Here’s an interesting blog post from Marti Hand, RN, Artist, Advocate for creativity and the arts in healthcare. It is [her] belief that medical treament is fully effective only when the whole person is being treated - body, mind, spirit, emotions.

She writes about a study that showed that patients who rely heavily on their religious faith were 3 times more likely to want intensive, invasive medical procedures like cpr when their hearts stop or being connected to a ventilator (breathing machine). They also made fewer preparations for death, such as living wills, giving someone power of attorney, or filling out a “do not resuscitate” forms.

“I’m known for my work on healthy living. It occurred to me that all life eventually comes to an end no matter how healthfully you live. There is no cure for mortality. The better and the further in advance you plan for that end, the less traumatic it’s likely to be, not just for you but for those you leave behind.

Everyone is willing to talk about nutrition and food and healthy living. But people aren’t so willing to talk about dying. I really want to raise the public consciousness about the importance of having these kinds of discussions.” Jane Brody

At Paradise Cove, which is on the shore of Lake Grapevine, family and friends came to celebrate the wedding of nine-year-old Jayla Cooper. The ceremony was put together in less than one week.

Authorities in Georgia and Maryland have arrested four people after a sting operation targeting a group which offers assistance to people who want to commit suicide.
The arrests were made after agents from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation set up a sting operation Wednesday at a home in Dawson County, north of Atlanta, where an undercover agent posed as a member of the Final Exit Network suffering from pancreatic cancer who wanted to commit suicide.

The Death With Dignity Act takes effect March 5 in Washington State. … Whether they think the law is right or wrong, health and medical professionals in Washington need to be prepared when their patients want to talk about it.

Eternal Reefs, Inc. creates permanent living legacies that memorialize the passing of a loved one. For families and individuals that choose cremation, Eternal Reefs offers a new memorial choice that replaces cremation urns and ash scattering with a permanent environmental living legacy.

My colleague Corey Kilgannon recently profiled Ms. Volkening’s artistic journey through cancer. She began sketching in the hospital about 18 months ago. Ms. Volkening has stopped medical treatment, after being told that it would give her some more time but leave her too weak to paint.

Genevatails posts here daily diary here

PROSTATE CANCER JOURNAL: One Man’s Story
Dana Jennings blogs about his experience with prostate cancer.

Genevatails posts here daily diary here