Rants of a physician.
Today is Terry Shiavo's birthday. She's 40 years old. The State of Florida still will not allow her to die.
The US Congress believes it is more qualified than physicians to make decisions on female reproductive health.
On West Wing tonight, the DEA arrested several physicians after legally prescribing drugs that patients in Oregon used to legally committ suicide.
Geesh, and I had to have 12 years of medical education before I could make those decisions.
In the rapid-paced world that is the Daily Kos Diary blog, the Terry Shiavo case has been commented on before,
here and
here. Unfortunately, I did not get to comment. I tempered my anger until I heard the story again on NPR today.
Link here, you'll have to scan the page for the audio article.
My disdain increased when conservative freepers jumped on this case, and the partial-birth abortion ban, to claim victory for all those who "cherish life." Like this guy. As if doctors don't cherish life. Then I watch West Wing tonight and the damn DEA on the show is arresting physicians for legally prescribing drugs in Oregon to allow patients to end their own suffering.
Democrats have widely ranging views on these issues, but I'm pretty sure that all of us don't want the government interfering in our personal lives, especially when that involves making decisions for us that are traditionally made with the assistance of our physician. And you can be damn sure that physicians don't like the government practicing medicine without a license.
Say what you will folks, but Shiavo is not a right to life case, it is a right to die case. Numerous courts have ruled that her husband has the legal right to act in her proxy. And no, you can't recover from PERSISTENT VEGETATIVE STATE. The right to die extends also to the Oregon assisted suicide law.
The partial-birth abortion is not even a medical procedure. It is a term invented by the right-to-life movement to scare us with horrible imagery while they slowly take away a female's reproductive choice. The RTL movement would have you think that this procedure is commonly performed, and taken upon lightly by both patient and doctor. They would be wrong.
This is a ruse while they grease the slippery slope for a repeal of all legal abortions. If you don't believe me, read this.
Anyway, we doctors take our vocation seriously. Part of our oath says, "first, do no harm." But with advancing technology comes more responsibility. We are trained from day one to save lives; full-court press, regardless of cost. Seldom are we trained to first stop, and ask the patient what he/she would want. Patients are not numbers. The chances of a cure for breast cancer is not just "75-95%." It's that plus this: How much pain will I be in when the cancer spreads to my brain or bones? Or, How much agony will my family be in when they see me as a shell of my former self? Or, If I don't abort this deformed fetus, will I be able to have children later in life? The answers are not easy, but the questions need to be asked. The doctor-patient relationship is more sacred than the US Congress, IMHO.
As an aside, let me take this opportunity to encourage all of you to formulate an advance directive, it only takes a few minutes to sign a living will. Or better yet, designate a loved one as Durable Power of Attorney for your health care decisions. Then tell that person everything about your end-of-life care.
Make our jobs as doctors a little bit easier. End of rant.