I Saved an Old Man’s Life. He Didn’t Want It.

Herb Lee, a vibrant eighty-seven-year-old grandfather, had gone out to dinner. There was something off with the food, as Lee spent the entire night vomiting. He went to the emergency room the next morning where doctors diagnosed him with pneumonia and kidney failure; Lee had aspirated some of the food particles. He had low blood pressure and was suffering from severe sciatica pain that had been exacerbated by an extended repose on a hospital gurney. Owing to low blood pressure, doctors could not administer pain medication to relieve his tremendous suffering.

Prior to this hospital visit, Lee had been extremely clear with his family about how he wanted to be treated in such a situation. He did not want to be resuscitated or placed on a feeding or breathing tube. Perhaps fortunately for Herb, his grandson-in-law, Jeremy Topin, was one of his attending physicians. In total disregard for Herb wishes, Topin ordered Lee placed on a breathing tube; Lee’s life was saved. Topin had looked as objectively at the situation as was possible and understood that Lee’s condition was treatable and curable. Lee went home a little over six weeks after the incident.

Months later, at a family dinner, Topin asked Lee if he had made the right decision. Lee looked at him and said, “I wouldn’t want to go through that again.” The response shook Topin. He had thought of his act as an unequivocal win: Lee had been saved and was able to spend more time with family and loved ones. Still a physician, Topin now shares this story with families struggling to decide how to handle these emergencies.

See Jeremy Topin, I Saved an Old Man’s Life. He Didn’t Want It., The Washington Post, July 29, 2017.

Special thanks to Lewis Saret (Attorney, Washington, D.C.) for bringing this article to my attention.