By Dr.Sanjeev Vasudevan, Professor & HOD, Dept. of Pain & Palliative Medicine, AIMS,Kochi
How does it feel to have an incurable illness and to know that you may die soon? Here I am, a seemingly healthy person, working hard to support my family and myself. One day I fall ill and my doctors tell me that my disease is incurable and that I am going to die soon. My whole world suddenly changes. I am faced with suffering and pain. The situations in my family also change. I am no longer the breadwinner. I become increasingly dependent on my family. What will happen to my family after I die? Who will look after them? I can’t bear the pain of separation. Will they be able to bear the pain of loss?
And then there are other difficult questions troubling me. “What have I done to deserve this? Why did this happen to me? Why me? Why is God punishing me like this? What will happen after my death? Is there a life after death? Will I be punished for the sins I have committed voluntarily or involuntarily. What is the meaning of life? Is there a God or some other supreme power deciding our fate here and hereafter? Where do I find solace?”
These are some of the issues that confront a person who is facing death.
What can we do to comfort such a person? We can try to relieve their pain and physical symptoms. We can help them ventilate and perhaps resolve some of their emotional distress. We may help with their social, material and financial needs. But however much we do, we know that we cannot solve all their problems. Ultimately, how the patient copes with his / her condition depends on their inner spiritual strength. In this article I have tried to explore this least understood and least studied dimension of the person’s personality.
