By the week's end she had deteriorated further. Jack sat, as usual, by
her bed his right hand resting on hers. I explained the process of
dying and said that I did not think it would be long. There was a
pause. Finally Jack looked up at me and asked "Doctor, can't you give
her a needle?" I had heard the question before. I knew that the
sentence would end with "a needle to end her suffering". But the
sentence did not end that way. The sentence ended in a way that was so
different and unexpected - Dr Frank Brennan (palliative care physician)
Life's lessons from the dying
- Published: 19 February 2007
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