Comments on: Should Doctors Learn to Grieve? http://www.compassionandchoices.org/2012/05/30/should-doctors-learn-to-grieve/ End-of-Life Choice, Palliative Care and Counseling Sun, 29 Jul 2012 05:06:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Melinda Lewis http://www.compassionandchoices.org/2012/05/30/should-doctors-learn-to-grieve/#comment-742 Melinda Lewis Tue, 24 Jul 2012 16:40:14 +0000 http://blog.compassionandchoices.org/?p=2603#comment-742 The Northern Exposure episode mentioned above by me is Season 5, Episode 10, "First Snow". The Series number is 73. The Northern Exposure episode mentioned above by me is Season 5, Episode 10, “First Snow”. The Series number is 73.

]]> By: Melinda Lewis http://www.compassionandchoices.org/2012/05/30/should-doctors-learn-to-grieve/#comment-741 Melinda Lewis Tue, 24 Jul 2012 14:31:23 +0000 http://blog.compassionandchoices.org/?p=2603#comment-741 There was a wonderful episode of the old TV show "Northern Exposure," in which Dr. Joel is helped to accept death as natural by an elderly dying woman in his care. Many philosophical "10"s in this show for the death with dignity movement and for us individual supporters. There was a wonderful episode of the old TV show “Northern Exposure,” in which Dr. Joel is helped to accept death as natural by an elderly dying woman in his care. Many philosophical “10″s in this show for the death with dignity movement and for us individual supporters.

]]> By: Elaine Edelman http://www.compassionandchoices.org/2012/05/30/should-doctors-learn-to-grieve/#comment-740 Elaine Edelman Tue, 10 Jul 2012 23:17:07 +0000 http://blog.compassionandchoices.org/?p=2603#comment-740 I think we on "our side" have to remember that most medical patients still "require" their doctors to "be strong." Doctors spend much of their lives being the "last resort", as many or most of their patients feel it. That now, in our time, we "civilians" are wanting help in learning to approach our parents' and our own deaths less fearfully -- and thus asking our medical specialists to allow and aid us in dying -- is a reversal of what the culture at large (at least in the Western hemisphere) has traditionally asked of them. I think we "patients" and caregivers need to empathize with our doctors even as we try to challenge and change their orientation. Until we come to the late part of our lives, most of us have overtly or subconsciouslly asked our doctors to "save" us, cure us. Let's not forget that. To expect doctors trained in our system to easily give over their "need" to save and cure without a lot of talk and conversation, seems to me to be a false hope. The conversation needs to become less adversarial, I believe. I think we on “our side” have to remember that most medical patients still “require” their doctors to “be strong.” Doctors spend much of their lives being the “last resort”, as many or most of their patients feel it. That now, in our time, we “civilians” are wanting help in learning to approach our parents’ and our own deaths less fearfully — and thus asking our medical specialists to allow and aid us in dying — is a reversal of what the culture at large (at least in the Western hemisphere) has traditionally asked of them.

I think we “patients” and caregivers need to empathize with our doctors even as we try to challenge and change their orientation. Until we come to the late part of our lives, most of us have overtly or subconsciouslly asked our doctors to “save” us, cure us. Let’s not forget that. To expect doctors trained in our system to easily give over their “need” to save and cure without a lot of talk and conversation, seems to me to be a false hope. The conversation needs to become less adversarial, I believe.

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