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Comments & email
Comments & email
Thursday, May 26, 2005 12:33 PM
I support your efforts for basic human care
Hi,
I am a physician assistant in nephrology
(dialysis) in the United States and have been in practice for
14 years. I see many patients of all ages and with many co-morbidities
elect to undergo kidney replacement therapies. As you know,
in the US everyone can get dialysis via private or government
payers.
What has always been noted by me is that only the patient has
a true judge of his/her own quality of life. I was just doing
my quality of life questionnaires with and elderly HIV+, diabetic
gentleman who rated himself as the best he can be and honestly
stated that his illness does not interfere with his life. He
just deals with it. By the way, he attends our new nocturnal
dialysis program for 8 hours 3x/week. Looking at him and reading
his chart one might gather an opinion that he would be better
served as being let to die. But, the true person is actually
full of life, more so than many of the medical residents at the
hospital.
Our government is beginning to hear how quality of life issues
impact on patients care. I do think that such tools and studies
could be used in the future to support patients RIGHT TO LIFE!!
I support your efforts for basic human care. God bless you and
your family and friends.
Laura Troidle
Thursday, May 26, 2005 7:16 PM
Thanks for e-mailing me Laura. It
is really good to know that there are some members of the medical
professions out there who understand the value of LIFE. When
we contract a serious illness or disability its just one of the
additional challenges that life has a habit of throwing at us.
Once you get over the initial shock it doesn't seem half as
bad from the inside as it did from the outside as long as you
get adequate care. The Nocturnal dialysis programme sounds an
absolutely fantastic idea.
I hope that more and more doctors will come round to your way
of thinking. Many still seem to be immersed in the popular dogma
that believes that illness and disability is so terrible that
death is merited.
Would it be alright if I included our correspondence on the willltolive
website?
Thanks for caring.
Gill
Dear Gill,
Certainly you may. God Bless you and your program.
Laura Troidle