[Magdalen] end of life documents (was Re: Rant)

[Marion Thompson]

That just about says it all, eh?

Marion, a pilgrim

On 2/26/2015 1:05 PM, Jay Weigel wrote:
> I go back again and again to something that happened in one hospital where
> I worked for about 3 years, a small regional place where I tended to know a
> lot of the patients and the doctors outside of work.
>
> We had a patient who was obviously nearing the end. Her heart was simply no
> longer capable of sustaining her body, no matter how much tinkering the
> doctors did. For a month she ping-ponged back and forth between the ICU and
> the tele floor, with one brief sojourn at home, while the cardiologist did
> his level best. The patient herself was a sweet, uncomplaining lady, but
> you could tell she was just getting tired and worn out by it all, and you
> could sense that she was just *done*. Nurses know that "distant" feeling.
> Finally there was a discussion between the patient's husband and son (the
> family were devout Catholics) and the doctor, who was Hindu, though I don't
> know how devout or observant. The deciding phrase, which I have never
> forgotten, was uttered by the son: "We know where she's going. Why are we
> trying so hard to stop her?" There was silence, and then agreement. Comfort
> measures were ordered, and the patient died, quietly and serenely, two days
> later.
>
> On Thu, Feb 26, 2015 at 12:41 PM, James Oppenheimer-Crawford <
> oppenheimerjw at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> It sometimes seems as if some folks have their own religion -- the church
>> of uncompromising striving for immortality, no matter what.
>>
>>
>> James W. Oppenheimer-Crawford
>> *“If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better
>> for people coming behind you, and you don’t do it, you're wasting your time
>> on this Earth.”  -- *Roberto Clemente
>>
>> On Wed, Feb 25, 2015 at 10:22 PM, Jim Guthrie <jguthrie at pipeline.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> We had DNRs on the front door, the door to my Dad's bedroom and direct
>>> over his head on the bed. We waited three hours before reporting his
>> death,
>>> and when the authorities came, the EMTs applied the paddles.
>>>
>>> I pointed out the DNR and was told it was "Against our religious
>> beliefs."
>>> I was then threatened with arrest for not reporting it right away. My
>>> reply was that we wanted the DNR order observed and the EMTs demonstrated
>>> they would refuse to respect it.
>>>
>>> My (later) lawyer said she wished I had been her client then -- the would
>>> have sued the pants off the EMTS and the Township.
>>>
>>> Good luck with the DNR
>>>
>>> Cheers,
>>> Jim
>>>
>>> PS Brookynites you can pick up the DNR at 36th Street.
>>>