Good Morning Kathy :)

I check your thread everyday. Considering the reason that you started it, I find it quite uplifting to read all of the caring posts.

You are living your life with such grace.

2ndhandrose aka Juanita :)

:grouphug:

Thank you, Juanita. :)

This talk of cigars puts me in mind of the lovely lady who used to appear at the very end of the Morecambe and Wise Show - Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise being Britain's best-loved comedy duo:

That lady can emcee my party anytime, Caramel (but I’ll pour her some sparkling cider instead)! :c014:

^ Her brief appearances at the end of their shows were just a random bit of amusement, she had no other role than to appear, receive applause, and look gorgeous :lmao

Her name was Janet Webb :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janet_Webb

:)

Kathy, my friend, I am happy that you have such a thoughtful husband and son with a great sense of humor to be with you on this journey. You are amazing!

wishing you a great weekend Gilmer :)

D

Still lurking, Gilly

Thank you guys! :grouphug:

good morning Gilmer! much love and blessing your way today and always!

badge

It's taken me a few days to process these feelings and be able to write.

During the MLB All Star game there was a demonstration. I Stand Against Cancer For... It was a beautiful thing.

I stood for you, Kathy.

That is so beautiful, trachs!

Wishing you a day of love, beauty and peace, dear Kathy.

That really is beautiful, Trach. Thank you very much.

By the way, my prescription snorkel mask arrived this morning!

I’m ready for Red Reef Park!

Trach, that was beautiful.....brought tears to my eyes..

:ws_flowerHi Gilmer...I hope you have a lovely weekend with your family.
Xo,
Croutie

Snorkle on! Yay!

Go practice somewhere.

:)

How lovely, Trach. :hug:

Kathy, your attitude is catching - I think of you when faced with challenges. I'm never going to forget what you've taught us, & the example you've set.

:grouphug:

I visited the palliative care oncologist today. I really, really liked him. He was a hospice physician for five years, and he is a man of faith—he is principled, and he is not just another rank-and -file medical moneychanger who is eager to pull the plug ASAP to keep costs down.

So I listened carefully when I asked him the truth about end-of-life care.

My husband takes a firm stand on what he earnestly believes is the highest moral ground: that I should continue to receive infusions of food and water via tube and IV when I become unable to feed myself naturally.

He believes that to withhold them is like starving the patient—an inadvertently cruel method of hastening death.

Many people believe this.

I used to, too.

But after having spoken with my hospice nurse and now this palliative care oncologist, I have learned some things that I was previously unaware of.

When a patient who is already in the process of dying loses the ability to feed himself, his body adjusts to the lack.

Administering food and water artificially actually can cause physical harm and increase discomfort.

When the hospice program admissions nurse told me that, I didn’t believe her. She seemed rather insensitive and callous in her general manner, so I instinctively didn’t trust her. Despite the fact that she worked for hospice, she seemed to have a complete tin ear when it came to empathy.

But when I spoke with the doctor today, I heard specifics of how the dying patient is put in more discomfort: the body no longer is able to process water properly, and excessive swelling can occur in the extremities (my left ankle is already prone to swelling)—plus, the lungs tend to fill with fluid.

So it is not a mercy to provide dying people with nutrients artificially.

It would definitely be inhumane to withhold food and water from a person who was healthy, or at least sick with hope of recovery; but when a person is already dying, it not only prolongs things, but makes them worse.

So I just wrote up an advanced directive.

When my husband comes home tonight I will let him know that what they say is really true—it is not just a cynical way to cycle stiffs through the system faster!

I had complete trust in the doctor today.

If my husband is still not convinced after we talk tonight, then I’ll make an appointment for him to see this doctor and ask questions.

Kathy, you have some hard questions to ask and some hard decisions to make. I admire how thorough you are in seeking answers to questions you have.

Your signature, from Bridge Over Troubled Water, inspires me to tell you that we are all here for you on this journey and keeping you in our prayers. Sail on....

Hugs and Love
Ann