Hi Rose, my name is Dr. Bartlett. I'm going to be one of your doctors today. I heard that you had a rough night last night, so we're going to work on your medications to make sure you're staying more comfortable. You are too tired to open your eyes or talk to me right now … Continue reading Covid-19 Series, Entry #13
Tag: death
How to prolong death and maximize suffering
I'm super excited that this essay was just published on KevinMD.com. Not quite NEJM or JAMA, but I'll take it! Due to word count restrictions on KevinMD, I had to modify the original version quite a bit. Here is the link to the KevinMD post with my unabridged essay below. Enjoy! https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2019/06/how-to-have-an-exciting-death-5-tips-from-a-palliative-care-physician.html https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2019/06/how-to-have-an-exciting-death-5-tips-from-a-palliative-care-physician.html We’re all … Continue reading How to prolong death and maximize suffering
The Platform
I found you standing on a platform. It was a foggy, damp morning and your vision was obscured. People came and went, some with urgency, others not so much. Some people you knew, others were strangers. Your husband was usually nearby, often holding your hand, other times out of sight. At times you could hear … Continue reading The Platform
Fish are hard.
Luke asked for fish for Christmas. Like all requests from my children, my initial response was "NO!" But the more I thought about it, I decided that fish would be a reasonable gift because they wouldn't end up like the typical junk-gifts that find their way to the floor in a broken mess (presumably) and … Continue reading Fish are hard.