| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
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| COPD and Nursing Home | 11/10/2009 | Margot RN BScN CGN |
Q: my mom has had COPD for over 6 yrs now. she is currently in the hospital with her most recent bout ...
A: As you are well aware, COPD is a long, progressive disease so your Mom likely has many years ahead ...
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| lifesupportformother | 11/9/2009 | Margot RN BScN CGN |
Q: my mother three months ago was in mild to moderate stage of alzeimers. My father had caretakers with ...
A: I apologize for my tardy response, I was not well myself this past week. I am so very sorry to read ...
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| death | 10/28/2009 | Margot RN BScN CGN |
Q: My 92 year old grandmother is full of cancer. Right now she is in a hospice home. She hasn't ...
A: I am sorry to read about your Grandmother. Generally someone in hospice has been assessed to have ...
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| My Grandmother | 10/26/2009 | Margot RN BScN CGN |
Q: My Grandmother is now 95 1/2 and has lived a wonderful full life. She is still living at home and ...
A: It sounds like your Grandmother is showing signs of slowing down and that's what the nurses and your ...
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| Bone Cancer | 10/19/2009 | Margot RN BScN CGN |
Q: My Aunt was diagnosed with Breast Cancer 10 years ago - went thru Chemo %26 radiation %26 had a ...
A: You’re right that no one can guess “how long”, really her oncologist would be the best person to ...
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| metastatic colon cancer | 10/12/2009 | Margot RN BScN CGN |
Q: I have a boyfriend of 10 years. Eight of which we lived together. He was diagnosed in 2006 with ...
A: I am so sorry to read about your ordeal, how very sad for both of you! “End of life” care is ...
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| My father dealing with Prostate cancer | 10/4/2009 | Margot RN BScN CGN |
Q: My father is 70 years old in Alabama and I am in Virginia. For the last couple of years my father ...
A: My advice is to go now if it's important for you to say "goodbye" so you'll feel you did what you ...
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| End Stage COPD/CHF/AFIB | 9/16/2009 | Paul D. Friedman, M.A., Ph.D., J.D. |
Q: I am a Registered Respiratory Therapist and am currently moved in with my 82 yr old Mother who ...
A: Julie, There is no easy answer. The question you have to ask yourself is how would your mother ...
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| advice | 9/3/2009 | Margot RN BScN CGN |
Q: my gran is in her ninetys, she has lung cancer and water in the lungs, doctors have prepared her for ...
A: It will certainly be a lot of work and a full-time commitment, but I believe the time is ...
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| COPD End stages | 9/2/2009 | Margot RN BScN CGN |
Q: My mom is 70 years old and has COPD. She was a smoker for 55 years but quit "cold turkey" in January ...
A: It sounds like your mother is having Delusions or Hallucinations, and these can caused by many ...
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| COPD | 8/27/2009 | Margot RN BScN CGN |
Q: My mother has had COPD for years now. She has been getting progressively worse, and she doesn't do ...
A: This is very general and may not be the course your Mom follows, but I can tell you how an average ...
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| copd end of life | 8/16/2009 | Margot RN BScN CGN |
Q: My Mom has been living with copd for about 16 years, she is bedridden now and mostly not responsive. ...
A: I'm sorry to read about your Mom, COPD can be a very frightening disease for those that have and for ...
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| CHF, Grandmother | 8/9/2009 | Margot RN BScN CGN |
Q: Today my grandmother spent her 93rd Bday in the hospital with CHF. She went in on July 4 for ...
A: I’m sorry to hear about your Grandmother’s condition, this must be very difficult for you to watch. ...
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| Responses to being taken of life support | 8/4/2009 | Paul D. Friedman, M.A., Ph.D., J.D. |
Q: In may of this year we had to take our 20 yr old son off life support. He had an lack of oxygen due ...
A: Lisa, I am sorry you had that experience and I know that no parent should ever have to bury a ...
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| My Dying father and my brother who doesn't want to let go | 7/7/2009 | Margot RN BScN CGN |
Q: My brother has involved me these past six months since my father has been so critically ill--- My ...
A: It sounds like your brother is in denial and hoping for a miracle. I suggest rather tan trying to ...
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| hearing voices when terminally ill | 6/28/2009 | Margot RN BScN CGN |
Q: I am caring for my grandfather who is terminally ill. the last week has been a bad one and i feel he ...
A: I am sorry to read about your Grandfather's illness, he is lucky to have you there with him. ...
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| CHF Patient with Pacemaker | 6/25/2009 | Margot RN BScN CGN |
Q: My mother is 91 years old and has had CHF for the last 10 years. She had her second pace maker ...
A: I'm a nurse and I used to wonder this myself. Basically a pacemaker just sends a signal to the ...
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| stages of COPD | 6/24/2009 | Margot RN BScN CGN |
Q: I was told by a patient suffering from COPD that there are "steps" of the COPD disease. Once you go ...
A: I'm afraid COPD is a progressive disease which continually declines; there may be some fluctuations, ...
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| Artificial nutrition at end of life | 6/19/2009 | Margot RN BScN CGN |
Q: When near end of life with alzheimer's disease and refusing food and drink, is it best to let death ...
A: I am sorry but I really cannot guess how long your mother may last in her current condition - I have ...
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| Late-Stage Alzheimer's Symptoms | 6/19/2009 | Margot RN BScN CGN |
Q: I am the caregiver for my mother who has had alzheimer's disease for at least 12 years. She is on ...
A: I am sorry but I really cannot guess how long your mother may last in her current condition - I have ...
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| Stage 4 lung cancer w/mets to liver, kidney & Bone | 6/15/2009 | Margot RN BScN CGN |
Q: Mom was an 84 year old active lady up until 6-7 weeks ago She started complaining of pain in the ...
A: Below is an excerpt which I think should answer all your questions. I hope this helps and I wish you ...
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| Stage 4 lung cancer w/mets to liver, kidney & Bone | 6/14/2009 | Margot RN BScN CGN |
Q: Mom was an 84 year old active lady up until 6-7 weeks ago She started complaining of pain in the ...
A: It will certainly be a lot of work and a full-time commitment, but I believe the time is ...
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| Having a few second thoughts | 6/9/2009 | Margot RN BScN CGN |
Q: I stumbled onto this site when I was doing some searching regarding my mom's recent death. She had ...
A: I'm sorry to hear about your Mother’s recent passing but I do not think aggressive treatments like ...
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| ovarian cancer spread to liver | 6/6/2009 | Margot RN BScN CGN |
Q: I have a 76 year old grandmother who has been battling ovarian cancer for almost 2 years. She has ...
A: Below is an excerpt which I think should answer all your questions. I hope this helps and I wish you ...
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| COPD | 6/4/2009 | Margot RN BScN CGN |
Q: my mum has had copd for a good few years now, she is 72yrs old, has home oxygen of which she is on 4 ...
A: This is very general and may not be the course your Mom follows, but I can tell you how an average ...
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| lung cancer stage four | 6/2/2009 | Margot RN BScN CGN |
Q: A close friend in our group has lung cancer stage four it has gone to the lymph nodes, and throat. ...
A: I am sorry to read about your friend. Sometimes medical professionals do what they can and not ...
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| Pneumonia versus UTI | 5/6/2009 | Margot RN BScN CGN |
Q: My father is in late stage Multiple Systems Atrophy (MSA) and is currently at home in a hospice ...
A: The uses of antibiotics in palliative situations is often misunderstood. In my experience we do use ...
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| Breathing at the end of life | 4/30/2009 | Margot RN BScN CGN |
Q: I am a professional caregiver 50-80 hrs/wk. My favorite client has a specific breathing pattern ...
A: What you describe sounds like "Cheyne Stokes" which is an abnormal pattern of breathing, in which ...
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| Final Transition Time for 98-year-old Mother | 4/4/2009 | Margot RN BScN CGN |
Q: My 98-year-old Mother had a stroke 4 weeks ago which left her partially paralized and bedridden. Up ...
A: Below is an excerpt which I think should answer all your questions. I cannot accurately guess “how ...
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| end stage liver cancer | 3/26/2009 | Paul D. Friedman, M.A., Ph.D., J.D. |
Q: My life partner was diagnosed with liver cancer last week, 3/19/09 and the tumor has taken about 80% ...
A: Melody, It is hard to say over the internet what is causing your significant other's sleep. ...
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| Living Will | 3/19/2009 | Paul D. Friedman, M.A., Ph.D., J.D. |
Q: If, based on medical opinion that a patient may fully recover, a surrogate overrides a living will ...
A: Evalyn, I cannot answer this from a legal perspective since I don't know where the events occurred, ...
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| grandmother dying | 3/2/2009 | Margot RN BScN CGN |
Q: my husbands grandmother was just recently put in a nursing home. my husband and i are confused about ...
A: Obviously I am not familiar with the details, but from what you tell me it does sound like the home ...
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| father- copd final days? | 2/22/2009 | Paul D. Friedman, M.A., Ph.D., J.D. |
Q: My father is 86, and was diagnosed with copd 6 years ago, when we were told he had 4 months to live. ...
A: Karen, I really cannot answer your question. Once your father stops eating and drinking, his time ...
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| Quick Question | 2/10/2009 | Paul D. Friedman, M.A., Ph.D., J.D. |
Q: My Father of 86 has recently decidied to be a part of a "Home Hospice" program. He has been on this ...
A: Skyler, I suggest you contact your state's department of health services and/or adult protective ...
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| SMALL CELL Lung Cancer -What happens at the end when death is eminant and hospice has been called | 2/4/2009 | Margot RN BScN CGN |
Q: My best friend's Mom (she's my 2nd Mom) is right now dying from Small Cell Lung Cancer. She had ...
A: This is very general and may not be the course your 2nd Mother follows, but I can tell you how an ...
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| peg feeding | 2/1/2009 | Margot RN BScN CGN |
Q: could you please give some information on peg feeding as in my sister is the victim of a car ...
A: It is really hard for me to guess why they are putting in a PEG tube, but from what you describe I ...
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| Dad | 1/26/2009 | Paul D. Friedman, M.A., Ph.D., J.D. |
Q: My mum took my dad to the doctors in August 08 because of her concern about his confusion etc. They ...
A: Sue, I am sorry to hear about your father and wish your mother a speedy recovery. Nobody can ...
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| Concerned about 92 year old mother | 1/18/2009 | Margot RN BScN CGN |
Q: My mother had a knee replacement recently and came through the surgery and p.t. quite well. She has ...
A: I suggest trying frequent, small portions of her favourites foods (don’t worry about health at this ...
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| How do we actually die? | 1/14/2009 | Margot RN BScN CGN |
Q: My almost 94 year old grandfather was diagnosed with metastatic liver and stomach cancer about 4 ...
A: Below is an excerpt which I think should answer all your questions. I hope this helps and I wish you ...
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| bowel problems | 1/10/2009 | Margot RN BScN CGN |
Q: My mom is 81 years of age and not mobile. she continues to be constipated. I had her change some ...
A: Constipation is a common challenge with older adults and it helps to understand what it is to help ...
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