Should we tell him he's dying?
By zephyr_6871
@zephyr_6871 (5)
September 28, 2007 3:16am CST
A couple of months back, we found out that my uncle has acute leukemia. He is 72 years old and suffers from other complications. His wife and daughter decided not to tell him the truth about his illness and everyday, he expresses his hopes and plans to be able to oversee his sugarcane plantation again, drive his new car and just enjoy his life. In a way, it has made him optimistic that he will still get better.
Should we just leave him with this false hope or tell him the truth? Is he better off not knowing or should he know so he can prepare himself and make peace with himself, with others and with God?
3 responses
@dreamy1 (3811)
• United States
28 Sep 07
He's a grown man, it's his life he has the right to know about his health. Why haven't his doctors told him? I'd think he would be the one to know first instead of his wife and daughter. I don't think that's ethical of the doctor to not tell him. I don't think it's right to give him false hope. Maybe if he knows he can make plans to do all the things he wants to do while he's still here. Tell him. He should know this important information about his own health and and he will know soon enough anyway.
1 person likes this
@dreamy1 (3811)
• United States
28 Sep 07
We're all going to die it's not something we can avoid. If you were in his shoes would you want to know? Would you want your family to keep such an important secret from you? It's your body your health don't you think you have more right than anyone else to know what's going on? Maybe if you knew you could plan things you want to do while you still can.
@KrauseHome (36447)
• United States
3 Oct 07
Maybe they feel this is the best way to deal with it, to give your Uncle a new look at life. Sometimes when people are terminal, and know they are terminal decide to give up on life, and then their life is wasted when maybe they could have had some time left here.
What might be best is to make sure he is comfortable in all of the decisions he makes in life, and you can Praise God together for the time you have him here on earth to celebrate with you. You never know and need to remember God does work miracles, so maybe you need to just ask and see what happens.
