Advertisement
Nathan Gray

Op-comic: ‘No heroics’? End-of-life care is full of heroism

See more from the L.A. Times in Google Search. Set us as preferred

As a palliative care doctor, I've found people have countless ways of telling me how they feel about medical interventions.
Some metaphors can be helpful, but many fail to capture the nuance and angst of medical choices when our bodies are failing.
I work to clarify what "heroics" mean in medical lingo. But if I were to climb on my soapbox, I'd share my thoughts.
Advertisement
Sometimes what it takes provide quality of life is 100% heroic. I've seen the lengths a team goes to for dignity and comfort.
You should see how a patient's eyes light up when a visit up to the helipad is orchestrated to feel the wind in their hair.
Dauntless hospice nurses, aides, chaplains and social workers make visits at home for support even in harsh conditions.
Family and friends keep around-the-clock schedules to meet their ill loved one's needs in spite of our fractured system.
Advertisement
But palliative care remains undersupported and at times beleaguered by the disordered priorities of our health system.
So I won't get on my soapbox at the bedside, but any other chance I get, I'll say patients should all receive heroic care.

Nathan Gray is an assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and an artist who draws comics on medical topics. X: @NathanAGray

A cure for the common opinion

Get thought-provoking perspectives with our weekly newsletter.

Advertisement