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.
Death and doctors who don’t want to talk about it
What happens when patients want to talk about death, but their doctors don’t? My 94 year-old father-in-law was relieved and delighted when I brought forth the subject of medical directions, in the event he couldn’t speak for himself. My brother in law – a paramedic –...
Grief and relief: tradition, culture and religion
In this fast-forward world, it can seem that grief should have a ‘best before’ date. It can be uncomfortable – for those grieving and those around. Grief can also be exhausting and stressful and relentless. Considering few of us are spared the knife-cut that comes...
Comfort: How important is it to you at life’s end?
For many – perhaps most – suffering is the biggest worry about life’s end. Suffering doesn’t start and end with pain management. It includes peace of mind and comfort – both of which are highly individual, and can hold the keys to perception of and requirements for a...
A new medical decision PATH for the frail elderly
Palliative and Therapeutic Harmonization: PATH In plain language PATH means an assessment and treatment recommendation that takes into account what’s going on with us as a whole person, rather than our specific parts. A worthy goal for all of us, but with particular...
