Sadness for a Patient’s Grandmother

by Caroline von Fluegge-Chen

Sadness for a Patient’s Grandmother

I am sad about something. A patient told me that she had spoken to her 82-year-old grandmother in France recently. She found out grandma was at a point where she no longer had the desire to live because she was experiencing excruciating back pain. Surgery from a few years ago was not effective. Meds are not working. All she can do is lie on her back and stare at the ceiling and suffer.  This is in sharp contrast to how the grandmother lived for eight decades as a very active woman who exercised consistently thereby enjoying the benefits of a healthy quality of life.

To think, this is what the grand finale of your life could be? Eighty-plus years of going full blast and being fully engaged in life, and then because of back pain, you wish for nothing more than your last breath so you can go out in peace to end the suffering? It’s like being served the ultimate gourmet meal and then the waiter presents you with a bowl of worms and dirt for dessert. Great. That’s one fine conclusion to an otherwise extraordinary experience.

People wonder why I am so passionate about being a chiropractor. Well, I am Caroline first and foremost and a passionate and curious person by nature. The fact that I have a higher degree in chiropractic is secondary. Combine the two and there is someone who is committed to helping people have a great quality of life from birth until death with a spine and nerve system that are working completely well, 100% of the time.

Never underestimate the importance of spinal health and quality of life. Just ask my patient’s grandmother. She should know.