Comments on: Deaf Woman Was Not Told Her Cancer Was Terminal http://thecurvature.com/2010/02/09/deaf-woman-was-not-told-her-cancer-was-terminal/ Sun, 05 Feb 2012 14:47:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Cara http://thecurvature.com/2010/02/09/deaf-woman-was-not-told-her-cancer-was-terminal/#comment-16459 Cara Sun, 14 Feb 2010 14:29:31 +0000 http://thecurvature.com/?p=7307#comment-16459 Hi Bint, thanks so much for your comment. I <i>did</i> specifically mean <i>the right</I> to understand their condition, but at the same time, your larger point -- that while everyone has the right to that information, not all actually want the information itself -- was one that I hadn't previously fully considered. So, I thank you for making it. And your post is great. Hi Bint, thanks so much for your comment. I did specifically mean the right to understand their condition, but at the same time, your larger point — that while everyone has the right to that information, not all actually want the information itself — was one that I hadn’t previously fully considered. So, I thank you for making it. And your post is great.

]]> By: bint alshamsa http://thecurvature.com/2010/02/09/deaf-woman-was-not-told-her-cancer-was-terminal/#comment-16456 bint alshamsa Sun, 14 Feb 2010 07:16:26 +0000 http://thecurvature.com/?p=7307#comment-16456 I think I agree with almost everything in this post, except for one point that might seem trivial to others, but really isn't--at least not to many of us who have experience with incurable cancers. In this post Cara said, "everyone deserves and needs the right to make informed decisions about their course of medical treatment, and to fully understand their condition" I'm not sure if Cara is saying that everyone (outside of those she excepted) needs THE RIGHT to fully understand their condition or if she means that everyone needs to fully understand their condition. The issues surrounding just how much information a patient should be given is one that we discuss in my incurable/terminal cancer support group on a regular basis. Some patients really don't WANT to know when/if they become terminal. Some people find it counter-productive to be told this and prefer to simply live each day to the fullest, no matter what may happen in the future. What patients with disabilities need is to be able to decide just how much information they will receive about their care and, in order for them to do that, they need to have access to the same level of communication that non-disabled people can have with their doctors. I don't want to derail the conversation here, so I explained this issue in a post on my own blog: http://bintalshamsa.blogspot.com/2010/02/case-with-deaf-cancer-patient-also.html I think I agree with almost everything in this post, except for one point that might seem trivial to others, but really isn’t–at least not to many of us who have experience with incurable cancers. In this post Cara said,

“everyone deserves and needs the right to make informed decisions about their course of medical treatment, and to fully understand their condition”

I’m not sure if Cara is saying that everyone (outside of those she excepted) needs THE RIGHT to fully understand their condition or if she means that everyone needs to fully understand their condition.

The issues surrounding just how much information a patient should be given is one that we discuss in my incurable/terminal cancer support group on a regular basis. Some patients really don’t WANT to know when/if they become terminal. Some people find it counter-productive to be told this and prefer to simply live each day to the fullest, no matter what may happen in the future.

What patients with disabilities need is to be able to decide just how much information they will receive about their care and, in order for them to do that, they need to have access to the same level of communication that non-disabled people can have with their doctors.

I don’t want to derail the conversation here, so I explained this issue in a post on my own blog: http://bintalshamsa.blogspot.com/2010/02/case-with-deaf-cancer-patient-also.html

]]> By: Weekend Link Love « The Feminist Texican http://thecurvature.com/2010/02/09/deaf-woman-was-not-told-her-cancer-was-terminal/#comment-16455 Weekend Link Love « The Feminist Texican Sun, 14 Feb 2010 06:20:57 +0000 http://thecurvature.com/?p=7307#comment-16455 [...] Curvature: Deaf Woman Was Not Told Her Cancer Was Terminal I’ve heard a lot of heartbreaking and enraging stories in my lifetime, but this still manages to [...] [...] Curvature: Deaf Woman Was Not Told Her Cancer Was Terminal I’ve heard a lot of heartbreaking and enraging stories in my lifetime, but this still manages to [...]

]]> By: MomTFH http://thecurvature.com/2010/02/09/deaf-woman-was-not-told-her-cancer-was-terminal/#comment-16443 MomTFH Sat, 13 Feb 2010 13:55:09 +0000 http://thecurvature.com/?p=7307#comment-16443 So tragic. So tragic.

]]> By: Crystal http://thecurvature.com/2010/02/09/deaf-woman-was-not-told-her-cancer-was-terminal/#comment-16434 Crystal Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:13:42 +0000 http://thecurvature.com/?p=7307#comment-16434 But it's against everything I've ever learned in any of my classes to have a family member or friend be the translator!!! GAH SMITE But it’s against everything I’ve ever learned in any of my classes to have a family member or friend be the translator!!! GAH SMITE

]]> By: SunlessNick http://thecurvature.com/2010/02/09/deaf-woman-was-not-told-her-cancer-was-terminal/#comment-16431 SunlessNick Thu, 11 Feb 2010 11:05:27 +0000 http://thecurvature.com/?p=7307#comment-16431 Yeah. Yeah.

]]> By: Anna http://thecurvature.com/2010/02/09/deaf-woman-was-not-told-her-cancer-was-terminal/#comment-16430 Anna Thu, 11 Feb 2010 10:34:02 +0000 http://thecurvature.com/?p=7307#comment-16430 Sometimes the world just breaks your fucking heart. Sometimes the world just breaks your fucking heart.

]]> By: Cactus Wren http://thecurvature.com/2010/02/09/deaf-woman-was-not-told-her-cancer-was-terminal/#comment-16425 Cactus Wren Thu, 11 Feb 2010 08:18:35 +0000 http://thecurvature.com/?p=7307#comment-16425 Some of the comments at the Star-Tribune are deeply disturbing. Over and over we're told that the Nelsons "should have brought someone along" to interpret for them, that "younger family members ... could have been with them when they went to the doctor". Leaving aside the disgusting victim-blaming: the notion, after all these decades, is still "If you're hearing, you have the right to decide what your family members learn about your condition. If you're deaf, your <i>family</i> have the right to decide what <i>you</i> learn about your condition." Some of the comments at the Star-Tribune are deeply disturbing. Over and over we’re told that the Nelsons “should have brought someone along” to interpret for them, that “younger family members … could have been with them when they went to the doctor”. Leaving aside the disgusting victim-blaming: the notion, after all these decades, is still “If you’re hearing, you have the right to decide what your family members learn about your condition. If you’re deaf, your family have the right to decide what you learn about your condition.”

]]> By: Olivia http://thecurvature.com/2010/02/09/deaf-woman-was-not-told-her-cancer-was-terminal/#comment-16421 Olivia Wed, 10 Feb 2010 19:17:38 +0000 http://thecurvature.com/?p=7307#comment-16421 That is appalling! No one could even be bothered to type a fucking note? That is appalling! No one could even be bothered to type a fucking note?

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