Being Mortal

(Martin Jones) #1

She’dgraspedthegrimbasicsperfectly.Atthispoint,we
hadnoespeciallydifficultdecisionstomake.Itoldher
therewasachancethatthiswasjustatwistinabowel
loopandthatwithadayortwo’stimeitmightopenup
onitsown.Ifitdidn’t,Isaid,we’dhaveto talkabout
possibilities likesurgery.Rightnow,though, wecould
wait.


Iwasnot yetwillingtoraisetheharderissue.Icould
havepushedahead,tryingtobehard-nosed,andtoldher
that,nomatterwhathappened,thisblockagewasabad
harbinger. Cancers kill people in many ways, and
graduallytakingawaytheirabilitytoeatisoneofthem.
Butshedidn’tknowme,andIdidn’tknowher.Idecided
I needed time before attempting that line of discussion.


Adaylater, thenewswasasgoodas couldbe hoped.
First,thefluidflowingoutofthetubesloweddown.Then
shestartedpassinggasandhavingbowelmovements.We
wereabletoremovehernasogastrictubeandfeedhera
soft,low-roughagediet.Itlookedlikeshewouldbefine
for now.


Iwastemptedsimplytodischargeherhomeandwishher
well—toskipthehard conversationaltogether.Butthis
wasn’tlikelytobetheendofthematterforDouglass.So
beforesheleft,Ireturnedtoher hospitalroomand sat
with her, her husband, and one of her sons.


IstartedoutsayinghowpleasedIwastoseehereating
again.Shesaidshe’dneverbeensohappytopassgasin
herlife.Shehadquestionsaboutthefoodssheshouldeat
andtheonessheshouldn’tinordertoavoidblockingup
herbowelagain,andIanswered them.Wemadesome

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