My questions is
1. What is the definition of Death ?
2. Should thay have told him his illness?
3. If yes, should the doctor tell the patient his suitation or the
family tell him instead.
4. Is this the appropriate place to ask these questions?
Hi Lin Yu,
Sorry to hear bout ur loss of a close one...Just trying to see what
i can help you with here..
1. Death: is a biological fact. though it comprimises of many other
aspects eg social, cultural, historical, religious, legal,
psychological, developmental, medical and ethical aspects..these
are closely inter-twined..
most are cultural n religious based: e.g if u are a buddhist, it is
jus a way of life, there is nothing that lasts forever (wu chang in
chinese), although death is a universal experience..
generally, death is a cessation of bodily process. however, it
became more complex (medical) after e introduction of of apparatus
that can prolong life. eg. if a patient is brain dead, he/she can
still b alive as long as e respirator is on (correct me if i m
wrong doc), as e brain can no longer function to signal e body to
do basic bodily processes eg breathing n heartbeat. and in certain
aspects, it relates to if the person has e right to die
(ethical)
2. yes i believe that e patient him/herself has e right to know how
his/her condition is. especially when it comes to ethical issues, e
patient has the right to choose if he/she wishes to die even if
there are ways to keep the body working.
3. yes. they do have the right to know. although sometimes, truth
hurts, but it happens. i m sure that u rather b prepared for his
death, than suddenly losing someone right?
after death, it is only natural to grief, grief work and experiece
bereavement: the adjustment after the death of a loved one..in
which shock n disbelief, preoccupation with the memory of the
deceased and lastly resolution follows respectively.
death is a type of development. according to a psyhcosocial theory
from eric erikson the 8th stage of life: integrity vs
despair.
from what u described, your grandfather has gone thru the
following: denial, anger, bargainin for extra time, depression and
ultimately acceptance. the first 4 stages shows the despair in him
and in the end where he accepted the fact of his condition, he
achieved wisdom. wisdom in facing and handling death. therefore a
type of development in life.
if he were to b kept in the dark then most probably, he wld not
have met this wisdom stage in life. giving him time to accept the
painful truth did him good in the end as you can see, he started to
talk to u guys and he passed away in peace and dignity. i am quite
sure he enjoyed his last month of life.
ending off with a lil quote:
...there are things to be gained, accomplished in dying. time with
and for those whom we are close to, achieving a final and enduring
sense of self-worth, and a readiness to let go are priceless
elements of a good death...
