tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6173095375385680490.post1710894951515864148..comments2011-11-22T15:47:24.924-08:00Jim deMaine, MDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15305598245850297381noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6173095375385680490.post-3191137118384267002011-11-22T15:47:24.924-08:002011-11-22T15:47:24.924-08:00Anonymous: I can't really comment on the specifics of your mother's death. It must have been sad and traumatic for your family. I'm sorry that it went that way. Each one is unique and so many variables are involved. If your mother was "doing OK" then the use of morphine may be questioned. On the other hand if gasping, severe shortness of breath, or pain is present then morphine can be amazingly effective in symptom relief. Medical societies approve the use of morphine when the intent is to treat symptoms. No one approves its use if the intent is to kill. It might be useful to ask the doctors to review the care with your family.Jim deMaine, MDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15305598245850297381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6173095375385680490.post-64337194475889257792011-11-22T09:03:16.964-08:002011-11-22T09:03:16.964-08:00When my mother died my siblings and her boyfriend said there "goodbyes", at which time they took her off all the machines that "kept her alive", and she started doing ok. So since she wasn't dying fast enough, they gave her morphine which lowered her blood pressure(which was the issues she was having to begin with) and it killed her. She was in a coma and was not in any pain, so why the need for morphine, if not to kill her?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6173095375385680490.post-63599641011926596692010-04-05T20:18:12.688-07:002010-04-05T20:18:12.688-07:00I just came upon your blog and it brought to the surface again my anger and pain over the way my middle-aged brother died recently. Much of what happened to him can be explained by family dynamics and cultural medical attitudes (he lives in another country), but I’m still having a heck of a time dealing with my inability to help him die with as much dignity, peace, and physical comfort, as possible. A couple of days before he finally succumbed, I yelled over the phone to his daughter to have pity on him and beg some rare compassionate doctor to give him some morphine. After watching closely the course of his illness, re-reading about approaches to death like the one you’re describing (that may not be the norm in this country either) sometimes feels like reading Science Fiction.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6173095375385680490.post-57790862874280576052010-01-20T14:44:32.073-08:002010-01-20T14:44:32.073-08:00Well done! We can't always get everyone at the table in a timely way, but your timely response and honest sharing went the distance you couldn't cover earlier.risadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09157041687549002339noreply@blogger.com