Tuesday

My dad is still in the hospital, but he sounds much better than yesterday, and is up and about with the physical therapist. Probably I will be taking him home by the end of this week. But the doctor made it clear that we need to make a plan for end of life care because that is swiftly approaching .This is the first time the doctors have stressed this subject, which is a ticklish one because my dad refuses to make any such decisions, and leaves me to take responsibility for them. I would have to say that full code--resuscitation under all circumstances, heroic measures, etc., is not a good idea. But I'd have to make that decision on a case by case basis.
I'm sure my cousin felt the same way, but he made the decision to pull the plug on his wife, who had been dying of heart failure for years and years. In the face of prolonged suffering, you do what you have to do, I suppose. But that doesn't make it easier to deal with the decision.