Spirituality/Medicine Interface Project

Spirituality and Medicine: Dying with Grace

Authors: Jay B. Mehta, MD, FCCP

Abstract

I would like to share my experience of treating a patient with terminal illness, who had emigrated from India and practiced Hinduism. He was a 78-year-old male who came to the United States three years previously to live with his son. It was difficult for him to get adjusted to the new environment and Western culture. He maintained a small shrine at home where he would carry out his brief morning worship, followed by a few minutes of meditation. He had developed hemoptysis and further investigation led to the diagnosis of lung cancer with bone metastasis and pleural effusion. After the initial shock, he readily accepted palliative care. Over the ensuing months, I had several discussions with him about his disease and his spiritual attitudes toward death.

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