U.S. hospital will not remove oxygen from elderly woman who says on video ‘I want to live’

redleghunter

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Exactly.. how does a clergyman retire? Was it just a job or a calling?
With my brother T a calling. His wife just had breast cancer surgery last month at age 78 and has continued to minister to families in need and in mourning and when recovering missed only one Sunday. This is a blessed couple and a blessing to many including me and my family.
 
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DamianWarS

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Any actual proof that the hospital was going to do this?
this appears to be the claim from LLDF. It seems the patient was asked if she wanted her oxygen removed which is being used as an implicit argument that the hospital is trying to euthanize her. What is not clear is the motive behind that question which may have more to do with gauging her desire to live than it is the hospital's desire to end treatment.

The article said she was under sedation but was still able to understand this question, however, was she still able to correctly understand the motive of the question? Health care professionals need to speak clearly and directly with some of these questions so they know the question is understood especially under sedation. Perhaps they were trying to establish treatment for depression if needed and the woman may have misunderstood the context. in any case, there is a lot of concrete details missing, all we have is the testimony of a woman in pain and under sedation.
 
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mnphysicist

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Cancer pain can a bugger to treat as the disease progresses, plus it can also start to metastize to the brain, which can bring about any number of cognition issues. I feel badly for this lady, as it seems her tragedy was exploited for virtue signaling.

Someone had to make the video... someone who could have gotten to the bottom of this, and made sure the lady understood what was being asked and provided comfort to her, or at minimum understood it themselves. In trying to view this in the best light possible, maybe they felt making a video would help the lady understand and provide comfort... but that doesn't explain how it left the hospital room.

As far as asking about discontinuing oxygen or not, this is not uncommon in some end of life care situations, to confirm that a given direction is still what the patient wants. Sometimes folks will choose a natural death over what is far too often prolonged torture to get a few more minutes, hours or at best days of life. Supplemental oxygen while it might provide a bit more time prior to death, can also increase suffering substantially as organs shut down depending upon condition.

If folks don't talk about this sort of stuff, prior to the last hours/days of life, it can be pretty tragic and is often prone to misunderstandings. Then again, some families don't like to talk about this stuff, and some don't understand how much suffering comes from extraordinary measures, or even simple things like oxygen, hydration, or food, so they act counter to what their loved one has previously expressed...

There are exceptions to this like in the state of TX where in a board will make the call to continue care, or tell the patient/family to procure care elsewhere as a means of controlling costs at end of life. And yet, it seems few if any protest that...
 
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Tropical Wilds

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May 2, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) – The 64-year-old woman at reported risk of being euthanized by a Minnesota hospital has received a reprieve after a pro-life legal non-profit intervened on her behalf.

Catie Cassidy is resting comfortably, according to Life Legal Defense Foundation (LLDF), after the hospital agreed to abide by her wishes and those of her healthcare proxy and not remove Catie’s oxygen.

“We received news today that Fairview Hospital in Edina is fully cooperating with Catie’s health care proxy and that they will continue to provide Catie with oxygen as needed,” the Foundation said in a statement.

The hospital received a lot of calls and even visits from people concerned about the case, LLDF Executive Director Alexandra Snyder told LifeSiteNews.

“Thank you so much to all who showed up for Catie by getting the word out and calling the hospital,” Snyder said. “You are amazing!”

LLDF attorneys had sent a demand letter informing the hospital of its duties under Minnesota law after learning the hospital had planned to remove Cassidy’s oxygen on Wednesday morning.

Cassidy is a lung cancer patient, and without supplemental oxygen, she would have suffocated to death.

She had communicated in no uncertain terms in a video that went viral earlier this week that she did not want the hospital to “pull the plug” on her oxygen, and that she wanted to live.

More at link: U.S. hospital will not remove oxygen from elderly woman who says on video ‘I want to live’

So I thought we had cleared up that the woman mistook normal admissions questions as a forced directive or mandate...? Asking what somebody’s wishes are for life saving treatment is a question required by law and in states like mine when the care is potentially palliative, the law requires the hospital ask for specific instructions as to various stages of life extending interventions.

Like, my Dad went to the hospital in A-Fib, but he has had a heart attack, so they asked us “In the event of a medical crisis where the patient is unable to communicate verbally their directives, would your father want extraordinary measures consistent with our hospitals capabilities and the latest medical knowledge?” You say yes or no, then they asked about supplemental life support like external pacemakers, feeding tubes, and oxygen.

If they didn’t have these directives, my dad would have gotten the care... I mean, they don’t stand over you and watch you suffocate because they aren’t sure if you want oxygen... But there are people who are at the end who ask for interventions including oxygen to be withheld. My Grandmother was one, my Grandfather was another.

I mean, come on... They give people who run marathons oxygen do help their recovery, but a hospital will deny a lucid woman her supplemental oxygen because they want her to die? Does that make sense? Especially given that her O2 is likely provided by a third party, even if they deny it to her against her clearly stated and lucid request for no reason, the company that supplies 02 to her is required by law to do so until either the prescribing doctor or their proxy terminates the prescription AND they are required by law to make sure she can administer it properly or else they must provide an aid to make sure it is administered. So if the hospital won’t give it to her, the O2 company certainly will because they are liable if she doesn’t. And frankly, since she’s at palliative care level the hospital will likely contact the O2 company to handle her O2 needs anyway since the price difference to the patient would be tens of thousands of dollars.

I mean, for real, even if the hospital didn’t release a statement saying “that isn’t what happened,” common sense tells us as much all on its own.
 
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Yarddog

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Ah you are on oxygen, sick and elderly and someone asks you if you want to end it all.
I'm sure there are hospital employees who have been trained in this issue. Which don't have very good bed side manners but most are very sensitive to the patients and family members who make life ending decisions. It isn't easy.

My brother, who has cancer, just made his and we made it for our mother, who had ALS, 30 years ago.
 
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FireDragon76

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So, no proof that the hospital was going to do anything other than what Catie wanted. Good news.

"In other news... Grass is green."
 
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sfs

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Yes asking people if they want to die is not controversial.
Asking people what kind of treatment they want near the end of life is not controversial. It's an ethical imperative.
 
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FireDragon76

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Asking people what kind of treatment they want near the end of life is not controversial. It's an ethical imperative.

I'm glad more hospitals are dealing with this sort of thing realistically now days. And it's not just about money, it's also about confronting families with the reality of the medical conditions at the end of life. We can keep bodies alive for a long time now with minimal brain activity using life support, but that's not the sense that most of us mean by life.

I saw this sort of thing last week. Jeff was basically being kept alive with life support and drifting in and out of minimal levels of brain activity after suffering from end-stage kidney disease. In the end, his doctor and family decided to move him into hospice care and he died shortly afterwards. He was not going to come back to us, and keeping his body alive in that manner prevents his family and friends from having closure.
 
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timothyu

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As far as asking about discontinuing oxygen or not, this is not uncommon in some end of life care situations, to confirm that a given direction is still what the patient wants.
Would it not depend on when they were asked? If a patient is not allowed to make legal decisions or drive for a set time after sedation as an out-patient, then how can they legally be asked to commit to such a decision under those conditions?
 
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redleghunter

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I'm sure there are hospital employees who have been trained in this issue. Which don't have very good bed side manners but most are very sensitive to the patients and family members who make life ending decisions. It isn't easy.

My brother, who has cancer, just made his and we made it for our mother, who had ALS, 30 years ago.
I have offered prayers for your brother. May the Grace and Peace of Almighty God be upon him and his family.

It is hard to fill out that paperwork of the Advanced Directive. Not to mention the other arrangements when one is younger than this elderly lady. But I found when it is done and over with you can move on to live day by day by the Grace of God.

My parents when they retired and moved to Florida made all their final arrangements before moving into their new retirement home. What they missed were the medical power of attorney, last will and testament and advanced directive. When my dad became ill I hired an Elder Care lawyer and they arranged all the paperwork which both parents were still of sound mind at that point. That quickly changed 6 months later.

I also reviewed their wishes with my parent’s priest. I’m glad I did because he made note of their condition and ensured visitation and communion. He also gave me his number so he could be there or have another priest there in the final moments. My dad was Knights of Columbus and a regular usher so he and my mother had quite a few visitors. A wonderful parish.
 
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redleghunter

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I should be. I've had 10 major operations over the past 8 years. :) I get asked about end of life before each.
I would consider you an expert patient. :)

Sorry to hear this. I hope you are on the mend and no further surgeries required!

I gather you have witnessed the good, the bad and the ugly of inpatient and outpatient care. I know I have.

Just two days ago my doctor of 7 years ordered the wrong treatment! I caught it because I read everything and drill the nurses before they hook me up.

So I’m a bit sensitive to the elderly woman who may not have had good advocates drilling the staff.
 
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sfs

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So I’m a bit sensitive to the elderly woman who may not have had good advocates drilling the staff.
Caution is always a good idea when dealing with hospitals, and a good advocate is close to a necessity, at least in the US. An unfortunate aspect of modern medicine.
 
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Yarddog

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I would consider you an expert patient. :)
Sadly so, but a good spouse is better. :) I can't tell you how many times her claws are bared. Lol.
Sorry to hear this. I hope you are on the mend and no further surgeries required!
Waiting on a total shoulder replacement. I gotta get to 70 first. Also had a biopsy a few days ago and waiting on results.

I gather you have witnessed the good, the bad and the ugly of inpatient and outpatient care. I know I have.
Anytime the human factor is present, ugly is going rear up from time to time.
Just two days ago my doctor of 7 years ordered the wrong treatment! I caught it because I read everything and drill the nurses before they hook me up.
I had an allergic reaction to morphine so doctor's changed my pain meds. The nurse misread the dosage and gave me a double dose in the IV. I woke up a day later and my wife's claws had done a lot of damage. Lol. I don't know if the nurse has been located yet. :)
So I’m a bit sensitive to the elderly woman who may not have had good advocates drilling the staff.
I had to deal with my father's Alzheimer's disease and understand how the elderly get confused in hospitals, so I'm sensitive to both.

God bless
 
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Hank77

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May 2, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) – The 64-year-old woman at reported risk of being euthanized by a Minnesota hospital has received a reprieve after a pro-life legal non-profit intervened on her behalf.

Catie Cassidy is resting comfortably, according to Life Legal Defense Foundation (LLDF), after the hospital agreed to abide by her wishes and those of her healthcare proxy and not remove Catie’s oxygen.

“We received news today that Fairview Hospital in Edina is fully cooperating with Catie’s health care proxy and that they will continue to provide Catie with oxygen as needed,” the Foundation said in a statement.

The hospital received a lot of calls and even visits from people concerned about the case, LLDF Executive Director Alexandra Snyder told LifeSiteNews.

“Thank you so much to all who showed up for Catie by getting the word out and calling the hospital,” Snyder said. “You are amazing!”

LLDF attorneys had sent a demand letter informing the hospital of its duties under Minnesota law after learning the hospital had planned to remove Cassidy’s oxygen on Wednesday morning.

Cassidy is a lung cancer patient, and without supplemental oxygen, she would have suffocated to death.

She had communicated in no uncertain terms in a video that went viral earlier this week that she did not want the hospital to “pull the plug” on her oxygen, and that she wanted to live.

More at link: U.S. hospital will not remove oxygen from elderly woman who says on video ‘I want to live’
I noticed in the article that she has a healthcare proxy who should know and have in writing what her desires are. She may have given them the authority to make medical decisions for her if she became incapable of doing it herself.

LLDF Executive Director Alexandra Snyder told LifeSiteNews that Cassidy’s healthcare proxy was to meet with the hospital at 11 a.m. Central Time, and that specifics were still forthcoming.
 
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PaulCyp1

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To do so without her approval (or that of her proxy, if she is permanently unconscious - which she obviously is not) would be murder. It's coming to that however. The Netherlands was the first country to legalize abortion. Now, new parents have ten days after the birth, to decide whether they want to keep the child, or let him/her starve to death. And, older people are afraid to go to the hospital because doctors can decide whether a particular life is worth saving, without consulting the patient or family. We'll be there soon.
 
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