[GCFL-discuss] discussion topic

[Discussion of the Good, Clean Funnies List]

Hi Frank,
It's tough to see a relative fighting a battle with cancer.  I just lost my dear sister in law to cancer.  They thought they had it licked when they found out it had been gaining ground on her & she realized her days were drawing to a close.  She decided against chemo therapy, which she had before and it did little to help her. I understand sometimes chemo buys them more time.   But the doctors did offer it to her again, at a point when she had cancer throughout her body.  Her family supported her choice to have hospice care and they were wonderful.
At that point their goal was to keep her as pain free as possible.  
She was able to die at home with her family around her.  This was a lot of work for her family who cared for her.  But they were willing and able.  Not everyone has a family that can pull it off.

Each case is so unique.  I believe the patient's wishes should be honored if at all possible.  In my sister in laws case money was not a problem, but she choice to stop treatment so she enjoy her last couple of months at home with her family.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Discussion of the Good, Clean Funnies List 
  Subject: [GCFL-discuss] discussion topic


  Things have been rather quiet lately.  I have a few thoughts that maybe would get a discussion going.
  In the last little while we have had two neighbors die after long illnesses and many and long hospital stays and doctors visits.  I now have a brother in law who is fighting a losing battle with prostate cancer.  In each case there was no chance of recovery to full health.
  The question I have is this:  Should we run up huge hospital/doctor bills in and effort to stay alive when the illnesses are terminal?  What would be appropriate or not appropriate?  Who should make the decision--the person or the family or both?
  I am struggling with this somewhat and would like to know your thoughts and maybe get some new insight.
  Frank


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Do you Yahoo!?
  Next-gen email? Have it all with the all-new Yahoo! Mail Beta.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------


  _______________________________________________
  GCFL-discuss mailing list
  GCFL-discuss at gcfl.net
  http://gcfl.net/mailman/listinfo/gcfl-discuss
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://gcfl.net/pipermail/gcfl-discuss/attachments/20060813/5e80b8a8/attachment.htm