By Jane E. Brody — 2008
My Feb. 5 column, “A Heartfelt Appeal for a Graceful Exit,” prompted a deluge of information and requests for information on how people too sick to reap meaningful pleasure from life might be able to control their death.
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Studies of dying patients who seek a hastened death have shown that their reasons often go beyond physical ones like intractable pain or emotional ones like feeling hopeless.
I’ve been disabled and intensely ill with the degenerative neuro-immuno illness myalgic encephalomyelitis (formerly known by the misnomer “chronic fatigue syndrome”) for 30 years.
This is written for the person with advanced cancer, but it can be helpful to the people who care for, love, and support this person, too.
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While the nature and timing of end-of-life care differs for each person, many families are finding that it’s best to inquire about hospice care sooner rather than later.
Hospice differs from palliative care, which serves anyone who is seriously ill, not just those who are dying and no longer seeking a cure.
Hospice care teams provide people with comfortable care if they have a life-limiting illness.
This article explains what hospice care is, the services it generally provides, and how to determine if seeking hospice care is appropriate for you or a loved one.
If a person or loved one is elderly or has a terminal illness, knowing death may be near is often difficult to deal with or comprehend. Understanding what to expect may make things a little easier.
Last week was the one-year anniversary of the beginning of my husband’s health crisis. As I gaze at the permanent handicap placard and at him sleeping, once again, on the couch, I’ve been reflecting on what I’ve learned this past year.
If someone were to ask you what the hardest part of living with chronic illness is, they might expect you to respond with one of the physical symptoms you experience, or perhaps how this symptom affects your ability to do certain activities.