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A 30-year-old mother of three is battling a type of cancer rare for someone so young. Extremely likeable, she has a profound effect on her caregivers, many of whom are her age. How does the staff deal with their own issues of mortality? How do they cope with knowing it could happen to them? |
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A middle-aged man with a long history of alcohol and intravenous drug abuse complains bitterly of cancer pain, even while being medicated. Because of his drug history, his body is too tolerant of standard amounts of pain medication, preventing relief. Should doctors be afraid of prescribing larger than normal doses of medication to ease his pain? |
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A young man in his 20s with a terminal illness goes home and shoots himself. How do the nurses and doctors cope with the knowledge that they weren't able to provide enough help to this patient to prevent him from committing suicide? |
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A dying patient is not preparing her young children for their impending loss. The patient's family refuses to acknowledge how sick the mother is and believes their prayers will heal her. The nurse knows that this patient will not survive and feels her efforts to talk to the woman and her family about preparing the children for her death are in vain. Feeling she is failing this patient, she wonders, what can I do? |
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