Most people can't verbalize their feelings of relief when it follows the death of a family member, friend or pet.
It is a struggle to care for a sick pet. Our clients need our emotional support when they tell us about their frustration, guilt, anxiety and hope. As professionals, we need to identify and deal with the symptoms of anticipatory grief. We must also understand why a family has anxiety or reluctance about treating a very sick pet.
Here is a letter that opened the door to a much-needed discussion that might help you deal with concerned clients.
Dr. Villalobos ,
My question is whether or not it's worth having our pet dog, Butch, on chemo just to give him a couple more months. My concern is that we may, as a family, have to experience more emotional ups and downs than if we didn't treat him at all and just let the disease take its course.
As the spouse of a cancer patient who died in 1990 and as a hospice social worker, I know that one of the most difficult aspects of having a loved one die is the roller coaster of treatment with the overwhelming sense of dread when you know it's only buying time and you're watching them suffer.
We saw Butch get better during the first two weeks when he was taking the chemo pill; then for whatever reason, he has been uncomfortable for the last few days before his next treatment. I was pretty happy and reassured, only to be disappointed and sink into that depressed mode when I saw him getting worse again.
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Copyright 2009 BowTie Inc.
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