A patient which my team has been looking after for the past 2 months died today. There were mixed feelings among the team as the whether it was a blessing that the patient died. A series of post-operation complications resulted in the patient's untimely death. The patient ended up with multiple organ failure, unable to eat and had multiple focus of infection. During the month that I was working with the team, I saw the patient slowly wasting away. Through it all, the patient and the family held on to the belief that a miracle may happen. Unlike in medical dramas, miracles seldom happen in real life.
During the end of last week, the patient started bleeding through the stomach while stop-gap measures were put in place to stop the bleeding, all the doctors and nurses looking after the patient knew the end was nearing. I spent quite a bit of time explaining to the patient and the family after the bleeding occurred but I believe that there were questions and answers best left unanswered.
When I informed the rest of the team that the patient died, no one was surprised and while we agreed that it is probably better for the patient to pass on - at least the patient will no longer suffer, we can't help but wished but a happy ending.
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