I just observed the death/murder of my stepfather.
Sick cult of “care giving hospice workers”
I had no idea he was being “morphined” to death until the evening of his demise. Two days after an eight day hospital
stay for a “terminal” diagnosis of mesothelioma.
It was disgusting. He was taken off of all his meds, given a tranquilizer when he got home. Morphine dose doubled in the space of 24 hours on the recommendation of hospice “helpers” . Dead within two days of being released from hospital. Monday morning his specialists were calling to confirm appointments and were stunned to learn he had “died”.
He did not want to die. Was not in pain. And was undergoing regular maintenance draining of his lungs.
This law is sick and immoral. One only needs a “terminal” diagnosis and then it’s OK to have your spouse or caregiver
to kill you off. There is a whole community of ghouls that get their thrills off of killing “terminal” patients.
Methods of treatment were not even given a chance.
I believe he had lived with mesothelioma for decades.
He was given incorrect medication that clouded his thought and was off of it for one day before being given tranquilizers. And then morphine.
Sorry about rambling. But it is hugely painful to have watched a premature death because he met the legal criteria of terminal.
That is chilling.
My sister lin law works for hospice in Ct. She is not a nurse or medical personnel. I don’t know exactly what she does and haven’t asked her because we aren’t close, but I have been suspicious of the hospice movement in general because of the scenario you described. She is a devout catholic, but I wonder what goes on at these hospices and who is charge (or approves) of the morphine decisions ...
This is a tragedy and I am sorry you had to witness it.
Your post struck me because I remember the hospital staff trying to push morphine onto my own father, even though he had no pain, either. We had to continually fight them off. They kept insisting he needed it, and he kept telling them he had no pain. We also had to continually fight off hospice.
My family was suspicious of hospice because a family friend who was considered terminal was visited by hospice. They kept trying to talk him into morphine, and he kept refusing. Six months later, he was still alive; a year later, he finally agreed to morphine, and he was gone shortly afterward.
But, based on experiences within my extended family, it seems the overdose of morphine has been happening for many years, even before there was hospice. (There has been a lot of cancer in my extended family.)
After watching what happened to other relatives and finally my own father, when it was my turn to be the patient, I was very paranoid about narcotics. I refused morphine after the first surgery, and I refused it again during another hospital stay. But, the last surgery was so painful that I was pleading for narcotics when I woke up.
I am very sorry for your loss. I pray that, in time, your family will find peace and the happy memories of your stepfather will live on.
I am so sorry for your loss, and for his. These are the times when we see and feel how precious life is.
My husband was finally sent home from the hospital to die at home, terminal lung cancer. The morphine eased his immense pain.
In the last few minutes he was looking at someone/something over my shoulder. His gaze was fixed, intent, not fearful. Then he closed his eyes and stopped breathing.
Our health care system is wonderful for the dying, having experienced it with my father and aunt as well. It made me appreciate how peaceful those last days can be...even for me, the observer.