Bad things to healthy old people

[shootingstar]

Without going into much detail on latest developments and options on treatment for my father, let's just say that having a doctor in the family who is one's child and therefore, adovocate and interpreter of medical lingo, for the patient, is of enormous value. I can't imagine for many who don't have this built-in blessing within the family, particularily for complicated long-term and fatal diseases.

I received a complicated email from sister-doctor with medical lingo. It was cc: to another sister who has some formal training to interpret some of the lingo ..to explain the options that my father needs to decide on hormone treatment vs. radiation. My sister-doctor is assisting him to make the decision on course of treatment by trying to explain consequences, etc.

Of course there was a layperson's summary at the end. But still sad..when a very healthy person in the family is suddenly discovered to be ill for the long-term.

There is a very popular child's book, by R. Munsch "I Love you forever", which chronicles the unconditional love of a parent which inspires reciprocal care/love by child for the parent in the final years.