“A death panel is one doctor. The American public does not understand this. You can go into an emergency room for an acute condition and if you have a chronic diagnosis that already exists, that doctor will look at you and, if you’re elderly or you don’t have the right insurance, they’ll say: ‘Well, it’s just not worth treating the patient.’”
I can’t believe this happened.
“My mom had bone cancer in both of her upper legs. She was in a wheel chair so it was hard for her to travel. She was also on bottled oxygen”
“So in a time span of 5-6 days, our mom went from being an independent, strong willed woman, to a child like infant, and then finally just gone.”
So how do these two statements mesh with one another?
These folks do not understand the dying process.
If they didn’t want Hospice care they should have kept her at home.
Been there done that 2 months ago...
I wrote that story about my mom close to three years ago, not long after she passed away. I had no idea that this forum even existed until today. I don’t even remember where I had originally posted the story. I stumbled upon this all by accident. I do wish I had seen it earlier. I had no prior experience with hospice. I had no reason to detest them or plans to destroy them. I just wanted to tell my story so others in a similar situation would have all the facts before making a decision that important. Things I wish I had known in advance. I don’t understand where all the ridicule is coming from. To say that my mom was independent while being in a wheel chair and requiring oxygen is not a contradiction. She was just as mentally capable as you or me, she could feed and dress herself, and she didn’t require diapers. It was an aggravation to haul around those tanks when we left the house, but not debilitating. Furthermore it certainly says nothing about her strong will. Anyone who could survive all the hardships in life that this woman did and still have a love for life along with a positive attitude is most definitely strong willed. She decided that a third round of chemotherapy and radiation was going to kill her faster than the cancer itself. She had not simply given up on life. She was considering the quality of life she was to have. I am obviously no journalist and I didn’t put too much effort in dissecting every word that I wrote. I just felt like our story had purpose and needed to be told so others could possibly avoid the same tragic ending.