Death....by cheese

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I know that some people aren't going to believe this, but I swear, I am not making this up. After almost 3 years as a hospice nurse I have heard it all (or so I thought.) I have had family members accuse me of "murdering" their loved ones with "that morphine, that ativan" and yes even "that haldol." Apparently, another favored method of mine is starving their loved ones to death. Never mind they have metastic cancer, advanced heart disease or chronic renal failure, it is MY actions that are killing them.

But until tonight I have never, ever been accused of killing a loved one by giving them cheese. You see, cheese causes yeast to grow in the digestive tract, which then causes histimines to form and stops the breathing. She also felt it was necessary to inform me that this will be reported, she didn't know to who yet, but she would be reporting it to someone. I mean, what do you say to that? I just said, I am so sorry if anything done for your spouse caused you more distress than you already have. *SIGH* Days like this I think I really need my head examined for coming back....

Specializes in ICU, Telemetry.

Who the heck is she going to report you to? The American Dairy Association?

Hospice nurses are my heroes.

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Specializes in LTC.

Thank you for the laugh! I just came home from the 4th consecutive (sp?) day of hell and really needed that.

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Specializes in OB, NICU, Nursing Education (academic).

Limburger! Have you smelled that stuff? You don't even have to eat it to keel over....

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

How dare you give a dying patient some cheese? Just kidding. What do people expect when they sign their family members for hospice. Isn't the whole premise of hospice to die with dignity?

Listen Shay, you can take care of me when I am dying. All I ask is that I get my morphine, my ativan and if I can still eat, I want a sandwich with pesto, mozzarella cheese and a couple slices of tomato cooked like a regular old grilled cheese.

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Who the heck is she going to report you to? The American Dairy Association?

yep, the amer dairy assoc and the big cheese Himself.:lol2::yeah::lol2:

that was great nerdy.

leslie

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

I've never heard on bad word about Hospice....ever. But now I've heard it all.....:)

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I've never heard on bad word about Hospice....ever. But now I've heard it all.....:)

did you check out the hospice alliance, mentioned in one of the earlier links, wow! is about all i can say.....and i dont mean that in a good way.....

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Specializes in Hospice.
did you check out the hospice alliance, mentioned in one of the earlier links, wow! is about all i can say.....and i dont mean that in a good way.....

I mentioned the site because I found it really useful in understanding how some people can misinterpret what we do ... it has helped me a lot in dealing with family members like the one in the OP.

I find I have to remind myself that very few people in my generation (born 1950) have actually witnessed the dying process. However wrong-headed I think they are, many of these folks sincerely believe in the theories put forth by such sites and various addlepated "medical" ideas.

Many of them think that if they can just get Grampa to eat ... or take the right herbs ... or find the right combination of crystals ... that he'll rise up and walk ... bargain, much?

Meanwhile ... the OP can take comfort in the fact that the "report" will probably be promptly circular-filed.

Ya did a good job, OP ... now pass that Irish cheddar!

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Checked out the site, and all I can say is, wow!! It's really crazy how perceptions can differ..I read some of those stories, and as a former hospice nurse (did it for a little less than a year, and burned out..God Bless hospice nurses, you gotta be tough) I simply understood that these people were in the active stages of dying, and being medicated appropriately..But that's a nurse's perspective, and it's not colored by emotions and attachments, so...

The cheese thing, though...it's pretty serious business. Morphine? OK. Ativan? Yep, that's fine. But a good aged cheddar? You beast!! LOL!

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I mentioned the site because I found it really useful in understanding how some people can misinterpret what we do ... it has helped me a lot in dealing with family members like the one in the OP.

same here, heron.

it's on my favorites list, and have used it as a resource quite often.

leslie

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Specializes in EMS, ER, GI, PCU/Telemetry.

if cheese was going to kill someone, i'd have been dead a heck of a long time ago.

my nana makes fresh mozzarella and gives us balls of it when we come visit... and usually, i eat a whole ball to myself. my mom said when i was a kid, they didn't have to worry about me sneaking candy... i would just eat cheese until i got sick.

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Specializes in Rehab, Infection, LTC.

haha! the next time i have a PIA patient...im giving them some cheese!

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