[Mr. Silverback]

My parents were in a similar situation. My grandmother had been suffering from dementia and was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus. The only way to fight it was radiation. She was in her 80s, and my mother said the thing that worried her is that when they gave my grandmother the radiation treatments, she would probably have no idea what was being done to her, and would not retain it for long when it was explained to her.

Sometimes, with the elderly, comfort care is the only reasonable course, because surgery, radiation or chemo become worse than the disease.

[GOPPachyderm]

I think the doctors have a hammer so everything looks like a nail. Three times in the past year, they’ve brought my father-in-law to the hospital via ambulance and performed the same tests each time. All of which say he is fine, although suffering severe dementia. I understand the first time, but the same tests within months? That is hard to understand isn’t it?