Gabriel

I too am truly sorry for your Mother's distress. Nobody can tell you what is best for you and your Mom. You need to have a long heart to heart talk with your Mom's physician and express your concerns and question. He will be able to tell you what they are doing and why. Never hesitate to chase a doctor down and question what he is doing.

In a hospital setting, one of the differences between a peg and iv is that the iv is used to transport medications into the patient. I did have a situation with my dad about a year ago. He was in the hospital for unknown reason. They suspected a stroke and hooked up the iv. By the time he became aware of his surroundings again we had determined it was an accidental medication overdose that Mom, in her confusion, had given to him. The night he "woke up" he was combative, aggitated, and pulled out his iv. I happened to be there. I knew the cause of his condition by then and refused to let the nurses put the iv back in or use soft restraints and requesting that I talk to the doctor. The nurse balked but when I told her flat out we refused the IV and had a right to refuse treatment she left it out. The doctor told me as long as he thought Dad was in danger the iv was important for quick drug administration and hydration but he didn't think that was any longer necessary and it was dad's right to refuse any treatment. So they left the iv out for the remainder of his visit. That is not the only time we have "refused treatment"..... but we have always done it knowledgeable after much discussion.

Another time I watched my grandmother in much the same situation you are in now. They were feeding massive amounts of antibiotics into her system by ivs to fight an infection. When they came out of the room to inform my mother that they had been successful in fighting the infection I remember well my Mom asking this question...... "To what end?!" I truly didn't understand it then but I do now. Nannie spent two more years in a nursing home bed immoble, incontinent, and basically unaware of her surrounding.

We don't know the future or how your Mother will come through this medical treatment. She may be back to herself as Dad or like Nannie. So the decision as what to do is yours with knowledge of your specific case. So my best suggestion to you is to talk to your Mom's doctor. Find out as much as you can. Talk to other medical professionals that are familiar with her case. Don't leave any quetion unask or doubt in your mind. Then stand up for what you think is right and don't let anybody stand in your way. And once that decision is made know you have done the best you can with the knowledge you have at the moment and leave the guilt behind.

Know you will stay in my thoughts and prayers...

Love, Deb