Word: cured
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...abandon hope of full recovery, hospice is unlikely to become a mainstream phenomenon. Most people want to fight, hang on, hope for a miracle. Recently, Cummins, the jazz producer, heard that he could qualify for a clinical trial. He knew the trial carried only a remote possibility of a cure, but he didn't want to give up. Even so, when he and Nancy totaled the cost of his pain medications--$2,250 a month--they were presented with a cruel choice: opt for hospice to save money, or go for the trial and keep paying for the drugs themselves...
...health-care system that would take into account every unique death would be impossible. But reformers say there are a few things the U.S. could do to improve how most of us die. First, insurance companies could reimburse more kinds of palliative care, which is cheaper than attempting a cure. "Insurance will routinely cover expensive chemo with a 5% chance of success but may not cover opioids for pain relief," says Foley, the pain specialist. "We are talking about a redistribution of money that we already spend." When Dr. Shaiova was caring for Cummins, she spent an hour with...
Doctors could speak more openly with patients about prognosis and mention comfort care when a serious illness is first diagnosed--even as traditional treatments are explored. Then, if a cure isn't found, advises Dr. Fred Meyers, who chairs the department of internal medicine at the University of California at Davis, "be honest and say, 'I don't think I can cure you, but I'm not going to abandon you; you're going to get good consultation, we'll take care of your symptoms and take care of your family...
...familiar. I have witnessed it--and been a participant--more times than I care to remember: a small team of physicians and students on rounds stops at the door of a patient in the last stages of a disease that has eluded all efforts at a cure. After an awkward hesitation, the senior member turns to the others and says, "She's probably very tired and needs her rest. It's better not to disturb her. Let's just go ahead and see how yesterday's colectomy is doing." The others nod, and they move on to the next room...
...understand that modern medicine is action, that its excitement comes from the challenge to intellect, to technological skills, even to personal daring. The greatest victories go to those who diagnose brilliantly, who are undaunted by the most intimidating confrontations with disease, so long as there is a possibility of cure or at least improvement. These are the biomedical gladiators, and their arena is the hospital. Unlike the gladiators of ancient Rome, they always win. Well, almost always--and only for a while...