Palliative sedation is the use of sedating medications in progressive doses until a desired level of sedation is achieved. It's only used as a last resort when someone is suffering at the end of life and nothing else is working to relieve it. The New York Times has just covered this topic, bringing awareness of a little known palliative care method to the spotlight.
I've seen palliative sedation work wonders. One of my first hospice patients years ago was a young woman in her 40's suffering of metestatic ovarian cancer. She was in so much pain and agony that her teenage son had to leave the house and stay with friends. He couldn't bear to see his mother writhe and cry out in agony. Her boyfriend was at a loss as well. He was the only one who could stay with her and provide her care but the emotional impact of watching her suffer was almost more than he could bear.
We tried using high doses of intravenous (IV) pain medications and even those weren't touching the pain. When we offered to administer medication that would put her in a coma-like state, she pleaded and cried to be put out of her misery. Her boyfriend was relieved as well. Her son came home and had a few minutes to be with his mother before she slipped into unconsciousness.
I started the medications and within minutes she fell into a deep and painless slumber. Her face, once twisted and contorted in pain, was peaceful and relaxed. Her son sat by her bedside for the next four days, holding her hand and saying everything he'd been wanting to say but couldn't when she was in pain. Her boyfriend was able to focus on lovingly caring for her during her last days. Palliative sedation offered this family quality time to express their love and gratitude and a much needed rest from pain and suffering.
Learn more about Palliative Sedation and find out Does Palliative Sedation Cause Death?
Read the full New York Times Article "Hard Choice for a Comfortable Death: Sedation"
We used sedation on my mother-in-law when she was dying of breast cancer that had spread to her bones. She was in so much pain in her final days. She had already stopped eating and was only drinking tiny sips of water. She was so close to death but just kept suffering! She begged for us to help speed her death. Of course we didn’t want to do that and it’s not legal where we live (Colorado) so when the hospice nurse told us about sedation, my mother-in-law begged for it. We all agreed because we saw how much she suffered. She died 34 hours after she was sedated. I think she had been too miserable to just let go and die but once she was sedated, her body was able to do the work it needed to do to die.
In hospital parlance this is called “Snowing Under”, but you have to be careful if you are a hospital employee or some kooks would call it assisted-suicide, when all it is is letting someone dye without pain in their last moments. Pain management is general did not exist until the 1990’s. Before you would here post-op patients moaning and yelling watching the clock for their next 6-hour shot. HOW Horrible that was! Afraid of addicting someone, when this was the time to use pain management! Thank God this has changed for the most part, but watch for Doctors who went through residency programs in the 1980’s, as old attitudes sometimes die hard!
I pray if I’m in that position, someone is as caring!
God Bless!
David W.
Werd-up. QQ
Hello Everyone!
My name is HeargeKem and I’m from Skive, Denmark. I do sales (internet) for a living however I like auto racing and motor cross. I have two beaufiful childeren Sasha and Melia. I’m looking forward to being a member of this board.
Love,
HeargeKem
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