“How do we get a failure to thrive diagnosis?” Lashanna is telling me about a man, Skip, who was very depressed. After a stroke, he lost control over parts of his body. He attempted suicide multiple times and this latest try had found him committed to a psych ward. Skip had lived thirty years of his life in a compromised physical and mental state. He was suffering, had been for some time, and he wanted to die. Skip’s wife, Nancy, who did not want Skip to die but more so did not want Skip to be suffering, took action and pursued something called a ‘failure to thrive’ diagnosis. Lashanna explains, “With a failure to thrive diagnosis you can get on hospice or you can get medical support. It’s like a cheat code.”
With that special and specific diagnosis, Skip was able to leave the psych ward and went to Lashanna’s home, the other place to die, “He was able to do VSED, for which he was thankful and so happy. His wife was so happy to have support and care through the process. She didn’t want to be there when he died and she wasn’t. He wasn’t alone though.” Lashanna was with Skip until the end.
With that special and specific diagnosis, Skip was able to leave the psych ward and went to Lashanna’s home, the other place to die, “He was able to do VSED, for which he was thankful and so happy. His wife was so happy to have support and care through the process. She didn’t want to be there when he died and she wasn’t. He wasn’t alone though.” Lashanna was with Skip until the end.