Kyle and Amanda Franklin update

[Tupac]

From Facebook:


"Amanda had a really hard day. During dressing change this morning she started bleeding really bad and they had a hard time stoping it. Her body has gotten to the point that if you touch her or even look at her wrong she starts bleeding and her blood is not coagulating. Her wounds today looked more infected then the last three days and the antibiotics don't seem to be doing much. Her kidneys have almost completely shut down, her liver is starting to fail and she looks like she was still in a lot of pain. The doctors believe she wouldn't make it another two weeks in time for the EpiCels much less the procedure and I have to agree after seeing her wounds. So, I made the hardest decision of my life today and put her on Comfort Care. They have taken her off most everything with the exception of the ventilator, sedation meds and pain meds. They placed her in a more comfortable position and are doing everything to make her as comfortable as possible.
 
I believe at this point this is what she would want me to do. I also believe if she did pull through at this point she would kill me for it, a month ago I would have said otherwise. This is a decision I never in my life would have thought I would have to make nor ever wanted too. But, I don't want her to go through another four weeks of hell when we know it will do no good. We do not have a time table on things, most likely a day or two. I will continue to keep you all updated.
 
Know that she is not alone her mom, brother and his wife, my mother, myself and all of you in spirit are here with her. I feel Amanda will be very happy to see her dad, my dad and of corse Jackson again. But the hardest thing is she's leaving us all behind, till another day.
 
Amanda my love, I love you with all my heart, soul and everything I am. Our life together here was supposed to be seventy years not seven, but I look forward to seeing you in my dreams every night my love.
 
Thank you all for your love, support and help through all this.
 
Goodnight and God bless,
 
Kyle"

Please keep the Franklins in your prayers. God Bless you Amanda Franklin

[EskimoJoe]

Pull through, 'manda. You can do it! 

[Maverick]

Sometimes, it's just time to pass on. May her journey to the next place be gentle with a joyous reunion.
 

[Penguin]

Oh man, comfort care.  It's the worst feeling in the world to give up on a patient; to know that the battle is over but still having to take care of them.

-Penguin

[dedalos]

Oh man, comfort care.  It's the worst feeling in the world to give up on a patient; to know that the battle is over but still having to take care of them.

-Penguin

Only, you never really know.  I don't understand why people give up when there is nothing to lose and everything to gain.

[Tupac]

Only, you never really know.  I don't understand why people give up when there is nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Kyle seemed to think she was in a lot of pain

[Penguin]

There is no 'giving up', in the sense that a doctor would cease providing care to a promising patient.  There are just times for when it isn't feasible or financially responsible to continue providing care (e.g. keeping a brain-dead patient's heart beating).  No-one has unlimited funds, patience, or tolerance for pain (both physical and emotional); doctors are people, too.

First of all, intensive care can put the patient in intense pain.  Secondly, intensive care is quite expensive to provide and one should avoid putting undue financial strain on the family of the patient.  Thirdly, there is a continuous flood of patients who need care, and you can't help all of them. 

Amanda isn't the only patient, and therefore you have to perform triage.  As a caregiver, it is your responsibility to give care to those who need it most, first.  Furthermore, you need to accurately assess the costs and benefits of continuing to provide intensive care.  One must think of all the patients and doctors, and their families as well.

There are times when the risks and costs outweigh the benefits of keeping patient alive.  

-Penguin

[dedalos]

Kyle seemed to think she was in a lot of pain

Seemed to think.  Think she might want him to do that.  Could be, maybe, should be bla bla bla.  Does anyone know for sure?  Would the pain be worth it if she made it?

I am just saying, that is one battle everyone should fight to the end.  You wont get a second try.  You are not going to lose anything more than what you lose by giving up.  Zero risk and 100000000000000% reward.  

[Penguin]

Alright dedalos, you make the call.

A 90 year old patient's third heart attack just put him into a coma.  His family is dirt poor and CPR doesn't seem to be working.  Do you:

A.) Keep 'fighting' at great expense to his family
B.) Put him in comfort care and let him die with dignity

-Penguin

EDIT: Are you that incapable of recognizing where it is alright to argue?

[dedalos]

Alright dedalos, you make the call.

A 90 year old patient's third heart attack just put him into a coma.  His family is dirt poor and CPR doesn't seem to be working.  Do you:

A.) Keep 'fighting' at great expense to his family
B.) Put him in comfort care and let him die with dignity

-Penguin

  That is a BS example.  Why would I be making the call for someone elses family?  (Better go check what CPR is while at it).

Second, in your example you are talking about money issues.  That was not mentioned in the OP now was it? It was done in the name of comfort and the guess (maybe a good one) that she would not make it.  But I am sure in the most powerful country in the world with the self proclaimed best health care your example could not happen.  We don;t let people die here because they don;t have money, do we?

All I said was that I don;t understand why.  He still gets to make the decision.  However, advice from hospitals and doctors are not always in the best interest of the patient.  They are at the best interest of their business.

So, if we change the example to be MY family, the answer is A no matter what their wish was.  And to be clear, I am not talking about someone that has been in a coma for a year.  I don;t know if you have seen it before but I have mentioned here that my sister walked home in 8 days (might have been less, don;t remember) after a brain aneurism.  My cousin who is a doctor told me to run to Greece and see her because only a small percentage survives and even if they do they most likely will be vegetables.  I ve been calling my sister zucchini ever since     

[M0nkey_Man]

i know where this is going

[Tupac]

i know where this is going

I'll have Skuzzy lock this thread before it turns into a pissing contest.

edit: Kyle made the decision to put Amanda on comfort care. I'm sure there were other reasons not vocalized, but I'm positive money was one of them. It's no one else's job to worry about it. All we can do is hope that she pulls through.

[Guppy35]

I don't believe there is a correct answer Ded.  My 15 year old daughter was on life support, with no brain activity after the car accident that killed her big brother.  In theory we could have kept her body alive on the machines, but she would never have wanted to have that happen and we loved her enough to let her go.  It was a horrible thing to have to do, and the cries of my wife as the vent came off and Christina's breathing stopped, were the most horrific sounds I've ever heard.  I'll never lose that sound in my head.  It was the right decision though.  There are worse things in life then dying.  

[dedalos]

I don't believe there is a correct answer Ded.  My 15 year old daughter was on life support, with no brain activity after the car accident that killed her big brother.  In theory we could have kept her body alive on the machines, but she would never have wanted to have that happen and we loved her enough to let her go.  It was a horrible thing to have to do, and the cries of my wife as the vent came off and Christina's breathing stopped, were the most horrific sounds I've ever heard.  I'll never lose that sound in my head.  It was the right decision though.  There are worse things in life then dying.  

Nop, no right answer.  I just said I don't understand it.  I did say I was not talking about someone being in a coma for a long time though.  I know it is a tough decision and I hope I ll never have to make it.  Not saying it is right or wrong.  I just don;t have the ability to understand it i guess.

Monkey:  This is just a discussion.  Contribute or stay out.

Tupac:  See the above.  You can't go through life locking threads just because there is different opinion out there.  Even worse, there are no threads to lock in real life. 

[Tupac]

I understand people have differing opinions, but you two can take it up via PM and try to keep this thread on topic.