Posted by Sir Four at 6:15pm Feb 28 '09" I do feel that everyone deserves to have their diseases treated and their pain eased, and everyone deserves to have hope and to feel like they are doing all they can to ensure the best quality of life..."
Do you feel that is at odds with what I've posted? Even in the very worst cases, a patient deserves care and relief from suffering. In the end, though, we all die of something. Our problem, sometimes, is that we refuse to accept this reality.
I'm strongly of the belief--and I hope it came across clearly--that we must err on the side of saving lifes. But somehow we have to have a way of determining which cases should be managed for pain and suffering rather than attempting a cure. With a finite amount of funding in the system, we can't aim for miracles in every case.
I'm not trying to be ageist, not at all, but the majority of cases I feel will fall outside the line we draw are those who are truely reaching the end of their lives. It's sad. I've got grandparents. I don't want them to die. But in the end, we all will die. If someone develops cancer when they are in their 80s, it may not make sense to take dramatic action in hopes of a cure. It would depend on the type of cancer, how advanced it is, what the general health of the patient is.
Do you feel that is at odds with what I've posted? Even in the very worst cases, a patient deserves care and relief from suffering. In the end, though, we all die of something. Our problem, sometimes, is that we refuse to accept this reality.
I'm strongly of the belief--and I hope it came across clearly--that we must err on the side of saving lifes. But somehow we have to have a way of determining which cases should be managed for pain and suffering rather than attempting a cure. With a finite amount of funding in the system, we can't aim for miracles in every case.
I'm not trying to be ageist, not at all, but the majority of cases I feel will fall outside the line we draw are those who are truely reaching the end of their lives. It's sad. I've got grandparents. I don't want them to die. But in the end, we all will die. If someone develops cancer when they are in their 80s, it may not make sense to take dramatic action in hopes of a cure. It would depend on the type of cancer, how advanced it is, what the general health of the patient is.
Re: It feels so wrong to think about this. - Sir Four