RE: What does the future hold for Ariel Sharon?

 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Bob Olivere" <[email protected]>
>             I can see Peter's point, but it is a personal decision made by
> individuals and their families, not by society. When society tries to make
> the rules you end up with situations like Terry Schiavo at one extreme and
> Soylent Green at the other. I used to be firmly in the camp that is was
> kinder to put people out of their misery. After working in the ER for over
> 25 years, I've come to realize that these people may be old, but most don't
> want to die and want you do as much as you can to keep them going. It may
> seem like they are doing some extreme things to keep Sharon alive, but
> surgically treating cerebral hemorrhages and medically induced comas are
> more standard of care than cutting edge treatments, not to mention that the
> guy is a world leader. I remember several years ago I was treating a 96 year
> old man with a mild heart attack. This man had never been hospitalized
> before and was on no medications and was active and alert. I told his wife
> what happened and she fell apart, blaming herself. "What did I do wrong? I
> feed him well and we exercise..." At first I thought it was funny, then I
> realized that if you don't feel old and aren't sick, you are probably as
> unready to die as the rest of us.
> 
> Oly

This is a discussion that American society needs to have and soon.  Health care costs are exploding in the US (and maybe elsewhere too but I am unfamiliar with those as much).  Costs went up 15.7% in the last year I know of, and the reason that companies keep using for cutting benefits or increasing co-pays is the rising cost of health care.  Is every operation worth it?  Is the care that you give people at the end of their lives worth taking away from children or other people?  Should malpractice suits be curtailed?  (Many tests are ordered for patients supposedly to try to make sure that the doctor doesn't get sued later).  

It cost nearly a million dollars to keep Schiavo alive for 15 years.  Was that money well spent?  This is a difficult conversation and Americans have so far decided that whatever you spend is OK but right now states, the Federal government, and companies are going broke over it, as well as individuals who make decisions to not have coverage.  

Craig