I believe there was a 1980’s Rolaids commercial about relief. How consumer-focused we communicate using the ideas we have seen in old television ads.
Last week I saw real relief. One of our patients was suffering from constant and worsening air hunger (he has emphysema). Air hunger is one of the most devastating symptoms. It is the persistent sensation of almost drowning. For the patient, release from the constant struggle to get air came 7 minutes after he received his first low-dose morphine. He is enjoying his last days and weeks much more now.
Misery is watching a loved one suffer like that, and not being able to do anything about it. In hospice work, we provide tools for family members to care for their loved ones. Relief for this out-of-town family member occurred when we called for a continuous care nurse and a bottle of liquid morphine.
I’ve written about the many uses of morphine in end of life care. In this setting we used it to control the sensation of air hunger. It works very well, and if given in low doses, has few side effects.
“Even if you bring a cup of cool water to the least of these it is as if you have done it unto me” . . . that’s a loose paraphrase of one of Jesus of Nazareth’s many great sayings. In this case it was bringing a bottle of morphine.
