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.
Hunger and thirst: our needs diminish as life ends
Planning for end of life for those with specific medial conditions: Not able to eat or drink “I have conversations every day about food and supplements for frail elderly and even those with early stage dementia.” Dr. Michael Gordon Geriatrician, Ethicist, educator,...
Dying at home: a return to the way it was.
There’s an explosion of home care needs coming. “With so many wanting to die at home, we need to know what to do as a healthcare team to support that journey through end of life and beyond: the family goes on although the patient is absent in a physical sense.” ...
TEDxYorkU: speaking about BestEndings
Exit Laughing: my 12-minute TEDxYorkU talk (Woot!) This TEDtalk is an Ode to End of Life tweeters. I wanted a slide chock full of the tweeps I learn from, admire and look to for their hearts, minds, spirit and sense of humour. Alas this was not to be.
Dr Paul Dorian: CPR insights from a man dedicated to our hearts
3 questions about Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Dr Paul Dorian As always, before launching into questions, I explain my sense about the topic, CPR, to. Dr Paul Dorian "I think we ‘real people’ have neither the information nor the context to make informed...
