Robert Varipapa, a board-certified neurologist in private practice in Dover, says that his patients deserve to be able to choose how their lives end.
Sam was a 42-year-old patient of mine with ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis — also known as Lou Gehrig disease. He was relatively vibrant when he first came to me, but eventually became weaker and had to use a wheelchair to get around.
He began having trouble forming words and spoke in a whisper. He even had difficulty swallowing his saliva. He was rapidly losing weight, both in muscle bulk and in overall body mass.
Sam and I had heartfelt conversations on his disease state and prognosis. His mind was clear throughout the course of his disease — ALS does not affect memory or cognitive function.
He didn’t want a stomach tube for feeding or a tracheostomy to help him breathe. Sam wanted an option as to how he would die.
One day, I got a call from his wife. Sam had died from aspiration pneumonia —not the option he would have chosen. He wanted the option that could now be provided by House Bill 160.
As a physician who has practiced medicine in Delaware for over 33 years, I help my patients make decisions about their health every day. Educating patients and discussing diagnoses and treatment options may be the most important thing I do.
Sometimes decisions are easy; many times, the decisions are difficult.
Patients with terminal illnesses that have no curative treatment are extra special in my eyes. They face something for which none of us is ready.
Read the full story at Delaware Online
