How is this right?

[JustJamie]

My grandmother suffered a catastrophic stroke last Sunday night. She was taken to the hospital and a CAT scan revealed little to no brain activity. The family decided not to take heroic lifesaving measures, and to just let her go, because there is zero chance of her ever coming out of a coma.

I called my dad last night, to see how everyone was holding up, especially my stepmother (it's her mom), and he told me there was no change in my grandmother, that she's on morphine but that's it...she's not even being hydrated.

I didn't realize that "no heroic lifesaving measures" meant actively starving her to death!!!

That's horrible, how is it even humane???? It would be kinder to just turn up the morphine and kill her quickly!!!

[texmati]

s I dont know what to say. Is there anything that anyone can do at this point for her? They have to be able to give her painkillers for the pain, right?

My heart goes out to you and your grandmother. She will be in my thoughts.

[debbieh]

I'm so sorry.

[angie7]

And that is one reason why I believe in human euthanasia, its a kinder way to go, without all the pain and suffering....

to you and I hope for everyone's sake, she goes quickly...

[ProtoLawyer]

My grandmother refused food and water when she was near the end--we asked the hospice if there was anything we should do and a nurse told us that's what happens when people die naturally...they stop eating, then stop drinking, then pass relatively quickly. It's not starving to death so much as just dying.

I'm sorry about your grandmother.

[Cherie2]

This happened to my mother in October. The Dr assured us he would keep her comfortable and turn the morphine up as much as she needed.

It took 2 days but they finally got the morphine up high enough that she could rest. Every time she would even twitch, one of us would grab the nurse ... "more morphine!"

(these people had no idea how much my mom could take ... and i don't know what they were afraid of? killing her?)

anyway she rested after that .... and slipped away as the full harvest moon rose - it was beautiful.

[JustOneMore]

Originally Posted by ProtoLawyer

My grandmother refused food and water when she was near the end--we asked the hospice if there was anything we should do and a nurse told us that's what happens when people die naturally...they stop eating, then stop drinking, then pass relatively quickly. It's not starving to death so much as just dying.

I'm sorry about your grandmother.

I lost my grandfather on 1/18 of this year. He had Alzheimer's and about a month before he passed, he had a really 'clear' day. My grandmother asked him what he thought about tube feeding in order to keep him alive as the Dr's had recently been talking to her about that. He had the wherewithall to say he didnt want that so she honored his decision. He'd actually stopped eating on his own while he was mobile and about three days later became bedridden. He lasted 8 days after that, well beyond what any of us thought he would. Hospice was there to help with his care and offer morphine to ease his pain and no one made my grandmother feel guilty for not pushing a tube feeding on him.

I know how horrible it sounds but it really is just part of the dying process and most people arent privy to it until it takes place in their own family.

My heart goes out to you.

[Susana]

Hi....

this is happening to my dad right now. It's killing me. I don't want to visit him in the hospital anymore because it is screwing me up inside, but if I don't go I know that would be worse.

I'm so sorry about your grandma

[Peppermint]

I am so sorry