Mr. L. reports that he is ready to die and he wants to die at home.
He's tired of going back and forth from the hospital.
He has end stage emphysema.
I've known him for about a year.
He was about the same age as my son, during WWII, when he was in the second wave of the Omaha Beach invasion on June 6, 1944 and fought in the Battle of the Bulge.
We will try to honor his wishes to spend his final days in his home, with his wife of over 60 years, surrounded by his life time of memories.
He deserves it.
Hi dr bill, I just found your blog and reading some of your posts found this one. My brother had end stage copd also and after finally getting home after several months in the hospital, he placed himself on hospice and declared himself done with the hospital scene. My oldest brother was a dialysis patient who was chronically anemic due to a condition I can't recall that caused his lining of his stom
ReplyDeletech to inflame. He too placed himself on hospice stopped his dialysis and died at home. I work in critical care as a nurse in a teaching hospital and can say I hope to have the same courage as my two brothers when my time comes. I am not encouraged by the new physicians and their lack of common sense and heavy dependence on electronic orders. No thinking required. I have been a nurse for 28 years and have seen a huge shift in priorities. I'm glad I found your blog because I love patients and love the things they say and do. Most of the time.
Thanks for your comments! Best to you and yours always!
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