cpr – End of Life University

Learn how to counteract the misinformation about death in modern media and teach people the truth about the natural dying process.

In this episode I welcome back my recurring guest Barbara Karnes who is a hospice nurse, international speaker, and author of the books Gone From My Sight: The Dying Experience and By Your Side: A Guide for Caring for the Dying at Home. We discuss her slogan “People don’t die like they do in the movies” and how popular media, including television, film and books, provide misleading and inaccurate portrayals of the dying process. Learn how to get a T-shirt with the slogan on her website:

www.bkbooks.com

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

How movies and television programs misinform people about death and dying
The consequences of inaccurate portrayals of the end of life in popular media
What the natural dying process actually looks like
The “work” of dying and how to support a person in the process
Why we can’t expect a dying loved one to do or say something to support us
How a person’s breathing changes before death
Preparation for the dying process helps loved one be more present at the bedside
How CPR is depicted in medical TV shows as a miracle procedure that works most of the time
The actual facts about CPR
Confusion in advance care planning due to misinformation
Choosing the right healthcare proxy

Links mentioned in this episode:

Register here for (free) online event with William Peters and The Shift Network: Discover the Shared Death Experience
Previous interview with William Peters: Episode 329
Get a “People don’t die like they do in the movies” T-shirt here
Previous interview with Barbara Karnes: Episode 376

Leave me a message by email: kwyattmd@comcast.net, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
Support your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Soul
Subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher Radio
Check out the Series I’ve recorded in the past here
Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu and receive free gifts like the “Mind if we talk about death?” mini-poster or Love Your Life sticker or coffee mug. PLUS get our regular bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, occasional movie reviews from 2 Doctors and a Movie, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously!
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If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my newest patron Sharon Patterson! Your contributions make all the difference.

End of Life, EOLPodcast

Ep. 203 Do Not Resuscitate: Changing the Culture Around the DNR Order with Frances Myers

July 15, 2019July 11, 2019 kwyattmd

Learn how one woman managed to change resuscitation protocols for emergency responders to decrease the incidence of unwanted CPR.

My guest Fran Myers is a healthcare consultant and the founder of the Center for Advance Care Planning. She will share how she investigated protocols for CPR that guide EMS first responders and discovered that they didn’t align with the statutes of the state of Colorado. Her success in changing the protocols is a story that will hopefully inspire people in other states to take up the same work to ensure that patients receive the care they want at the end of life. Read more about Fran’s work at her website:

http://centerforadvancecareplanning.org

Learn about the Advance Directives Portfolio here.

Listen here.

This interview includes:

What the public misperceives about CPR and where that mistaken idea comes from
Many people still receive unwanted CPR at the time of death in hospitals and nursing homes
Why paperwork is often disregarded by first responders in the field during a medical crisis
How EMS protocols foster the provision of CPR as a default treatment regardless of the wishes of patients and family members
How Fran went about getting the protocols changed in Colorado to allow first responders to withhold CPR when appropriate
Advice for people in other states who want to change the protocols in their area
How to access the Advance Directive Portfolio for your state of residence

We never say much as we frantically try to save the life we know we can’t save or perhaps silently hope we don’t save. When it’s finally over and the last heart beat blips across the screen and we survey the clutter of bloody gloves, wrappers, masks and needles that now litter the room, you may catch a glimpse as we bow our heads in shame, fearful perhaps that someday we may have to stand in front of God as he looks down upon us and says, “what in the hell were you thinking?” – Dr. Louis Profeta – Emergency Room Physician

Links mentioned in this episode:

Fran’s website
Advance Directive Portfolio
Essay by Dr. Louis Profeta: I Know You Love Me–Now Let Me Die
Study from King County WA on withholding CPR
Art of Dying Author Series with Karen Wyatt MD – September 6, 2019 – Open Center, NYC
Workshop: Earth Lessons for the Soul – September 7, 2019 – Open Center, NYC
Beautiful Dying Expo – November 2-3, 2019, San Diego CA
Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu and get access to the EOLU mug: “Mind if we talk about death?” (only Patrons can purchase it)

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on Patreon.com/eolu – your contributions mean everything to me!

End of Life, EOLPodcast

Ep. 103 The Truth About CPR: Exposing the Myths

August 14, 2017August 12, 2017 kwyattmd

Learn the myths and facts about Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.

In this episode I’ll discuss the misunderstandings that exist in our society about CPR, primarily due to the way it is portrayed in movies and on television programs, like House and ER. It’s important to know the truth about CPR in order to make the best decisions for our future healthcare.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Be sure to sign up for “An Evening with Ira Byock, MD” on August 21st. Help us celebrate the 20th Anniversary of his book Dying Well. You’ll receive the replay if you can’t attend live.

Click here to register.

You can help support this podcast by making a small donation ($1 or $2 per month) at Patreon.com/eolu. Thank you to my latest contributors Karen Greer and Barbara Richardson. I really appreciate your support and it helps me keep the podcast and the End-of-Life University Interview Series on the air! Check out Patreon.com/eolu.

FEATURE PRESENTATION:

This is a follow-up to the latest interview on EOL University Interview Series with Dr. Fred Mirarchi, and ER physician who has conducted the TRIAD Studies (The Realistic Interpretation of Advance Directives.) In that presentation Dr. Mirarchi shared how advance directives like Living Wills and POLST forms are often misinterpreted by healthcare providers, resulting in patients receiving less or more intervention than they specified in their paperwork. You can listen to Dr. Mirarchi’s talk here.

I discuss:

three myths about CPR that are commonly believed
the true statistics about the outcome of CPR
the difference between CPR and the use of AED’s (automated external defibrillator)
when CPR might be called for and when it is likely to cause more harm than good
issues to consider when completing your CPR or DNR directive

You can download the handout “Facts About CPR” from the Colorado Advance Directives Consortium by clicking below:

Download the Handout

Remember there will be a new episode every Monday! Until next week …

Face Your Fears. BE Ready. Love Your Life.