As I reflect on the loss of Christopher Reeve, I can’t help taking the information of how he died to heart. He had an infection from a pressure sore, he went into cardiac arrest, then into a coma and died. He was 52.

My mom is battling an infection in her foot. Although I do believe it’s important to try to fight the infection, one has to wonder what information helps you make a difficult vs. balanced choice about amputation vs. trying to save the foot. How much risk is this infection to her system? If her sediment rate is dropping (showing the infection and inflammation is going down) is that all we need to worry about? Were there signs of impending doom that Reeve’s doctor’s missed? I mean in this day and age… its scary to think you can die so fast from infection STILL.

I dunno. Seems every doctor has a different suggestion for my mom. How do you know who’s right? And how do you know who’s competent and really has her best interests at heart? The surgeons want to cut. The medical doctors want to give her drugs. Who’s right?

And the tradeoff seems pretty scary if we pick the wrong route. And this is why I can’t not research about medical decisions. There just seems to be too many variables to trust a person or a couple of people to know the answer and do what is in my family’s best interest. Yes, I know that makes me a control freak. But seriously… who else is going to advocate? What’s in the doctor’s best interest is to find the “easiest” way to fix it… and sometimes the easiest isn’t the best.

Related posts:

  1. Think of your doctor like a car salesman
    2.    Two weeks ago, when my mom realized that a...
  2. Subtle Nuances of Parental Wisdom
    3.    This is the type of parental wisdom that...
  3. Letter to Mom
    4.    Dear Mom,I’m so sorry. I know that you...