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#1
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Oscar, the death cat
Probaby been posted before, but worth repeating:
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/357/4/328 A Day in the Life of Oscar the Cat David M. Dosa, M.D., M.P.H. Oscar the Cat awakens from his nap, opening a single eye to survey his kingdom. From atop the desk in the doctor's charting area, the cat peers down the two wings of the nursing home's advanced dementia unit. All quiet on the western and eastern fronts. Slowly, he rises and extravagantly stretches his 2-year-old frame, first backward and then forward. He sits up and considers his next move. In the distance, a resident approaches. It is Mrs. P., who has been living on the dementia unit's third floor for 3 years now. She has long forgotten her family, even though they visit her almost daily. Moderately disheveled after eating her lunch, half of which she now wears on her shirt, Mrs. P. is taking one of her many aimless strolls to nowhere. She glides toward Oscar, pushing her walker and muttering to herself with complete disregard for her surroundings. Perturbed, Oscar watches her carefully and, as she walks by, lets out a gentle hiss, a rattlesnake-like warning that says "leave me alone." She passes him without a glance and continues down the hallway. Oscar is relieved. It is not yet Mrs. P.'s time, and he wants nothing to do with her. Oscar jumps down off the desk, relieved to be once more alone and in control of his domain. He takes a few moments to drink from his water bowl and grab a quick bite. Satisfied, he enjoys another stretch and sets out on his rounds. Oscar decides to head down the west wing first, along the way sidestepping Mr. S., who is slumped over on a couch in the hallway. With lips slightly pursed, he snores peacefully - perhaps blissfully unaware of where he is now living. Oscar continues down the hallway until he reaches its end and Room 310. The door is closed, so Oscar sits and waits. He has important business here. Twenty-five minutes later, the door finally opens, and out walks a nurse's aide carrying dirty linens. "Hello, Oscar," she says. "Are you going inside?" Oscar lets her pass, then makes his way into the room, where there are two people. Lying in a corner bed and facing the wall, Mrs. T. is asleep in a fetal position. Her body is thin and wasted from the breast cancer that has been eating away at her organs. She is mildly jaundiced and has not spoken in several days. Sitting next to her is her daughter, who glances up from her novel to warmly greet the visitor. "Hello, Oscar. How are you today?" Oscar takes no notice of the woman and leaps up onto the bed. He surveys Mrs. T. She is clearly in the terminal phase of illness, and her breathing is labored. Oscar's examination is interrupted by a nurse, who walks in to ask the daughter whether Mrs. T. is uncomfortable and needs more morphine. The daughter shakes her head, and the nurse retreats. Oscar returns to his work. He sniffs the air, gives Mrs. T. one final look, then jumps off the bed and quickly leaves the room. Not today. Making his way back up the hallway, Oscar arrives at Room 313. The door is open, and he proceeds inside. Mrs. K. is resting peacefully in her bed, her breathing steady but shallow. She is surrounded by photographs of her grandchildren and one from her wedding day. Despite these keepsakes, she is alone. Oscar jumps onto her bed and again sniffs the air. He pauses to consider the situation, and then turns around twice before curling up beside Mrs. K. One hour passes. Oscar waits. A nurse walks into the room to check on her patient. She pauses to note Oscar's presence. Concerned, she hurriedly leaves the room and returns to her desk. She grabs Mrs. K.'s chart off the medical-records rack and begins to make phone calls. Within a half hour the family starts to arrive. Chairs are brought into the room, where the relatives begin their vigil. The priest is called to deliver last rites. And still, Oscar has not budged, instead purring and gently nuzzling Mrs. K. A young grandson asks his mother, "What is the cat doing here?" The mother, fighting back tears, tells him, "He is here to help Grandma get to heaven." Thirty minutes later, Mrs. K. takes her last earthly breath. With this, Oscar sits up, looks around, then departs the room so quietly that the grieving family barely notices. On his way back to the charting area, Oscar passes a plaque mounted on the wall. On it is engraved a commendation from a local hospice agency: "For his compassionate hospice care, this plaque is awarded to Oscar the Cat." Oscar takes a quick drink of water and returns to his desk to curl up for a long rest. His day's work is done. There will be no more deaths today, not in Room 310 or in any other room for that matter. After all, no one dies on the third floor unless Oscar pays a visit and stays awhile. Note: Since he was adopted by staff members as a kitten, Oscar the Cat has had an uncanny ability to predict when residents are about to die. Thus far, he has presided over the deaths of more than 25 residents on the third floor of Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Providence, Rhode Island. His mere presence at the bedside is viewed by physicians and nursing home staff as an almost absolute indicator of impending death, allowing staff members to adequately notify families. Oscar has also provided companionship to those who would otherwise have died alone. For his work, he is highly regarded by the physicians and staff at Steere House and by the families of the residents whom he serves. Source Information Dr. Dosa is a geriatrician at Rhode Island Hospital and an assistant professor of medicine at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University - both in Providence. The New England Medical Journal Volume 357:328-329 July 26, 2007 Number 4 |
#2
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Oscar, the death cat
Yes, I've heard about that. It seems a bit eerie, but I have no trouble
believing it. -- Joy "Listen for differences. Seek them out. Don't surround yourself only with those who see the world as you do." - Grant Cornwell "Yowie" wrote in message ... Probaby been posted before, but worth repeating: http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/357/4/328 A Day in the Life of Oscar the Cat David M. Dosa, M.D., M.P.H. Oscar the Cat awakens from his nap, opening a single eye to survey his kingdom. From atop the desk in the doctor's charting area, the cat peers down the two wings of the nursing home's advanced dementia unit. All quiet on the western and eastern fronts. Slowly, he rises and extravagantly stretches his 2-year-old frame, first backward and then forward. He sits up and considers his next move. In the distance, a resident approaches. It is Mrs. P., who has been living on the dementia unit's third floor for 3 years now. She has long forgotten her family, even though they visit her almost daily. Moderately disheveled after eating her lunch, half of which she now wears on her shirt, Mrs. P. is taking one of her many aimless strolls to nowhere. She glides toward Oscar, pushing her walker and muttering to herself with complete disregard for her surroundings. Perturbed, Oscar watches her carefully and, as she walks by, lets out a gentle hiss, a rattlesnake-like warning that says "leave me alone." She passes him without a glance and continues down the hallway. Oscar is relieved. It is not yet Mrs. P.'s time, and he wants nothing to do with her. Oscar jumps down off the desk, relieved to be once more alone and in control of his domain. He takes a few moments to drink from his water bowl and grab a quick bite. Satisfied, he enjoys another stretch and sets out on his rounds. Oscar decides to head down the west wing first, along the way sidestepping Mr. S., who is slumped over on a couch in the hallway. With lips slightly pursed, he snores peacefully - perhaps blissfully unaware of where he is now living. Oscar continues down the hallway until he reaches its end and Room 310. The door is closed, so Oscar sits and waits. He has important business here. Twenty-five minutes later, the door finally opens, and out walks a nurse's aide carrying dirty linens. "Hello, Oscar," she says. "Are you going inside?" Oscar lets her pass, then makes his way into the room, where there are two people. Lying in a corner bed and facing the wall, Mrs. T. is asleep in a fetal position. Her body is thin and wasted from the breast cancer that has been eating away at her organs. She is mildly jaundiced and has not spoken in several days. Sitting next to her is her daughter, who glances up from her novel to warmly greet the visitor. "Hello, Oscar. How are you today?" Oscar takes no notice of the woman and leaps up onto the bed. He surveys Mrs. T. She is clearly in the terminal phase of illness, and her breathing is labored. Oscar's examination is interrupted by a nurse, who walks in to ask the daughter whether Mrs. T. is uncomfortable and needs more morphine. The daughter shakes her head, and the nurse retreats. Oscar returns to his work. He sniffs the air, gives Mrs. T. one final look, then jumps off the bed and quickly leaves the room. Not today. Making his way back up the hallway, Oscar arrives at Room 313. The door is open, and he proceeds inside. Mrs. K. is resting peacefully in her bed, her breathing steady but shallow. She is surrounded by photographs of her grandchildren and one from her wedding day. Despite these keepsakes, she is alone. Oscar jumps onto her bed and again sniffs the air. He pauses to consider the situation, and then turns around twice before curling up beside Mrs. K. One hour passes. Oscar waits. A nurse walks into the room to check on her patient. She pauses to note Oscar's presence. Concerned, she hurriedly leaves the room and returns to her desk. She grabs Mrs. K.'s chart off the medical-records rack and begins to make phone calls. Within a half hour the family starts to arrive. Chairs are brought into the room, where the relatives begin their vigil. The priest is called to deliver last rites. And still, Oscar has not budged, instead purring and gently nuzzling Mrs. K. A young grandson asks his mother, "What is the cat doing here?" The mother, fighting back tears, tells him, "He is here to help Grandma get to heaven." Thirty minutes later, Mrs. K. takes her last earthly breath. With this, Oscar sits up, looks around, then departs the room so quietly that the grieving family barely notices. On his way back to the charting area, Oscar passes a plaque mounted on the wall. On it is engraved a commendation from a local hospice agency: "For his compassionate hospice care, this plaque is awarded to Oscar the Cat." Oscar takes a quick drink of water and returns to his desk to curl up for a long rest. His day's work is done. There will be no more deaths today, not in Room 310 or in any other room for that matter. After all, no one dies on the third floor unless Oscar pays a visit and stays awhile. Note: Since he was adopted by staff members as a kitten, Oscar the Cat has had an uncanny ability to predict when residents are about to die. Thus far, he has presided over the deaths of more than 25 residents on the third floor of Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Providence, Rhode Island. His mere presence at the bedside is viewed by physicians and nursing home staff as an almost absolute indicator of impending death, allowing staff members to adequately notify families. Oscar has also provided companionship to those who would otherwise have died alone. For his work, he is highly regarded by the physicians and staff at Steere House and by the families of the residents whom he serves. Source Information Dr. Dosa is a geriatrician at Rhode Island Hospital and an assistant professor of medicine at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University - both in Providence. The New England Medical Journal Volume 357:328-329 July 26, 2007 Number 4 |
#3
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Oscar, the death cat
hopitus wrote:
I have long been a believer that cats can see things that we can't. I am glad I can't see what Oscar sees. I'm glad I can't see them, either, but if I were about to die, I might appreciate having a cat purr me off this mortal coil. Joyce -- I will not sniff at my male human's feet after he takes his shoes off, freeze my mouth open in disgust and then sniff my private parts to compare odors. -- Cat Resolutions |
#4
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Oscar, the death cat
Thank you so much for posting that Yowie, I'm sitting here in tears...
Love Kyla "Yowie" Probaby been posted before, but worth repeating: http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/357/4/328 A Day in the Life of Oscar the Cat David M. Dosa, M.D., M.P.H. Oscar the Cat awakens from his nap, opening a single eye to survey his kingdom. From atop the desk in the doctor's charting area, the cat peers down the two wings of the nursing home's advanced dementia unit. All quiet on the western and eastern fronts. Slowly, he rises and extravagantly stretches his 2-year-old frame, first backward and then forward. He sits up and considers his next move. In the distance, a resident approaches. It is Mrs. P., who has been living on the dementia unit's third floor for 3 years now. She has long forgotten her family, even though they visit her almost daily. Moderately disheveled after eating her lunch, half of which she now wears on her shirt, Mrs. P. is taking one of her many aimless strolls to nowhere. She glides toward Oscar, pushing her walker and muttering to herself with complete disregard for her surroundings. Perturbed, Oscar watches her carefully and, as she walks by, lets out a gentle hiss, a rattlesnake-like warning that says "leave me alone." She passes him without a glance and continues down the hallway. Oscar is relieved. It is not yet Mrs. P.'s time, and he wants nothing to do with her. Oscar jumps down off the desk, relieved to be once more alone and in control of his domain. He takes a few moments to drink from his water bowl and grab a quick bite. Satisfied, he enjoys another stretch and sets out on his rounds. Oscar decides to head down the west wing first, along the way sidestepping Mr. S., who is slumped over on a couch in the hallway. With lips slightly pursed, he snores peacefully - perhaps blissfully unaware of where he is now living. Oscar continues down the hallway until he reaches its end and Room 310. The door is closed, so Oscar sits and waits. He has important business here. Twenty-five minutes later, the door finally opens, and out walks a nurse's aide carrying dirty linens. "Hello, Oscar," she says. "Are you going inside?" Oscar lets her pass, then makes his way into the room, where there are two people. Lying in a corner bed and facing the wall, Mrs. T. is asleep in a fetal position. Her body is thin and wasted from the breast cancer that has been eating away at her organs. She is mildly jaundiced and has not spoken in several days. Sitting next to her is her daughter, who glances up from her novel to warmly greet the visitor. "Hello, Oscar. How are you today?" Oscar takes no notice of the woman and leaps up onto the bed. He surveys Mrs. T. She is clearly in the terminal phase of illness, and her breathing is labored. Oscar's examination is interrupted by a nurse, who walks in to ask the daughter whether Mrs. T. is uncomfortable and needs more morphine. The daughter shakes her head, and the nurse retreats. Oscar returns to his work. He sniffs the air, gives Mrs. T. one final look, then jumps off the bed and quickly leaves the room. Not today. Making his way back up the hallway, Oscar arrives at Room 313. The door is open, and he proceeds inside. Mrs. K. is resting peacefully in her bed, her breathing steady but shallow. She is surrounded by photographs of her grandchildren and one from her wedding day. Despite these keepsakes, she is alone. Oscar jumps onto her bed and again sniffs the air. He pauses to consider the situation, and then turns around twice before curling up beside Mrs. K. One hour passes. Oscar waits. A nurse walks into the room to check on her patient. She pauses to note Oscar's presence. Concerned, she hurriedly leaves the room and returns to her desk. She grabs Mrs. K.'s chart off the medical-records rack and begins to make phone calls. Within a half hour the family starts to arrive. Chairs are brought into the room, where the relatives begin their vigil. The priest is called to deliver last rites. And still, Oscar has not budged, instead purring and gently nuzzling Mrs. K. A young grandson asks his mother, "What is the cat doing here?" The mother, fighting back tears, tells him, "He is here to help Grandma get to heaven." Thirty minutes later, Mrs. K. takes her last earthly breath. With this, Oscar sits up, looks around, then departs the room so quietly that the grieving family barely notices. On his way back to the charting area, Oscar passes a plaque mounted on the wall. On it is engraved a commendation from a local hospice agency: "For his compassionate hospice care, this plaque is awarded to Oscar the Cat." Oscar takes a quick drink of water and returns to his desk to curl up for a long rest. His day's work is done. There will be no more deaths today, not in Room 310 or in any other room for that matter. After all, no one dies on the third floor unless Oscar pays a visit and stays awhile. Note: Since he was adopted by staff members as a kitten, Oscar the Cat has had an uncanny ability to predict when residents are about to die. Thus far, he has presided over the deaths of more than 25 residents on the third floor of Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Providence, Rhode Island. His mere presence at the bedside is viewed by physicians and nursing home staff as an almost absolute indicator of impending death, allowing staff members to adequately notify families. Oscar has also provided companionship to those who would otherwise have died alone. For his work, he is highly regarded by the physicians and staff at Steere House and by the families of the residents whom he serves. Source Information Dr. Dosa is a geriatrician at Rhode Island Hospital and an assistant professor of medicine at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University - both in Providence. The New England Medical Journal Volume 357:328-329 July 26, 2007 Number 4 |
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Oscar, the death cat
Kelly Greene wrote:
"hopitus" wrote in message I have long been a believer that cats can see things that we can't. I am glad I can't see what Oscar sees. Or smell things we cannot smell - like pheromones. Perhaps the dying give off a scent he can pick up. That's my theory, speaking as a non-expert on the subject, and I'm sticking to it! Did anyone see the "House" episode about this? A nurse thinks she's about to die because the cat who lives in the nursing home where she works - who was modeled on Oscar - slept with her one night while she was there on duty. But they made it seem like people thought the cat could predict deaths via some kind of supernatural power. So of course House was going to sneer at that! This was a false choice ("science vs supernatural"). It completely sidesteps the question of whether the cat could tell someone was dying for entirely natural reasons. Joyce -- If At First You Don't Succeed, Skydiving Isn't For You |
#6
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Oscar, the death cat
wrote in message
Kelly Greene wrote: "hopitus" wrote in message I have long been a believer that cats can see things that we can't. I am glad I can't see what Oscar sees. Or smell things we cannot smell - like pheromones. Perhaps the dying give off a scent he can pick up. That's my theory, speaking as a non-expert on the subject, and I'm sticking to it! Did anyone see the "House" episode about this? A nurse thinks she's about to die because the cat who lives in the nursing home where she works - who was modeled on Oscar - slept with her one night while she was there on duty. But they made it seem like people thought the cat could predict deaths via some kind of supernatural power. So of course House was going to sneer at that! This was a false choice ("science vs supernatural"). It completely sidesteps the question of whether the cat could tell someone was dying for entirely natural reasons. As an anecdotal data point, when Joel's mother was in palliative care, most of the time the room smelt vaguely like ginger, and is the same smell Joel gets when he's sick. However, the last 2 times we saw her (about 6 hours before she died, and her last few minutes) the room had started to smell something like lavender. I do not know if the smell was in any way related to her condition, although its strange that Joel also gets that 'sick' ginger-like smell. Yowie -- If you're paddling upstream in a canoe and a wheel falls off, how many pancakes can you fit in a doghouse? None, icecream doesn't have bones. |
#7
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Oscar, the death cat
"hopitus" wrote in message
... On Jan 15, 3:00 am, bastXXXe. wrote: "hopitus" wrote in message I have long been a believer that cats can see things that we can't. I am glad I can't see what Oscar sees. Or smell things we cannot smell - like pheromones. Perhaps the dying give off a scent he can pick up. That's my theory, speaking as a non-expert on the subject, and I'm sticking to it! Did anyone see the "House" episode about this? A nurse thinks she's about to die because the cat who lives in the nursing home where she works - who was modeled on Oscar - slept with her one night while she was there on duty. But they made it seem like people thought the cat could predict deaths via some kind of supernatural power. So of course House was going to sneer at that! This was a false choice ("science vs supernatural"). It completely sidesteps the question of whether the cat could tell someone was dying for entirely natural reasons. Joyce I love "House" and all its well-defined characters, including the tormented main one.....but something else I watch frequently (dunno what) shares the same broadcast time frame, so I don't see every episode. Missed this one. A great med series, IMHO. My only criticism is that most of the diseases they not only mention but end up as the correct dx (usually by House) are so unusual and rare in RL that to anyone who ever worked in medicine where they actually worked on patients it might very well be a source of ROFL at the probability in RL (but majority of audience has no interest in nor knowledge of this hilarious habit by show's writers). *** I guess they figure more common diseases would be too easy to diagnose, so wouldn't make good stories. I enjoy the series too. Joy |
#8
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Medical TV shows (was: Oscar, the death cat)
hopitus wrote:
A great med series, IMHO. My only criticism is that most of the diseases they not only mention but end up as the correct dx (usually by House) are so unusual and rare in RL that to anyone who ever worked in medicine where they actually worked on patients it might very well be a source of ROFL at the probability in RL My sister is a physician's assistant (PA), and she thinks that show is ridiculous. Not so much because of the way-out diseases, but because no doctor in real life could ever get away with the behavior that House does in every episode. A real doctor who acted like that would have had his ass fired on day one. I'm more willing to suspend disbelief, but I don't work in a hospital. I do detest the notion that there should be different standards of conduct for people according to how much talent, intelligence, money or good looks they have. I think everyone should be held to the same standards of good behavior. So for that reason, I have a bone to pick with that show. But I do have to admit that Hugh Laurie gets the best lines. He's also head and shoulders above everyone else in the cast, although Omar Epps has created a vivid character, too. The others are unremarkable, IMO, except the woman who plays Cameron - she stands out as being particularly bad. For those who like medical mysteries but find "House" too obnoxious, there's a great real-life medical mystery show on cable called "Mystery Diagnosis". That one also features rare conditions, which can sometimes go many years without being correctly diagnosed. People live for years or even decades with debilitating pain and other weird symptoms, getting one wrong diagnosis (and treatment) after another, until they finally see a doctor who just happens to get the right hunch, and hits on the solution. It's pretty fascinating. Joyce -- The Internet is on computers now! -- Homer Simpson |
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