One of our patients who suffered from metastatic prostate cancer died this past week. Hospice services kept him relatively pain free, and he seemed to me to be a man of faith. His main complaint was the incredible swelling in his lower body. The cancer had blocked venous return, and not even palliative radiation was able to relieve it.
He passed into a coma early last week, and a couple of days later he woke up! He and his wife were able to talk at length. Some family member were in town and available to say goodbye. He died 24 hours later.
Our goals for those who are near death are clear: peace, symptom control, and spiritual health. But the death process, which presented a smiling surprise in this man’s case, remains a mystery.
