Dealing with terminal illness is one of the toughest issues confronting the field of medicine and health in America today. Almost every day in my job I interact with people who have been told that there is "nothing more that can be done" and are forced to face mortality head-on. However, there is also great resistance to this idea that treatment be stopped. This resistance can come not only from patients but also from family and friends who believe that to stop aggressive treatment is to "give up hope."
One of the ways we address this idea is to say that there is difference between "giving up hope" and "changing what you are hoping for." This article is largely about this change in perspective and how it is embraced by doctors -- who are centrally involved in difficult decisions about when to discontinue aggressive medical interventions -- in their own personal lives. It is a meaningful and thought-provoking piece about mortality, medicine, and quality of life.
"How Doctors Die" by Ken Murray
Published on Zócalo Public Square, November 30, 2011
http://zocalopublicsquare.org/thepublicsquare/2011/11/30/how-doctors-die/read/nexus/
Eric
I so agree. I just don't understand why people would want to live longer with no real quality of life. If part of it is just lack of understanding, that's unfortunate. If they are truly making a choice, I guess everyone has his or her priorities. Mine are clearly quality over quantity.
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