*new* 28Nov12 Pregnant Woman Allowed to Die in Ireland
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/15/world/europe/hospital-death-in-ireland-renews-fight-over-abortion.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1354132871-LT89WStiE+uN5uBs6rQazQ
25Nov12 End of Life Care
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/25/opinion/sunday/end-of-life-health-care.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20121125
NYTimes: Managing the Assisted Living vs. Hospice Dilemma
When hospice services are brought into assistant living facilities for older residents with terminal illnesses, problems can arise. Here are tips for making sure there is good communication between families, hospice staff, assisted living staff and paid caregivers.
http://nyti.ms/S986la
NYTimes: When Treating Cancer Is Not an Option
Aggressive chemotherapy when death is but weeks or months away can seriously compromise the quality of patients' remaining time and may delay their preparations for the end of life.
http://nyti.ms/WfP38V
14 Nov 12 Brain Imagining Allows Communication with Vegetative Man
http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/33264/title/An--Unconscious--Man-Talks/
12Nov12 Self-Immolations Protesting Re: Tibet
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/10/world/asia/educated-chinese-are-silent-amid-tibetan-self-immolations.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20121110
5Nov12 Suicide Increase During Recession
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/05/health/us-suicide-rate-rose-during-recession-study-finds.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20121105
I just wanted to start a new post for current events in November!
My mom called me the other day and told me about a very tragic event that happened in Carroll County, Kentucky. There was a bus wreck and two preschoolers died. Three others were in ICU. My mom works in Transportation and Student Services at the school district that I attended, so for her, this story really hit home. I think this story is hard for anyone that has a heart to hear. I feel like in class, we often talk about death in the perspective of adults. Of course, we are adults, so it is hard to think about death from a child's perspective. I just wonder what kind of impact this event will have on the surviving children and how it will change their thoughts on death.
So, anyway, I will post the link to the story if anyone wants to read it.
http://www.wlky.com/news/local-news/kentucky-news/2-children-killed-in-Carroll-County-Head-Start-bus-crash/-/9718420/17183174/-/r15ta/-/index.html
I also heard about this tragic bus crash Monday afternoon. However, hearing about it and then actually reading/seeing pictures is totally different. After watching the video and seeing the pictures many questions came to mind. My number one question is how fast were they going? This wreck looks pretty intense and if you really look you can see that the body of the bus was separated from the frame. In a different picture you can also see that the rear (fire escape) door was knocked off somehow and away from the bus.
ReplyDeleteI can't even imagine what the parents of the injured children are thinking, let alone what the surviving children are thinking. I also wonder, like Megan, how this will impact the injured/surviving children and how they will view death. I would imagine that this tragic crash would probably change their views (if they had a view considering they are so young) and if not then the crash will probably affect them in different ways.
I also wonder what will happen to the driver of the bus? I know she will be charged for the killing of the two preschoolers, but how bad will it actually be? (Especially if it was an accident, but since we don't know enough information on what caused the wreck I am still a little confused. The speed limit was 45mph and I think if she would had been going 45mph then it wouldn't have been this bad. That's why I feel like she might have been going faster than 45mph, but that is just my opinion).
I'm sure these kids will have plenty of questions about death for their parents for the next couple of years, questions like "why isn't my friend coming back to school?" or "where are they that they can't come back?" It is hard to explain to kids how life works without telling them how everyone will die in the end. When they grow up, they are going to have even more questions. Without a question I believe that this driver should be charged with the death of these kids. That is her job is to get these kids to and from places without them being harmed. There needs to be more regulation to bus drivers to give more safety to the children getting on the bus every single day.
DeleteI agree that this is a terrible thing to happen and will be difficult for the children to handle. However, I think there is a big question on whether the driver should be charged. The report gives no reason for the crash and I think that it is unfair to assume anything without a more clear picture of what happened. It might not have been the drivers fault at all. One time I was driving the speed limit on a rural 2 lane road when a large pickup going the other way just started to drive full speed on the wrong side of the road. We were in the same lane and headed for a head on collision. I did not know what to do. There was no time to slow down. I came close to driving off the road, flipping my truck and going down a hill into a ditch. I ended up freezing, still driving in the same spot and the guy swerved out of the way at the last moment, and I really mean the very last moment. What should the bus driver have done if the situation was similar to this one? He might have had to make a split second decision over 2 very bad consequences, he might have even made the better choice. That crash could have easily been at 45mph. That is a very big speed if you have no time at all to slow down and you are driving a bus. Maybe given the circumstances the driver acted bravely and good, there is just no way of knowing with the limited information available. I disagree with what Morgan says about more regulation of bus drivers. In order to be a bus driver you have to regularly pass drug tests, have a D.O.T physical, a CDL license and a permit for driving a vehicle with a high number of passengers. What more regulation could you possibly need? If you look at statistics of bus crashes, they happen much less frequently than car crashes, and a bus is a lot more difficult to drive than a car. I am just saying we need to give this driver a chance before jumping to conclusions that it was his fault.
DeleteAs a parent I can tell you that getting a phone call that your child has been in an accident is a number one fear. I truly understand why parents set curfews because it gives peace of mind that the child is home safe and sound. It is true that we have discussed death in relation to our own demise. In that perspective we can be introspective about our relationship with our higher being and considerations of afterlife. But when it comes to death of a child (or even just a loved one) I believe the whole concept of death changes. It is a finality that rips at our inner beings and is often looked at as a very negative event. We are besot with grief and can not focus on where that loved one is until much, much time has passed. The instantaneous loss blocks all the goodness which we see death can bring when looking at it as our own experience. My heart goes out to all those parents but especially those who lost their little ones. May they find the faith sooner rather than later.
ReplyDeleteI bet my mother could not agree with you more Mary Kay...the fact that a school bus could do so much damage. Parents think it is a safe thing sending them off to school, but in reality look what can happen!
DeleteFrom Brandon "Smoove" Housley
ReplyDeleteThis story would hit a lot of people's hearts and it's just crazy that the bus driver didn't have enough security to embrace the fact that they are driving other people's kids around from point A to point B.
Being that we look at death from an adult perspective and relate it to us, I would like to sit down with one of the kids and try to understand what is going through their mind about death and the fear from the accident.
My prayers go out to all the kids and their parents.
This accident looked very intense and scary. I wonder what could have caused a school bus full of pre schoolers to crash roof-first into a tree. The bus looked as if it were in a race and veered off the road. I wonder if it were trying to avoid an animal or some other stationary object then tipped over and gained momentum down a hill.
ReplyDeleteIt is terrible to lose loved young ones, especially pre-schoolers. It is hard to imagine what it would be like for a parent to deal with a little son or daughter no older than five years old to die. What makes it even more tragic is the fact that the children were on their way home from a very positive learning program called head start.
This accident can show how a normal everyday routine can turn into a tragic accident. I think it is important to always say something nice to a loved one before they leave you for that day, because you never know if you will ever see them again due to a tragedy that could always occur.
My heart goes out to the families of the pre schoolers who were on the bus. This must be very hard to deal with.
I agree. No matter how mad we get at each other my family always says I love you no matter what. If we leave the house or anywhere really we say goodbye I love you to the person. My brothers and I still say I love you to each other when we end a phone conversation. I think it is so important to let people know you love them so that God forbid something happens to you or them, at least nothing will have gone unsaid.
DeleteThis is just awful! I heard about this in clinical the other day and I thought it was so sad. I always wondered why there was not any seat belts on the bus, but I do not know if that would have helped. This is very tragic and since I do not know the area to well, I do not know the speed limit. However, I do agree with Chelsea. If the speed limit was 45 mph, how did three preschoolers die? Was this accident her fault or did someone pull out in front of her? I know if I was one of those pre schoolers, my mother would not be able to go on with life. I can only imagine how those parents feel. My prayers go out to them.
ReplyDeleteSo sad:(
ReplyDeleteAnother Post for November.
ReplyDeleteOn Saturday, November 3, a girl that went to my high school died in a car accident. I wasn't extremely close with her, but I knew of her and I was close with some of her friends.
She was only 19 years old and a new mother. She left behind her son who just turned one about a month ago.
I don't have a link or pictures because they haven't allowed anything yet due to the car accident still being under investigation.
I just think it is scary that anything can happen to anyone at anytime. This is just one example of something that makes me value my life even more everyday.
This accident really hits home for me because I can't help but recall the very famous bus crash in Carroll County that occurred on May 14, 1988. The reason this is such an impacting moment for me is not only because I pass that green sign off the side of 71 every single time I go home (Louisville, KY), but that my father (Paul O'Brien) was there during the original bus crash back in 1988. I know we have discussed fate and topics as far as things happening for a reason and this is exactly why I believe in that statement. When my mom and dad told me this story, which we talk about from time to time especially around May, they speak of all these circumstances regarding how they ended up at the crash site. That night their friends got in a huge argument that delayed their trip until later that evening, they had a cooler in the back seat filled with melted ice (for water to douse the flames), along with other small instances which make it seem as if my parents were meant to be at that crash. Anyways my dad did all he could to help pull children off that bus, and obviously had a very profound impact on my family's as well as my own perspective on life. Also an interesting note, if you look up about the crash online (Wikipedia) it mentions a passerby that helped pull people from the burning bus. My father never stuck around to get in the press so his name will never be found. I just figured I would share a very personal experience from my life, in hopes to maybe open some eyes and remind everyone to always lend a helping hand, because you could save someone's life.
ReplyDeleteIn response to: Brain Imagining Allows Communication with Vegetative Man
ReplyDeleteWow, this is really cool! It shows how resilient the human brain is.I'm curious as to what other things this man is aware of sensation-wise. This will definitely change some healthcare practices. My next question, does this method only work on certain patient types? What of dementia patients who can't talk? Or are their brains too far gone for interpretation? and finally, how are these questions asked? Would it work for someone who is deaf? We are often told that people who are unconscious can still hear us, but if the person couldn't hear to begin with, will this test even work?
While this is helpful for those who are in vegetative states and can respond, it doesn't really clear up the debate concerning the care of those who are brain dead or with reduced mental capacity related to Alzheimer-like diseases. And even in this experiement, only 5 ppl out of 54 responded, with only one providing consistent answers. So while not necessarily the best tool, it could be a good diagnostic tool.
Katie, these are really interesting questions to think about. But I dont think that this would work for the dementia or deaf patient. I agree and think that their brain is probably too far gone to be able to perform this test. And for the deaf patient they cant hear, and i am assuming if they are unconscious they will not be able to see so they would not be able to perform this test. This is such an interesting test, I cant wait to see if this will be tested more often and hopefully get some better results!
DeleteCurrent Event: http://www.northwestohio.com/news/story.aspx?id=759937
ReplyDeletehttp://www.aol.com/video/racing-against-time-to-save-their-child/517537465/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmaing8%7Cdl33%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D234400
This is about a young girl who has been diagnosed with a rare disease which is nick named "stone man syndrome" (Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva) It's a disease in which all her muscles ligaments and connective tissue turn into bone. If this was your child what would you do? It is a hard choice of searching for a cure and letting her live life to the fulliest while she can.
This is a very tough decision... one that no parent should ever have to make for their child. I am sure that the girl is too young to understand what is truely going on with her condition. I do not think that i could let my child live a life with this disease though. It would be too hard to watch them deteriorate and decline everyday or not be able to play outside. With no treatment in site, I would let my daughter live as long as possible. Spending time at doctors offices or the hospital is not something that a child should have to do their whole lives.
DeleteIn response to: Brain Imagining Allows Communication with Vegetative Man.
ReplyDeleteThis is amazing but as Katie said only 5 out of 54 people responded and out of that five only one answering consistently, so it would seem that these findings aren’t conclusive. However, this discover still shows that people who are termed brain dead are still capable of some consciousness and if these people are in some sense still conscious are they not technically still functional human beings? These finding also raise the question of is it permissible to remove a patient who has been termed brain dead from life support because according to these finding there can still be some brain activity and therefore they could still be consider a function person.
Stone man Syndrome:
ReplyDeleteThis is a genetic disease so Alli’s body is coded for this condition and finding a cure at least right now doesn’t seem to be likely and as the article said everything they have not already done hasn’t helped Alli but made her condition worse. So I agree and say just let the little girl enjoy her mobility for now and enjoy being a child and not have her spend her precious time in and out of hospitals.
The article on End of Life Care can be really eye-opening to some people, hopefully. I do not understand how right-wing commentators and Republican politicians could possibly say that discussing with Medicare patients how they want their end of life care is a step toward euthanasia. I would much rather plan out what type of treatment I want while I still have the chance instead of let someone else make that decision for me. For example, I would not want to go through any aggressive life-sustaining treatments if I had no chance of getting better and being the person that I was before my illness/condition/whatever. It is not fair to the patient to make them go through anything that they do not want to, even if they are unaware of what they are going through.
ReplyDeleteI came across this story of a teenage boy killing his father on Thanksgiving day. Thought I would share for everyone, here is the link:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/24/marshall-giles-jr-arrested-kill-father-texas_n_2184867.html
IS THIS EVEN REAL? Eyeball hanging from a socket?? How could someone do such a thing...The fact that this kid was laughing and smirking when the police found him is absurd....some people really do have something mentally wrong with them for someone to do such a thing...I just want to say I am thankful for my father and could never imagine what I would do without him!
DeleteThis is an article from a newspaper in Canada about an exhibit in London (kind of like the body exhibit that has been around the US). The goal of it is to help people prepare for death and gain a better understanding.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thespec.com/whatson/article/838983--welcome-to-death