RSSHospice helps patients live life to the fullest
Yakima Herald-Republic
Sarah Partch says goodbye to Debbie and Mike Laurent after meeting with them Wednesday, October 8, 2008. Mike Laurent entered the program after being diagnosed with brain cancer last April, and is visited three times a week by a chaplain, a social worker and a medical provider.
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Mike Laurent accepted he had brain cancer. But when doctors told him he could die in three months, Laurent had other plans.
"It's either my turn or it isn't," the 63-year-old Yakima resident said about his diagnosis last spring. "I had a hunting trip I had to go on in September."
Defying the odds, Laurent did go on that bow hunting trip to Colorado. He still takes his motorcycle out on joy rides and he spends countless hours tinkering in his shop.
Through help from Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital's hospice program, Laurent is able to live out his final days to their fullest.
"Life is still good," he said, as he played fetch with his dog. "I have a deadline to live."
Radiation and chemotherapy
Laurent, who's lived in Yakima for most of his life, was first diagnosed with tongue cancer in 2004. Doctors couldn't pinpoint a reason for the disease.
Laurent immediately went through radiation and chemotherapy treatment at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Seattle. He shed pounds, his feet became numb and he lost his sense of taste. But he grew used to the side effects.
Six months later, surprising no one, he went back to work as an independent long-distance truck driver.
"I was a wreck, he was normal," said his wife Debbie. "He's really tough. He has more energy sick than most people who are well."
Laurent, who has a daughter, stepson and several grandchildren, was healthy -- for a time. But after a check-up in 2006, doctors found the cancer had spread to his lungs. Not wanting the quality of his life to diminish, Laurent delayed getting treatment for about 10 months.
Then, out of his commitment to God and his family, he fought back with an arsenal of chemotherapy and alternative medications. While this was happening, doctors discovered in April that he had brain cancer. There was no hope of recovery.
Even then, Laurent refused to let his disease define him.
"God is what controls me," said Laurent, who has since retired. "That is the bottom line."
While Laurent accepted his fate, his wife of 28 years started to panic. Laurent's health was declining rapidly, and she didn't know where to turn for help.
That's when the couple decided to enter the hospice program.
"Hospice makes it so much easier to live a normal life," Debbie said. The staff "is very helpful, very comforting. They are there for you 24 hours a day. I'm glad we got into hospice a lot sooner than we anticipated."
Hospice offers support
Hospice services are made available to terminally ill patients, whether they are 16 or 60 and have cancer or heart disease, said Mark Young, director of development for the hospice.
Typically, patients can join the program if they are within six months of death and are not exploring curative treatments. They're referred to the service by a doctor, and they can go on and off hospice care depending on the status of their health.
"Our people get to know you and you get to know them," Young said about the benefits of enrolling early.
The program helps patients and their families with comfort care, pain and symptom management, Young said. The service is also available to families for 13 months after a patient's death, helping out with everything from life insurance questions to bereavement counseling.
Yakima Memorial's program aided 461 patients last year, with 76 percent of them served in their homes or assisted living facilities. The rest were either in hospitals or skilled nursing centers.
Memorial hopes to break ground on its own hospice house next July. Scheduled for completion in 2010, the $5.2 million project would treat terminally ill patients in a home-like setting.
Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance companies usually pay for most, if not all, of the hospice services, Young said.
Sarah Partsch, a certified hospice and palliative nurse, has helped the Laurents since last spring. Her job is to answer questions and educate patients about the progression of their diseases.
Her work can be demanding, but she likes helping people enjoy the time they have left, she said.
"I try to tell all my patients, 'We don't want you waiting to die,'" she said. "My role is to control their symptoms and be a good listener."
David Dalton also enjoys his work. As a chaplain for the hospice program, he said his job is to talk about what's on people's minds -- be it their mortality, their interests or their faith.
With Laurent, the two men often discuss their shared interests in motorcycles and guns.
"With some of them, you do build a very close relationship," Dalton said. "I love to listen to people tell me their life stories, and there are some fascinating stories out there. Just listening to people and the things they've accomplished, it's amazing."
Laurent had already come to terms with his cancer when they first met him, Dalton and Partsch said. Debbie, though, needed to talk to someone about what she was feeling.
"Debbie was very apprehensive when we first came on board," Partsch said. "This is a whole new role for her. Now she has stepped up to the bat. ... She's helping out with arrangements and getting things sold."
Debbie said the hospice workers have become her support system, and she doesn't know where she'd be without them.
"You have to be a loving, caring person to have this job," she said. "They are there for you emotionally, physically, mentally to help you through that crisis. I don't think people should be afraid to call and ask for help to get through that."
Making a comeback
Since being prescribed a new medication several months ago, Laurent has made a comeback.
He gets up at daybreak to go on long walks. He built a raised garden, and practices shooting his bow and arrow near his house.
He also spends time with hospice workers, who visit with him and his wife once a week.
Debbie readily admits she was a basket case when her husband first became sick. But because of the hospice staff and her faith, she's more prepared for what's to come.
"Pretty soon, you give up trying to control things and trust God," she said. "You learn to take things one day at a time."
Laurent said the hospice workers aren't intrusive. Instead, they help him stay as healthy and active as possible.
"They give you emotional support, physical support, anything in the support category," he said. "If nothing else, they'll be your friend."
For Debbie, the hospice staff have helped her realize she's not alone. They've also made the approach of her husband's death less scary, she said.
"It's so hard to watch somebody you love die," she said. "Hospice was such a relief. ... I haven't felt as depressed or as lost because I know what's happening. They supply the answers."
When Laurent takes his walks now, he loses his breath. He's not as strong as he once was, and he has trouble remembering words. But when asked how he's feeling, Laurent only has one answer.
"I'm doing excellent," he said.
Erin Snelgrove can be reached at 577-7684 or at esnelgrove@yakimaherald.com
Hospice services
• Pain and symptom management by skilled nurses.
• Counseling, including spiritual, nutritional and bereavement.
• Education on the disease, coping skills and care planning.
• Help with personal care by hospice aides.
• Trained volunteer support.
• Physical, occupational and speech therapy, as needed.
• On-call help 24 hours a day for emergencies.
• Medical equipment, oxygen, medical supplies and related medications made available.
• For more information, call 574-3600, 800-282-0447 or visit www.yakimamemorialhospital.org.
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