In the late stages of Alzheimer’s Dementia, patients lose their ability to eat independently. Appetite declines, swallowing becomes difficult, and coordinated use of hands is lost. As brain function continues to shut down, mental and physical functions progressively disappear. By the time the ability to eat is
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Death, like birth, is a natural event, and like birth, it is often a messy event. Despite this truth, there’s a conundrum in modern medicine. Folks lucky enough to have full access to comprehensive medical care can face a paradoxical dilemma as they near the end of
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There’s a well-known, time-honored adage, “You’ve got to crawl before you can walk.” I believed it, too—until my granddaughter, Rory, taught me differently. Early on, Rory was a talker, and enjoyed intricate tasks with her hands. However, she didn’t seem the least bit interested in walking by
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One of the most common reasons doctors give for withholding bad news to a patient or a patient’s family (especially if it’s news about a life-limiting illness) is, “I don’t want them to lose hope,” or “I don’t want to destroy hope.” Interestingly, studies and interviews with
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There’s a stark beauty to winter trees. I’m fascinated by the intricacy of the branches that begin with thick, central trunks. They branch and soar and branch again, until there are thousands of delicate twigs pricking the chilled sky that surrounds them. The anatomist in
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‘Tis the season to be jolly. But what if you’re not? I’m revisiting one of my articles from December 2000 this month, because the subject is very much on my mind. Each year, from Thanksgiving until New Year’s Day, we enter the Season of Enforced Happiness. Merchants
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“The closing years of life are like the end of a masquerade party, when the masks are dropped.” –Arthur Schopenhauer Fundamental beliefs and core values are important in many major decisions, none more vital than the goals of care we establish for ourselves when experiencing a serious
Read more →What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason, how infinite in faculty! In form and moving how express and admirable! In action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god! William Shakespeare, Hamlet, II.ii The human body is,
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Caregiving is tough! There are physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges. When one is caring for someone with a prolonged and progressive illness such as dementia, the challenges are magnified. Despite the hardships and sacrifice, there can be blessings in the service. The exemplary physician and philosopher Albert
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Thornton Wilder wrote, “Even memory is not necessary for love. There is a land of the living and a land of the dead, and the bridge is love, the only survival, the only meaning.” My Dad died by degrees. Similar to many patients with Alzheimer’s Dementia, his
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(Latin: doceō, I teach) I learned in medical school that the word, doctor, comes from the Latin word for teacher. I hold that thought closely... read more
These are articles I wrote while in private practice in the early 2000’s. These many years later, I still have folks who ask for links, so I’ve kept them active... read more
