It Began with the Doctor's Visit


Mike and I had breakfast together at 8:30 so that he would be alert when the hospice doctor came.  This would be the second interview and would serve as part of the compliance with the California End of Life Option Act (EOLOA).  

The first meeting of the process was with a doctor of hte cancer center.  They, of course, know well of Mike's case and were the first step in the protocol. That went as Mike would want, and this next interview would be the final decision.

At 9AM, the doctor of the hospice team came to conduct the final interview and to review his request to hasten his inevitable death. Weak and confined to a hospital bed, for Mike, this interview was a relief.  Dr. Marston outlined the plan and the expectations.  She asked him what he saw as his time horizon; he said as soon as possible. 

The potion is a complex mixture of various components and must be prepared under specific conditions. Only one pharmacy is authorized to make the draft, and it will take time.

It may well be available by Wednesday.

 







 

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