F.Y.I. Yet again!!
My 83 year old sister-in-law is chronically ill and dying of last stage lymphoma and emphysema. I am bringing what I so shamefully witnessed to the attention of the public in hopes that no other person in the province is treated this way. After having been in and out of the Royal Columbian hospital for several months, we were notified she was being discharged on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. She had insufficient oxygen at home to manage as previous ssessments indicated she was supposedly above the threshold for a continuous oxygen supply. She was all alone in the house and at 3:00 a.m. Sunday morning, experienced sudden respiratory distress, and being without supplemental oxygen was taken to the hospital by ambulance to Columbian once again. Her daughter, my husband and I were all present when the hospital unbelievably announced it was discharging her after a respiratory assessment. This time she qualified for continuous oxygen, thank heavens. What happened after that was unimaginable.
A portable oxygen dispensing unit was loaned to my niece to get her mother home. With much difficulty and no help from the hospital we managed to get her into the car. My husband and I offered to go to her home to help get her in. She walked to the steps of the house supported on either side, but once inside she had to sit on a chair before attempting the second flight of stairs. She could not manage them on her feet so went down on her hands and knees. My niece and I watched as my husband tried to help her by placing her hands and knees in a creeping position. Even then she finally only managed by slowly dragging herself up the the stairs. Lifting her off the stairs was impossible as we are both elderly with have bad backs. At the top of the stairs she crawled to the couch where she lay on the floor unable to move. Fortunately her son and grandaughter arrived and they were able to lift her onto the couch. and hook up her new oxygen supply.
At home she lies alone to face yet another terrifying night with the possibility of another useless trip to emergency and little prospect of a hospital admission. Next day she labourously returns to Columbian for more chemotherapy. Round-the-clock nursing is beyond her financial means as is the expense of a "private" hospital. Her daughter lives more than 50 miles away and is a single-parent with two teenage sons to care for, moving in is not an option nor is having her mother stay with her an option as the Columbian hospital is the only hospital equipped to treat her when she needs another admission.
This is the reality of dying in B.C. when you are without the means to buy care or hospitalization. The home-care provided by the government is wholly insufficient to meet her extensive needs. I ask you is this dying with dignity.
Joanne Whitney
604-517-0581