Sunday, November 22, 2009
Let me go with dignity
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Tommy Jordan
Jordan, of Roanoke, is retired from Norfolk Southern and is active in Democratic politics.
I know everyone has thought about death, and not so much about the cost associated with dying. My wife died last year after a five-year battle with cancer. My wife and I had never thought about either of us dying before age 60. But I want to share some of the things people need to consider.
When my wife's mother was ill with dementia and other terrible symptoms of old age, it was a nightmare for our family. Late nights and weekend visits to the emergency room, admissions to the hospital, then back home and, eventually, to a health care facility. The money was disappearing at a fast pace, with the taxpayers picking up the tab with Medicare. It was sometimes costing $5,000 a month out of pocket.
It's not all about the money, but it all boils down to money in the end.
She would plug along and have a real bad spell, be rushed to the hospital, put on super drugs to keep a dying body alive. Then, after a few days, she would be sent back to the care facility until the next time.
If you ask people if they want to be alive, just to say they are alive, with absolutely no quality of life, most would say, "Let me go." That is where the problem lies. This puts the doctors and the hospitals at a huge disadvantage, because the families end up wanting them to make a decision that should have been made by the person in advance.
Today, we have drugs that keep an otherwise dead body alive and breathing, well beyond what life was intended to be. Our families think we want to be kept alive this way unless we make our wishes known. That is the key to help bring down the cost of health care -- allow someone to die, if they have expressed their feelings about end-of-life care. I am not talking about assisted suicide, but about not repeatedly pumping people full of super drugs to keep extending a life.
My wife and I were fortunate to have good health insurance, and sometimes the bills were $20,000 a month.
We spent a lot of money out of pocket for drugs and medical care. When it became apparent the end was near, we were told she could have more time with some of the super drugs available, but she would be very sick if she were to use them. She made the decision to withhold the treatment -- not because of the money or lack of desire to live, but to die with dignity, at home, with her family at her side. It was a gut-wrenching experience like you could not ever imagine, but it was her informed choice.
I guess the main point of this is we need to make sure all people have their own informed choice, well in advance, with thought and education, and made known to someone they trust so that to make sure when you can't speak for yourself, someone will know what your desire for end-of-life care is.
End-of-life care is, or can be, very costly, and most people if given a chance to make a advanced, informed decision would want to die with dignity.
So let's not accuse anyone with having death panels, but rather let's make sure everyone has the availability put before them to make an informed, educated choice, about end-of-life care.
