My dad is going to sign the paperwork for my mom to enter hospice. As part of this decision, he will also sign approval for the DNR. If she has a cardiac event, they will not try to get her heart to beat. Instead, the caregivers will let nature take its course.
What does this mean? I am not sure. Are we admitting defeat, letting death win? Death always wins. Dying is the deal we unwittingly make when we are brought into this world. Our bodies will eventually fail.
Alzheimer's is a terminal illness. For the past several years, my mom has been well cared for and tended to by my father. He is a devoted spouse--an example, Exhibit A. He has given her everything he has to give. This past week, she has been refusing to eat. This could be a phase, or it could be her body's way of saying the time has come for her to die.
I did a quick google search of "Alzheimer's disease not eating" and found an article from the National Institutes of Health:
"Our modern culture tends to treat dying as unnatural. Our technology allows us to forestall death, yet cannot prevent it. Family members need to be informed, with great compassion, sensitivity, and patience, about the dying process and how natural and inevitable it truly is. The body is shutting down. The natural process of dying means that the body no longer wants or needs food or fluids. This is often viewed as unnatural by caregivers, and even some healthcare professionals. However, we need to explore our own feelings and attitudes toward death and dying before we can help families through this transitional process, this time of loss and change," comments Darby Morhardt, MSW, Social Worker, Northwestern University Alzheimer's Disease Center. Cessation of food intake results in the release of endorphins, which reduce pain. Feeding tubes and hydration block the release of endorphins and can result in weeks of "unnecessary suffering" Dr. Post said.
This might be the end of the line. This reminds of the great song of the same title by the Traveling Wilburys, the impromtu, all-star band of 1988-90 with Tom Petty, Roy Orbison, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne and Bob Dylan. Maybe the song isn't about death, but it feels that way to me now.
Well it's all right, even when push comes to shove
Well it's all right, if you got someone to love
Well it's all right, everything'll work out fine
Well it's all right, we're going to the end of the line
No comments:
Post a Comment