit I heard Dr Paula Rochon speak to a small but extremely attentive group of senior seniors. The topic: Medications and the...
End of life decisions and next Tuesday’s food.
Dr Rebecca Sudore: changing focus from planning end of life to preparing for end of life decisions An Associate Professor In-Residence in the Division of Geriatrics at University of San Francisco, the impossibly young Dr Sudore is dedicated to helping vulnerable older...
