If I was in my last hours of life and the tunnel and the bright light were there
Tag Archives: palliative care
How long until I die? (Locked down and out in 2020)
Often old men and women will seek human contact, particularly when feeling isolated – and when I reciprocate with my gloved hand (that they don’t appear to notice as being anomalously purple or blue) we are able to make contact, to connect.
Laughter – for Michelle A
Outside I could hear Michelle.
I don’t know what she was doing but, there was laughter.
Confidence
Relative: Doctor, I believe my mum is dying, I want us to stop the antibiotics/fluids/oxygen/etc.
Doctor: No, I feel we should continue, there might be some improvement (aka other blandishment/platitude).
Goodbye, at the moment of death
Jemima, a little more oxygen running through her arteries, her blood-pressure moderately increased is admitted to hospital.
Àdvance Care – à la lettre
The message however is usually quite consistent; if you can’t cure me, give me care, comfort, attention, involve my family and those I love, listen to them, consider their wishes.
Dying man
I thought I had aleady blogged about my patient and his dog. I hadn’t. He was breathless And now, I realise At the time, things were too raw too proximate to translate into 500-odd words of text. The man was dying. Heart failure, COPD, Frailty – The mechanism is not whatContinue reading “Dying man”
Death by drowning
It is like squeezing in to too small shoes. It can be done, it is awkward and, you can get about, but you look odd and you will soon get blisters.
End of Life
I was involved in an interesting conversation this afternoon, during which, I was surprised to learn of the lack of understanding of dying – amongst colleagues who work in healthcare. I thought, to this end, and, given the ruling published today relating to the cessation of feeding and artificial hydration of people in Persistent VegetativeContinue reading “End of Life”
Care – Intermediate
We are constantly working to refine the ways that people, particularly those who are older and frail interface with the health and social care system.
Unlearning and dying
We need to unlearn some of what we have taken-on, those of us who have moved through the profession and we need to support those who have just arrived to hold-on to their beginner’s mind
Dr Rod’s Odd Blog (almondemotion) 