General Chat

We got the biggest suprise when we arrived at Aunt Lou's bed she opened her eyes and talked with us. Very quiet and hard to understand. She knew who we were. Asked how my mum was.
I called my mum and sister when I got home and we worked it out that my sister and I would look after our Dad while the three grandaughters took Mum to see her sister while she is awake. Luckily she was still awake and spoke to them all. The nurse told my uncle and I that she has pnumonia (sp) and asked us what religion she was, and did we think she would like a visit from the chaplin. So we will see how she goes over the next few hours.

Carole just to let you no im still thinking of your aunt and your family
Dutchx

Hi Carole
Just to let you know still thinking of your Aunt
And you and your family x

/the-liverpool-care-pathway-may-be-the-slippery-slope-to-backdoor-euthanasia/

Have you heard of the Liverpool care pathway? This is what the nurse (sister) told us my aunt is getting.

Just on my way to bed so will look in in the morningx

I hope you don't mind Carole, but have put this up so others can read it, we should know about these things. I find it rather disturbing really. i Hope your Aunt can rally further but it may be that the way she was when you all saw her, and what a pleasure that she and her sister were able to spend some fairly lucid time together, may be the 'calm before the storm' if you understand me. I think people often get this surprise rallying of a loved one who has been very ill and not expected to live and then sadly a short time later the candle burns out and they pass peacefully to their loved ones waiting on the other side.

Lizxx


The Liverpool Care Pathway may be the slippery slope to backdoor euthanasia

By Gerald Warner UK Last updated: September 3rd, 2009

Could the most ardent fan of George Orwell have asked for a more classic, totalitarian euphemism than “the Liverpool Care Pathway”? That is the technical term employed by the NHS for a system of patient assessment that selects those deemed “close to death” for withdrawal of food and fluids or being placed on continuous sedation until they die.

In a letter to the Daily Telegraph, a group of experts concerned with care for the terminally ill has denounced this system as sometimes amounting, in the words of Dr Peter Hargreaves, consultant in Palliative Medicine at St Luke’s cancer centre in Guildford, to a “self-fulfilling prophecy”. Signs that a patient is in fact improving can be concealed by the LCP system. Patients may become semi-conscious or confused simply as a result of pain-killing drugs if they are also dehydrated. Dr Hargreaves has taken patients off the “pathway” and found that they then lived for “significant” amounts of time.

The medical profession is now concerned and rightly so. In 2007-08, 16.5 per cent of deaths in Britain resulted from continuous deep sedation – twice the rate of the Netherlands with its notorious culture of death and legalised euthanasia. The question has to be asked: is this euthanasia by the back door? Is the NHS getting rid of bed-blockers even faster than David Cameron in his purge of the Tory old guard?

It was instructive to see how little examination this life-or-death issue merited on the television news: a brief mention, with no film or interviews. Contrast that with the prolonged and sympathetic coverage given to any crusader for “the right to die” and it is not difficult to detect where media sympathies lie. That is an appalling example of the liberal consensus at work – climate change and immigration are among other similarly manipulated issues in the media.

Inch by inch, the state is taking over not only the everyday minutiae of how we live our lives, but also how long those lives should be. America has risen up against Obama’s “death panels”; it is unlikely the British have the will to exercise the same instinct of self-preservation by halting this drift towards the unthinkable.

Just to keep you up to date with what I know,
Albert and I went to see Louie Saturday afternoon. She had her eyes slightly open, so I said her name, and asked her if she was awake. Slowly she opened her eyes more, and spoke. I asked if she could see Albert. She could. She asked is it Carole?
She spoke very quietly, but was talking. We stayed about half an hour. Spoke with a nurse who told us they were assessing her every couple of hours, and told us she was on The Liverpool Care Pathway. This allows people to die, no treatment, messing with blood pressure ect. Albert gave her a drink of water, which she took through a straw and was ready for! I told her lots of people had been to see her but she was asleep. She said she must have been in a coma!

The nurse told us the scan showed pneumonia and because of Lou's deterioration they would not treat it.

As we were leaving Sarah was going to visit her.

I phoned Linda, Jim and Mum to tell them how we had found her. Linda and I arranged to meet at Mums and we would stay with Dad and Liam & Aaron, while the three girls, Hayley, Kim and Kerry took Mum to see Louie. So it was lovely that Mum got to talk to Louie, after seeing her in a deep sleep Thursday. Mum said to Louie, get better soon, and she said I hope so.

No news today Arthur was going with Alma.

Carole thinking of you and your family especially your Aunt..
Love Tricia xx

Carole I am thinking of you and your family, and of course your aunt. It was lovely that she could talk to you and know who you were.

Caz xx

Lovely that your Aunt was able to have more visitors and be able to speak with them too.

Been thinking about her and you, Carole, hope you are coping with the stress of everything

Lizx

Just to let you all know a doctor spoke with one of my uncles yesterday, he told him Aunt Lou is getting better!!

Oh Carole, what a lovely thing to read on this dark and foggy morning, I'm so pleased for you all. It shows there's always hope.

Caz xx