1. Choosing to withhold or discontinue feeds will be very difficult for me to observe/ weigh in to. I guess it is more associated with my own perception that discontinuing feeds causes suffering from hunger/ thirst, but with clinical knowledge I understand that feeding some patients will actually increase pain and discomfort. I perceive food and drink as such a humane necessity and even comfort, it is difficult to imagine that this may cause a child’s suffering. I can also imagine that feeding a child is a very motherly/ parently activity to sooth and care for. I cannot imagine the difficulty for a mother/ father to accept that they are unable to feed their own child.
2. I have experienced the discomfort of not knowing if the mother of a very sick child truly knew or internalised the severity of her condition. It was one of the first times I encountered and engaged for an extended time with a mother from the time her child was newly diagnosed, up to few months later. As an occupational therapist, I did not know where my place stands in having a realistic conversation with her about the severity of the condition. It did not feel like my professional place, as I am always very careful to overstep my scope of practice. If I could turn back time, I definitely would have advocated for a team-meeting and then a family meeting.
