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On Caregiving
serious crayons:
--- Quote from: Front-Ranger on September 07, 2017, 10:11:37 am ---What issue was that in? I've looked through all my issues but haven't found it. I also looked online and couldn't find it either (I was rushed, as I always am, these days).
--- End quote ---
Sorry, I should have clarified -- it's a book, a really good one. I've talked about it before here, somewhere, and I didn't want to sound like a broken record. (Now there's a saying that won't mean much to future generations! :laugh:)
He published it a couple of years ago. Parts of it were published in the New Yorker, but some years back. For instance, he wrote some of the "end of life care" stuff back when Sarah Palin was ranting about "death panels." Based on what you've been going through, you might find it helpful -- or not.
--- Quote from: Jeff Wrangler on September 07, 2017, 10:30:42 am ---He was on BBC World News America yesterday evening.
--- End quote ---
Talking about what?
Front-Ranger:
Okay, I put in a request at the library for it.
Jeff Wrangler:
--- Quote from: serious crayons on September 07, 2017, 10:36:04 am ---Talking about what?
--- End quote ---
About what you'd expect, considering his book that you recently read: EOL issues, asking patients what their goals are (for the time they have left), will further surgery do any good or just cause the patient needless pain, and so forth.
Front-Ranger:
There are so many twists and turns every day that it makes my head spin. Today was another stomach-churning day. Mom was sitting in the dining room when I arrived but she was in her trancelike state. I started holding her hand and gently talking to her and trying to wake her up. I noticed that every so often she would have tremors and seem a little distressed. She wouldn't open her eyes or her mouth to drink the water I brought her. Little by little, she started to be more conscious, but would have periods of agitation. I asked her if she was in pain, and she shook her head no. Her food came and I fed her tiny little tastes of chopped up brats. Then I fed her a couple of tastes of potato salad which she definitely liked. But then, more agitation, after which she burped loudly. I was alarmed because she looked like she might gag or throw up. I asked for the nurse to look at her and explained her symptoms and the nurse said, "Do you want me to give her more morphine?"
"Morphine?" I said in a still small voice. "She is taking morphine?" "Oh, yes," said the nurse. "Morphine's part of the hospice care." I staggered about, verbally and finally said, "I'll have to think about that and could you please print out a list of her meds." Ended up in an hour long conversation with the hospice nurse going over the EIGHTEEN meds she is now taking (a large chunk of them are meds for constipation, caused by the other meds). Now, granted, I am a total dummy when it comes to pharmaceuticals, since I take absolutely zero medications. But that is not going to stop me from ploughing into this subject. A care conference is planned for tomorrow at 11:30 and I don't see how we're going to resolve everything in 30 minutes, but we'll try!
Jeff Wrangler:
Why is she being given morphine if she's not in pain? ???
Or is she in pain? ???
No wonder she's constipated if she's being given morphine. Narcotics are constipating. Even acetaminophen (Tylenol) with codeine will constipate you.
What's going on? Some kind of one-size-fits-all hospice care? This is not right. This is not what hospice is about. Hospice is about individualized care.
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