"The politics of death is bureaucracy, routine, rules, status quo. The politics of life is personal initiative, creativity, flair, dash, a little daring. The politics of death is calculation, prudence, measured gestures. The politics of life is experience, spontaneity, grace, directness. The politics of death is fear of youth. The politics of life […]
Be honest about your desire … make a wish before dying … John Waters invites people to write their last dream on walls … but the revolution is expressed in the question itself … I have become intrigued by the worldwide invitation “Before I Die,” for people to write their greatest desires on public spaces.
… would not be beautiful enough … In the past few days I had an experience that I want to verify with you, and I also want to ask you a question. My father got sick, apparently with the flu, then as the days went by, strange, worrisome symptoms appeared, to the point that on
even heaven without that hard headed man who is my father … Read More »
Daniel Callahan and Peter Augustine Lawler discuss end-of-life care. More and more, our end-of-life care looks like the trench warfare of World War I: heavier and heavier economic and human costs with increasingly less ground being won. (Callahan) People today think of themselves less than ever as part of wholes greater than themselves—as part of
I talk to parents and to children, and they don’t know where to turn. They’re so frightened. They’re standing in front of the mystery and are suddenly asking themselves what they can do – they call it bargaining with God, but I think it’s much deeper than that. It’s realizing that you haven’t been busy
from the wounds in my heart … Read More »
Pain is what the patient says it is … but not all pain is mu-opioid responsive … Bio-Psycho-Social-Spiritual assume most acute pain is predominantly “bio” assume most chronic pain has elements of “psycho-social-spiritual” + neuropathy pain mgmt case #1 78 female severe lower extremity ulcerations – circumferential on right diabetes, morbid obesity, s/p multiple
… Casarett and colleagues’ article cautioning against misapplying routine safety measures in the hospice setting. Fundamental differences include goals of care (comfort not cure), longevity (days to months not years) and primary caregivers (family and friends not trained health care personnel). A follow-up article would address safety measures that are appropriate and specific for hospice
safety in hospice … Read More »
Sonnet 23 … John Milton Methought I saw my late espoused saint Brought to me, like Alcestis, from the grave, Whom Jove’s great son to her glad husband gave, Rescu’d from death by force, though pale and faint. Mine, as whom wash’d from spot of child-bed taint Purification in the old
methought I saw my late espoused Saint … Read More »
The Supreme Court of British Columbia recently declared unconstitutional criminal code provisions prohibiting assisting in a suicide … effectively legalizing assisted suicide. The National Post story, BioEdge comments, from Margaret Somerville’s analysis … “People who support legalizing assisted suicide/euthanasia simply assume that individual autonomy is the value that takes priority. But research shows that the
british columbia effectively legalizes assisted suicide … Read More »
… the BMJ joins the AAHPM in adopting a position of “studied neutrality” in their paths toward Physician Assisted Suicide. From a letter to AAHPM from the Supportive Care Coalition at the time (2007) of the AAHPM’s change in position … “[We] oppose all efforts to legalize physician assisted suicide. Precisely because you are a
studied neutrality … Read More »
