that's just how it is
My nursing ICU experience was years before I had an addict in my life. Your description was very real, truthful and moving. I remember families who had just given up all hope. They stood there grieving over a life never really lived, the hurt, the shame, the sadness. And there was the alcoholic, dying slowly, yellow and smelly, making no sense in their babbling nightmares. I hope their death was not as painful for them as it was for their families. God bless all who suffer and hang in there. Some nursing blogs are out there that deal with this also. You are not alone, I think this is a big problem for health care workers. Bless you for what you do everyday, few people realize how difficult it is...