How Doctors Die

Hugh Pickens writes writes: "Dr. Ken Murray, a Clinical Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at USC, writes that doctors don’t die like the rest of us. What’s unusual about doctors is not how much treatment they get when faced with death themselves, but how little. For all the time they spend fending off the deaths of others, they tend to be fairly serene when faced with death themselves because they know exactly what is going to happen, they know the choices, and they generally have access to any sort of medical care they could want. "Almost all medical professionals have seen what we call “futile care” being performed on people," writes Murray. "What it buys is misery we would not inflict on a terrorist. I cannot count the number of times fellow physicians have told me, in words that vary only slightly, 'Promise me if you find me like this that you’ll kill me.'" Feeding into the problem are unrealistic expectations of what doctors can accomplish. Many people think of CPR as a reliable lifesaver when, in fact, the results are usually poor. If a patient suffers from severe illness, old age, or a terminal disease, the odds of a good outcome from CPR are infinitesimal, while the odds of suffering are overwhelming. "If there is a state of the art of end-of-life care, it is this: death with dignity. As for me, my physician has my choices," says Murray. "They were easy to make, as they are for most physicians. There will be no heroics, and I will go gentle into that good night.""

And the bar tender is often a tea-totaller

[NicknamesAreStupid]

It's a business, and you never eat where you shit.

My mother passed away this fall

[dpilot]

My mother had a stroke this fall, and passed away as a result. She had an advanced directive in place, and my brother and I had medical power of attorney. Fortunately he and I agreed on what steps should be taken, etc.

The medical people we dealt with were absolutely wonderful. I live 600+ miles away, and prior to leaving I managed things over the phone. They took the time to explain to me exactly what was happening, what the prognosis was, etc. Nor was this an open-and-shut case at the start, but as things developed further it became apparent what the end would be. They always informed me, answered my questions, and respected my opinions.

By the time I got there, she was in the palliative care unit and they were keeping her out of pain, though by that time consciousness was long gone.

Four years ago she had a fall, hip replacement, and a tough time coming out of the anesthesia. The medical people were helpful and informative back then. She recovered, though went into assisted living instead of to her own home for her last years.

There are good medical professionals out there, and they're not all money-traps. There are also families out there who are not in the, "Do everything you can to keep Mommy alive!" mold.

Been there, done that.

Holy Shit

[Jane Q. Public]

How many times are we going to see this introduced until the poster decides it is never going to go mainstream Slashdot and gives up?

This is an interesting subject, but I have seen it already here at least 3 times now, maybe 4, and it still hasn't made it to mainstream discussion yet.

Maybe it isn't worth pursuing any further?

Re:

[Hugh Pickens writes]

This is the second submission for this story.

I think it's a good story and I think it's good for slashdot readers to expand their horizons a bit.

I had one story I submitted four times before it was accepted.

The story got over 600 comments when it went up.

Best Regards,

Hugh Pickens

Re:

[Jane Q. Public]

I apologize. I had this one confused with something else. Mea culpa.