QUEENSLAND MUM WITH MOTOR NEURONE DISEASE DENIED ‘LIFE-PROLONGING’ SURGERY

https://intensivecareathome.com/queensland-mum-with-motor-neurone-disease-denied-life-prolonging-surgery/

QUEENSLAND MUM WITH MOTOR NEURONE DISEASE DENIED ‘LIFE-PROLONGING’ SURGERY

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So in today’s blog post, we want to elaborate on the ABC article from earlier in 2021, “Queensland mum with motor neurone disease denied life-prolonging surgery.” Now, for anyone that doesn’t know what life-prolonging surgery means in a situation where a patient has motor neurone disease, it quite frankly, refers to a tracheostomy. And a tracheostomy for a motor neurone disease patient, simply is life prolonging.

Now the most prominent figure that everybody knows is Professor Stephen Hawking that lived with motor neurone disease for decades with the tracheostomy. And he had much to contribute to society, much to contribute to science. And he lived a good quality of life, I think until his mid-seventies, until he passed away.

Now here at Intensive Care at Home, we are looking after clients at home with motor neurone disease. And some of those clients have a very good quality of life. They also contribute to their family’s lives. They contribute to science. They contribute to some of their employers and they live an incredible quality of life because of the lifesaving surgery, hence, a tracheostomy.

Now, who is anyone in this world to say, who should have a tracheostomy, and who shouldn’t. This is up to the individual to make that choice. Because in this day and age with Intensive Care at Home services, patients don’t need to live in intensive care. They can have a tracheostomy even if they stay on the ventilator for the rest of their lives, and they can go home with services like Intensive Care at Home, and it’s up to the individual to make that choice.

And it’s not up to intensive care professionals or anyone because the services are there. The choice is there. And the funding is there as well, especially here in Australia with the National Disability Insurance Scheme, the NDIS. But also hospitals can pay for it too, because it saves half of the cost of an intensive care bed if hospitals do a tracheostomy, get patients out of intensive care quicker, instead of letting patients die. End of life is a choice that people need to make themselves and not based on perceived resources, the resources are there, and it’s up to the individual to use Intensive Care at Home and go home instead of staying in intensive care with the tracheostomy, if they have motor neurone disease.

Here is the article I want to share from the ABC News posted on 18 Aug 2021,

“Queensland Mum with Motor Neurone Disease Denied ‘Life-Prolonging’ Surgery”

Queensland mother Gabriel Watkin says she has been denied “life-prolonging” surgery in her fight to live with motor neurone disease.

Day by day her lungs are weakening, so 53-year-old Ms. Watkin becomes more reliant on an oxygen mask to breathe.

But a tracheostomy, she said, would allow her to breathe and live for longer through a tube inserted into her trachea.

“They’re taking away the right to extend my life,” Ms. Watkin said.

“Each day my lung capacity is reducing and my body’s ability to handle the life-prolonging surgery is decreasing.”

Ms. Watkin said the tracheostomy would also mean she could use her eye gazing technology to communicate.

Currently, she cannot wear her glasses with non-invasive ventilation, which stops her from speaking, emailing, using the internet, reading books, and staying connected with her friends and family...

Continue reading at: https://intensivecareathome.com/queensland-mum-with-motor-neurone-disease-denied-life-prolonging-surgery/