I have some questions that are too sensitive to ask any of my relatives directly, so I’d appreciate any answers you may have.
My uncle is dying of cancer of the pancreas and liver, and 3 months ago was given 2 months to live. He hasn’t had anything to eat or drink in the 3 months he’s been in the hospital, and has been taking nutrients through IV. This past Saturday they removed these nutrients and now he’s only getting electrolytes through IV.
He was a big man when he went into the hospital, and even now still has a bit of a belly though not nearly as much.
Why did they remove the nutrients? Is this usually a family or medical decision?
I know that my uncle is tired of the pain and is ready to go. Could the removal of the nutrients be considered a mild form of euthanasia? Will this will hasten his passing?
As I understand it, such intravenous feedings put stress on the vital organs such as the kidneys and/or liver. But maybe I misunderstood the nurse at my father’s hospital.
I would ask who requested the removal of nutrients from his IV? There is a big difference between a patient refusing food or treatment, and someone else making that decision for the patient. I had a diabetic uncle who refused kidney dialysis treatments after many years of deteriorating health. He knew that stopping the dialysis treatments would result in his death. He decided that his quality of life was so poor that he would rather let nature take its course.
When my dad died of cancer last November they had him on that stuff and took him off of it because they couldn’t give him enough insulin (He was a type II diabetic) to process the sugars in that stuff and so it was simply a matter that it was working against him more than working for him.
Considering that your uncle has cancer in his pancreas, which is where insulin is produced, he may be having a similar problem. Just a WAG.
Just shooting from the hip, but if the pancreas and liver are trashed, he won’t be able to process much nutrition anyway. Feeding complex calories could actually make him sick.
Sounds like it is time for him to end heroic measures, if he wishes.
In my unfortunately personal experience, that kind of decision is left to the patient/family. At some point (maybe recently, maybe months ago) the doctors should have explained the medical consequences and let the patient (or family) decide for themselves.
Your uncle’s condition may have worsened to the point where he wasn’t adequately metabolizing the nutrients – in other words his IV’s were effectively poisoning him. Even so, stopping nutrition is not a decision a doctor wants to make without consent.
When my aunt was dying from pancreatic cancer, she and the doctor had discussed “no heroic treatments.” When she fell into a coma, they removed the IVs. They brought in food trays for each meal which she (being in a coma) didn’t touch. Basically, she starved to death in the coma in a matter of days. The doctor said that she might have stayed in coma status for weeks or months if they had kept the IV going, and so it was consistent with her wishes.
I didn’t learn what was going on until later, although I did think it funny that they brought in the food trays. I still feel a little ambiguous about it. Denying nutrients to someone seems to me to be a more active role than denying expensive and useless treatments.
C K Dexter Haven, I have absolutely no idea why they brought in the trays of food.
Total parenteral nutrition (IV food) is considered a medical therapy, not food, and it’s VERY expensive.
Your aunt would have discussed exactly what she wanted, and if she wanted a quick, dignified demise, then that was certainly what would have been achieved.