As someone who's walked this painful path with my family, the question 'Should we perform CPR if necessary?' feels deeply intrusive. I get why it's asked—my father was urgently admitted due to unbearable back pain—but it hits hard, especially when his pulmonologist outlines the risks to underscore the realities of resuscitation.
After weeks of frustration with our GP, locum doctors, and an emergency visit, relief finally came: the hospital wanted to see him immediately. Morphine patches and other meds had failed; Dad, 86 and tough as nails, had endured mounting back pain for months, now breakthrough agony in recent weeks.
With all four children equally involved, we got him there fast.
Diagnosed with lung cancer over seven years ago, he's beaten it—along with colon cancer that followed. A year ago, another tumor appeared; we opted to monitor it, as chemo had devastated him before. He's at peace with eventually joining Mom, but the CPR talk shakes us more than him.
The pulmonologist noted that in Dad's condition, intensive care resuscitation is rarely pursued. Deep down, I agree it's not the path forward yet. Yesterday, he seemed unfazed by the doctor's list of risks—unlike an earlier discussion where he hadn't firmly opted out.
I wasn't in that first talk, so I can't fully grasp its weight. But discussing it openly is crucial. Still, hearing it personalizes the end, heightening our fears—even if the resuscitation odds haven't truly changed.
What comforts me most is the team's swift action: pinpointing the pain's cause, mobilizing the hospital pain specialists for relief, and soon returning him home, surrounded by his loving children.
Love you, Daddy. xxx
