Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • NPR

    Too Late To Operate? Surgery Near End Of Life Is Common, Costly

    Nearly 1 in 3 Medicare patients undergoes an operation in the final year of life. The benefits are often limited, but the costs and side effects can be substantial.
    by Liz Szabo Feb 28, 2018 5 minutes
    Maxine Stanich celebrated her 90th birthday with friends and family in 2010, more than two years after her implanted defibrillator was deactivated by Dr. Rita Redberg to comply with Stanich's "do not resuscitate" directive.

    At 87, Maxine Stanich cared more about improving the quality of her life than prolonging it.

    She suffered from a long list of health problems, including heart failure and chronic lung disease that could leave her gasping for breath.

    When her time came she wanted to die a natural death, Stanich told her daughter, and signed a "do not resuscitate" directive, or DNR, ordering doctors not to revive her should her heart stop.

    Yet a trip to a San Francisco emergency room for shortness of breath in 2008 led Stanich to get a defibrillator implanted in her chest — a medical device to keep her alive by delivering a powerful shock to her heart if it started beating irregularly.

    At the time, Stanich didn't fully grasp what she had agreed to, even though she signed a document granting permission for the procedure,

    You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

    More from NPR

    NPR4 min read
    Magic, Secrets, And Urban Legend: 3 New YA Fantasy Novels To Read This Spring
    A heist with a social conscience, a father using magic for questionable work, an urban legend turned sleepover dare: These new releases explore protagonists embracing the magic within themselves.
    NPR3 min readWorld
    The Eurovision Song Contest Kicked Off With Pop And Protests
    Performers representing countries across Europe and beyond took the stage in the first of two Eurovision semifinals in the Swedish city of Malmo, against a backdrop of both parties and protests.
    NPR4 min read
    A Lawmaker With A Brain Disease Used Voice Assist To Back Her Bill On The House Floor
    Rep. Jennifer Wexton of Virginia was diagnosed last year with rare disease that makes it hard to speak. She still advocated for a bill renaming a post office in her district – and the House passed it.

    Related