Parent w/Stage IV cancer - can't eat at least 1 week

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My mom is 75 and has stage IV.C rectal cancer, and we were told Virginia hospice would not accept her with an NG tube but that it varies by state. If you do a care facility, you also would need to screen for whether they can/will take your parent with a tube or even IV nutrition - that might limit you to a skilled nursing facility. Notwithstanding those limitations, I second the recommendations to avoid home care without a ton of help. Even with my mom at a care facility with hospice for the last four months, the responsibilities on me as her only child with young kids of my own and an in-person job have been absolutely crushing - I'm physically ill and mentally unwell, with no time to do anything about it other than keep going.

My mother had breast cancer and was living in another country. Hospice there wouldn't take her with a rehydration drip and wouldn't feed her unless she could do this herself. They were full however, and she went to another palliative care place that did spoon feed her. She lived three miserable months suffering with delirium. I think one week at the hospice would have been better.

[Anonymous]

My grandmother loved about 10 days, and it was awful, as one body system after another shut down. She was clearly confused and scared and restless, despite high pain meds. Since then, I have thought that patients should be allowed (before they become terminal and when they are of sound mind) to chose euthanasia once they are moved to palliative care only.

My grandmother was very Catholic and would not have chosen euthanasia because of the church’s emphasis on natural death. I would, because I would never want to go through what she did. Wouldn’t want my kids to have to watch.

[Anonymous]

Dying while sleeping is optimal Id say. Second, after this conversation, would be a lightning strike. Or even a Metrobus for that matter. Uggggggh