[JennysCool]

Prayers up, but good lord, can't he be transferred to another, less hostile, hospital a little closer to home?

[jaredt112]

I don't live in the New Jersey area (sorry), but I wish you the best of luck in finding a group to help you out. What they are doing and trying to do is total bull****, and I will be saying my prayers for you.

Regards,
Jared

[Danae]

Get him transfered NOW. Call the other hospitals in the area, tell them you need to transfer him. You will have to pay the transport fees, the ambulance, but get it done. Walk the happs of the hospital he is in or call your family physician, that is the better idea, call the answering service of your general practitioner and DEMAND he be transfered immediately. Your general will be a LOT more likely to help you!

Prayers to you and your husband. He WILL recover!

[sc2_ct]

Wow, I am very sorry and disgusted to hear what you're going through. From my experience, one of the best things you can do is put a lawyer on a small retainer and have them make a call to the hospital and/or doctors involved and make it clear in no uncertain terms that you and your husband value life and that anything suspicious will be investigated fully. No doctor wants their malpractive insurance going up, and hospitals are terrified about their reputations being "marred".

I hope for the best, please keep us apprised of the situation.

[misty4jc]

How awful for you and your poor husband! I wish I could get there.....no "doc" would get near him! >:o( (grrrr..this is my mean face!) I will definately be praying for you and him!

[Zeppelin]

and why has this been removed from Breaking News? Seems pretty urgent to me, a life is at stake.

Prayers for your husband, your family, and yourself. God Bless.

[A CA Guy]

Prayers for a good outcome for you.

The DNR is not a Kevorkian thing, it is the option of not taking extraordinary measures to keep a person alive at the sake of all the survivors wealth if they take a turn for the worse.
Most consider it natural and compassionate if that time should arrive.

I would rather hope for a full recovery of your loved one though God bless!

[Cindy]

Ok, first, I'm praying for you and your husband.

OPINION: Next, let's look at another hospital/treatment center.
I'VE NEVER USED THIS SERVICE, but you may want to check
it out:

http://www.cancercenter.com/

Finally, open up your phone book or start searching in
Google to find a cancer center/hospital that YOU feel
might be more appropriate for your husband.

Good luck and God bless you.

[Cindy]

ping

[littleleo]

I'm afraid that this type of situation happens all too often. My daughter is a surgeon who is appalled at the callous attitudes of doctors when caring for critically ill patients like your husband. I'm afraid that you are his best defense against these jackals. The advice that others have suggested regarding a lawyer is good advice. Sometimes a simple letter written by an attorney can work wonders in difficult matters. Be strong for him and my prayers are with you both.

[de Buillion]

I'm praying for you and your husband. I also pray that you might be able to leave NJ. I think that it is a sick state.

[A CA Guy]

If he is conscious and saying don't stop something, I do consider that a fine sign that he could recover by the way.
:) I like hearing that.

[Hetty_Fauxvert]

Good luck to you and prayers for your husband. Pancreatic cancer is tough to beat. (But it sounds like you have the guts for it!)

I agree with others who advise you to get a lawyer to make a visit to the hospital. Several years ago, my mother had ovarian cancer, and was not doing well, but probably could have lasted another month or two. But as a result of a medical "mistake" -- an order by a doc for a medicine that depressed her breathing function, and any doc worth his salt would have known not to give her that -- she died prematurely. It's my opinion that the doc in question took it upon himself to end her life "humanely," without bothering to consult her or her family as to whether that was what she wanted.

Threaten 'em. Have your lawyer inform them that if any "medical mistakes" are made, they will be investigated fully.

[Golden Gate]

FYI - Invite Bump!

[Alexander Rubin]

Prayers up. Also, you'll want a good lawyer. Pronto.

[D-fendr]

A couple of things.

First I'd like to give an opposing view of those supporting a DNR, but I don't think you need to hear much. My mother would have died with a DNR; she was glad she didn't. It was up to her and she chose. Fortunately, you are in a similar situation, so hang in there.

Secondly, I wonder if there is a Catholic hospital or organization or perhaps a priest in the hospital now that you can ask for help.

Wish I could do more, I'm far away and don't know what else to suggest.

God bless you...

[WashingtonStateRepublican]

Would it be possible to transfer your husband to a faith-based hospital which may have higher ethical standards?

[Jezebelle]

The first thing you do is make it perfectly clear to every doctor and nurse who gets near him that if they don't start taking care of him properly and take all steps necessary to save his life, you will have a team of lawyers there the following morning. Send them a fax immediately stating this. Make it clear that it is your husband's wish to live and that you intend to carry out his wishes.

Then MOVE him so you can watch over him. Demand whatever it takes to be able to stay with him, settle in, get comfortable and put the fear of God into the staff if they have anything buy saving his life on their agenda.

It has been my experience that that is the only way to deal with these assholes, and it works.

[Jezebelle]

One more thing - don't hire a lawyer unless and until you really have to. A lawyer can actually get in the way at this point, and you can accomplish what you need to without one for the moment by being firm, calm, specific, and giving the appearance of being in control, assertive and authoritarian. In other words, make it clear who is in the driver's seat and that they're taking orders from you, not the other way around. Once you get him moved, get your family doctor in the loop regularly and use him or her as the primary contact. Make sure you let him know you expect him to be primarily in charge of the case because you don't trust anyone else.

[bd476]

Here is some info I found:

The Life Legal Defense Foundation:

CHALLENGING THE HOSPITAL’S ACTIONS

"In trying to prevent a patient’s healthcare provider from withdrawing treatment against the patient’s and family’s wishes, one might initially request the court to issue a temporary order prescribing the healthcare of the patient2 and simultaneously file a petition to determine whether the hospital’s acts or proposed acts are consistent with the patient’s desires as expressed in an advance health care directive or otherwise made known to the court.3"

16 Glucksberg, 521 U.S. at 730; see also Conroy, 486 A.2d 1209, 1225 (N.J. 1985) (noting that where the doctor’s advice and the patient’s wishes regarding medical treatment conflict, the patient’s decision must be accorded respect).

More:

Challenging the Hospital's Actions

____________

Here’s one New Jersey attorney on The Life Legal Defense Foundation Board of Advisors:

Anne Kindt, Esq.
California/New Jersey

____________

Information about Durable Power of Attorney in NJ:

Durable Power of Attorney

____________

Pancreatic Cancer Clinical Trials:

1. Main page and Introduction to Clinical Trials for Pancreatic Cancer Patients:

Treatment Trial Guide

2. Main search page for Clinical Trials for Pancreatic Cancer where you can differentiate in the search for Pancreatic Cancer in Stage I through Stage IV, Stage IV-A and Stage IV-B and Recurrent Pancreatic Cancer

Beginning of Search Pancreatic Cancer Clinical Trials

3. All Current Pancreatic Cancer Treatment Clinical Trials:

All Current Pancreatic Cancer Treatment Clinical Trials

4. All Current Pancreatic Cancer Supportive Care Clinical Trials:

All Current Pancreatic Cancer Supportive Care Clinical Trials