Medical professionals often find themselves at the intersection of life and death, wielding enormous influence over treatment options. A prevailing notion is that doctors tend to avoid aggressive treatments when facing terminal illness, opting for palliative care that focuses more on comfort and quality of life. This is backed by data indicating that hospice care may, counterintuitively, extend life compared to aggressive interventions.
However, it’s crucial to recognize that this narrative isn’t a one-size-fits-all. Some doctors do fight tooth and nail, perhaps propelled by their deep-rooted knowledge or even ego. Others find a middle ground, taking a personalized journey that intertwines medical rationality with personal spirituality. Thus, while access to comprehensive information is a potent tool, it is not the sole compass guiding one’s choices at the end of life.
Instead, perhaps the most impactful “treatment” comes from within—aligning one’s spirituality with the hard, often uncomfortable facts at hand. This is akin to blending two opposing forces: the rigidity of medical evidence and the fluidity of spiritual belief. The convergence of these elements could be seen as the health sector’s equivalent of jazz improvisation—improvising a tune on the fly, even as you read from a well-known musical score.
So, does the medical community’s approach to end-of-life care reflect universal wisdom or is it a form of professional bias? The answer likely lies in the individual’s personal and spiritual domain, transcending what can be captured by clinical studies or professional consensus. Making a final decision involves a personal “alchemy” that balances the known with the unknown, the physical with the spiritual.
And as in any alchemical process, the end result is both transformative and deeply personal—a life choice uniquely your own.
Read more at: How Doctors Die | Essay | Zócalo Public Square
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