"She will not die. She does not have that permission from me."

[pockunit]

Did anyone else have a problem with this quote from the neurologist about Rep. Giffords?

YOU DON'T GET TO GIVE PERMISSION.

I get that he was using levity in a very dark situation. But it's representative of a general school of thought that very likely helps lead to overtreatment in futile situations.

But I may be crabby.

[linearthinker, DNP, RN]

I thought discussion was the point of the message board? Have I misunderstood?

[pockunit, ADN, RN]

We ARE discussing. I'm not fighting with anyone. Just because we don't agree doesn't mean we're fighting. Unless we are. I didn't think we were.

[linearthinker, DNP, RN]

Lol, no. I'm not nearly that emotionally invested. I'm just perplexed. I honestly DO.NOT. get. it. I guess I've made that much clear, continue kvetching.

[pockunit, ADN, RN]

Kvetch on, sister. It keeps me sane some days.

[pockunit, ADN, RN]

And it's funny, because I don't get how people don't get it. It's just that he said something that made me think about the history of something, and that got me thinking. It's not HIM.

Anyway. Grover and the monster at the end of this book call me away.

[nursel56]

Did anyone else have a problem with this quote from the neurologist about Rep. Giffords?

YOU DON'T GET TO GIVE PERMISSION.

I get that he was using levity in a very dark situation. But it's representative of a general school of thought that very likely helps lead to overtreatment in futile situations.

But I may be crabby.

It means he's going to put every molecule of his being into his effort to save the lady. It's along the lines of "not on my watch".

[steelydanfan]

I see a HUGE difference between friends and family "giving permission" to an actively dying person and a doc saying that their patient isn't going to die because they won't allow it.

I also think there is a difference between telling a pt directly, "I'm not giving up on you," and telling the world that you won't allow it. Sure, there semantics come into it, but there's also the whole attitude it underscores, and that's what bothers me.

If someone I loved was in hospice and I needed to give them permission to go, you'd best believe I'd give it. I see that as a completely different scenario, though.

You seem to have taken this ONE QUOTE way too seriously.

[Altra, BSN, RN]

Actually, I thought another quote a couple of days ago was far more grandiose and foolish. I'm not sure if it was the same neurologist, but one of Rep. Giffords' MDs stated she had a "101 percent chance of surviving."

A very, very ambitious and foolish statement to make about a patient who is currently missing 1/2 her skull. She could "survive" the traumatic injury but succumb to pneumonia, ARDS, a secondary infection or a laundry list of other things, just as many ICU patients do.

Someone needs to go to "interview school" and quick.

[MECO28, BSN, RN]

I get what you're saying but I can't help but wonder if the guy intended for it to come out the way it sounded. Man, if I had a quarter for every stupid thing I've said that sounded great while it was in my head I could retire before I graduate nursing school.

[Orange Tree]

Denial is the first stage of grief.

[canesdukegirl, BSN, RN]

I heard the audio clip on my way to work last night and it's been bothering me since, too.

It's not the he said it all- it's that he said it to the public. He also said something to the effect of, "I won't allow her to have any sort of neuro affects. She's going to be just fine." Umm...dude... you aren't a Time Lord. You can't go back and un-shoot her brain.

I was reading my iPad while trying to go to sleep and this message beeped in. I sat straight up laughing hysterically and my hubby asked me what in the heck was so funny. I showed this message to him. We both started laughing again. UN-SHOOT her brain!

[canesdukegirl, BSN, RN]

Along the same lines of this discussion but throwing another wrench in, I was wondering if what I am hearing about Gifford's injury is true...she had a frontal lobe bullet track, right? Does anyone know if they took a bone flap out? I am just curious, and those of you who specialize in neuro, my question is this: isn't a frontal lobe insult the most difficult to recover from aside from of course a brain stem herniation?