[ExI] Medical power of attorney for cryonicsts

[spike]

>... On Behalf Of BillK
...

>...Things like informed consent, help and injustice get really tricky when
the patient is faced with a terminal disease like Alzheimers.
They know the certain outcome. They know there is no cure. They are looking
into a black hole looming ever closer. They would agree to
*anything* that someone suggested might help, even if there were terrible
side-effects. They don't really have much choice left, and soon they won't
be able to choose...

Ja agree to that, thanks.

>...I would say that you have to be very sure that your recommendation isn't
going to make the time they have left worse for everyone concerned.
Providing false hope could be torture for the patient and their family.
BillK
_______________________________________________


BillK, me lad, do ponder that for a minute or a few minutes in light of this
particular situation.  Your first paragraph fights with the second, for this
particular situation runs a very high, a known high risk of doing exactly
that against which you warn.  So, I go around in circles.

Knowing that this treatment very well might cause harm, will give (probably)
false hope, will have bad side effects and might be a perfect example of
*anything* anyone might suggest, do offer guidance sir.

In that sense your two paragraphs are contradictory: I can't be sure that my
recommendation will not harm this patient.  I fear that it will be harmful.
Rafal's essay makes me think this medication will not help any more than
removing the pus from an infection heals the infection.  If beta amyloids
are not the cause of Alzheimer's but are the result of it, and bexarotene
somehow causes that stuff to break down or stimulates the mechanism which
removes it, but doesn't help the underlying condition as I am vaguely
suspecting, then all we have accomplished is to give the patient false hope
and suppressed his thyroid.

I know I am leaning hard on you guys, but hey, we have been friends online
for how long now?  A dozen years?  Maybe 15 or more for some of us?  We know
each other well, do we not?  You guys know I am leaning towards going
forward, but I have held my fire and I am still agonizing over it.   BillK,
dig deep sir, pull up some jewels of wisdom, as we know you are capable of
doing.  You are one of the wise ones here, without the attitude.  We respect
your opinion and your humility in the face of a daunting question.

spike