I’m having trouble just getting one out these days…. Maybe I should try doubling up 🤣

Hey! I’m in SD - would love to meet up IRL

apnews.com/article/wome...

I’m with you.

That said, also hard for people who do not see what we see (and most people probably shouldn’t given the PTSD it can induce) really cannot fathom our vantage point.

Politics have to no business in my exam room.

We have to stop Politicians, Insurance companies and Lawyers from practicing medicine without a license.

Medical decisions must be based on evidence based medicine with the best interest of the patients health in mind.

Interested in learning more about how I help? Check out www.pallity.org and send me an email.

We as a society are awful about talking about dying. We all have a one way ticket here - we should normalize talking about dying. Talking about the end of life doesn’t magically hasten it. Processing feelings & emotions is one of the biggest tasks we help with.

Anyone w a life limiting diagnosis should have an Advanced Directive completed and designate a Health Care Proxy. My worst cases are ones where patients never talked about their choices and families struggle with guessing what they would want.

Anyone with a life limiting diagnosis should consider meeting with a Palliative care team so they can have an ally and advocate while they navigate challenging decisions. There is no “right” or “wrong” answer. Each decision path in unique to each family.

patients who enroll in hospice actually live LONGER because we are experts in symptoms management so they are less distressed. Instead of being in a state of flight or flight, they are comfortable and with less stress hormones sleep, eat, live better!!!!

I lay out medical options risks, benefits, alternatives so they can make choices for themselves!!!! We offer all medically appropriate / available options so they understand them and can make an informed personal choice.

Palliative & Hospice care teams are some of the kindest, most compassionate and PATIENT & FAMILY centric advocates you will ever meet or work with! The analogy I often use is that we are your Sherpa climbing Mt Everest - we know where the crevasses are & help guide.

It is about recognizing that hospice patients life limiting diagnosis can no longer be modified. The goal becomes improving quality of life over longevity. For each patient what defines QOL is different and unique.

Hospice patients underlying life limiting disease EITHER has NO more disease modifying treatment available OR they elect NOT to pursue further treatment. That doesn’t mean we don’t still treat other correctable reversible issues - we still give abc, fluids, pain meds, oxygen.

the difference between Palliative & Hospice is that the patients still under Pal Care are in a disease modifying stage of their illness - meaning the train has left the building but we can still intervene to change the path their dz takes.