By Ma Anshan

In the ward at the 10thfloor of the PLA Eastern Theater Comm and Air Force Hospital (ETCAF Hospital)rests several patients quietly on the beds.“They all suffer from serious illness and only have a short time left,” says Zhou Ning,the chief doctor from the Pain Management Division and the founder of the hospice unit.

Waiting for a Decent Death

Zhou Ning quoted a line “Let death be beautiful like autumn leaves” from Rabindranath Tagore,the famous Indian poet,which reminds us that a dying patient has the right to leave the world with dignity and decency when confronted with the inevitable.The biggest regret for a patient is that he or she is deprived of the dignity caused by pain and depression while dying.That's why Zhou Ning decided to choose hospice care as his career.“No matter how advanced medical science has developed,it can not cure all diseases.Operation and treatment are not the only choice for patients.” Zhou Ning said.He does not oppose any rational treatment,but believes that when a patient approaches death because of illness,it is better to help the patient to alleviate pain and die peacefully rather than maintaining a heartbeat with tubes plugged into his body.

“Traditionally speaking,Chinese people believe that dying peacefully is a completion of a perfect life.” Zhou Ning hopes to help the patients reduce pain and fulfill their wishes.

A number of patients are transferred to the hospice unit at ETCAF Hospital in critical condition when treatment doesn't work any longer at other hospitals because of late-stage cancer.Every time Zhou Ning diagnoses these cases,he tries to arrange them to be admitted and find more details about the patients by talking to their relatives so that he can offer tailored solutions.“It could be the only chance to help these patients.” A lot of patients suffer double pain from the diseased organs and the subsequent complications,including grumpy mood,joint pain,depression,and sleep loss.For these cases,it is a better choice to alleviate pain by applying drugs and improve the quality of their life rather than pushing them to wrestle against death through the tubes.

Zhou Ning once said,“Téngtòng (pain) is not a single word in Chinese.Téng means the body pain,while Tòng means heartache.” Therefore,Zhou Ning pays more attention to reducing the heartache of patients.One patient grabbed Zhou's hand and told him,“I divorced my wife when my daughter was only four years old.My daughter refused to forgive me for it.” The broken relationship had been haunting him for years.After the talk,Zhou Ning drove to Wutang Village,Gulou District of Nanjing and told the daughter about his father.The patient couldn't help crying when hearing the recording of his daughter.Later,the patient's condition deteriorated,and Zhou Ning contacted the daughter again.The daughter decided to meet his father and they finally reconciled with each other.The patient passed away peacefully that night.

“It is cruel to be confronted with death directly.What I can do is to help them reduce the fear and respect their life,” Zhou Ning said.

Helping a patient means a lot for a family.Does giving up the forgoing invasive treatment mean disloyalty? It is a moral question puzzling thousands of families.Even though Zhou Ning conducts thorough communication with patients' families before their being admitted to the hospital,some of the families still feel that they didn't do their best and even felt guilty,miserable,and depressed at the patients' death.Zhou Ning does not only comfort them at hospital,but also deals with their feelings after going home.He often calls them,“Even though the life could not be saved with medicine,we can at least let the dying process become tender.Choosing hospice care is out of love for our families.It makes them leave the world more calmly and peacefully.”

Touching Moments at the Final Chapter of Life

During our interview,the relative of a patient knocked at the door and came in,“Doctor Zhou,how's my mom?” His mother's illness was quite unstable because of uremia.Tortured by the dialysis complications,the mother was very upset and refused to receive any more treatment.Zhou Ning spent a lot of time trying to persuade her to follow the doctor's advice.“Auntie,we will help relieve your pain and live more comfortably.”She finally agreed to come to the hospice unit.Zhou Ning prescribed medicine for her after studying her medical records.She gradually opened her heart to Zhou Ning and chatted with him from time to time.Noticing her mood becoming better,Zhou Ning proposed,“Auntie,let's try the dialysis for a while.It will soothe your pain.” Usually,one dialysis treatment lasts for several hours,which is unbearable for her age.Therefore,Zhou Ning talked to his colleagues and asked them to offer a 1-hour treatment for her.Naturally her condition was greatly improved after receiving the proposed treatment.

Even when a patient passes away,some families still come a long way to the hospital to express their gratitude to Zhou Ning.A mother had just attended her son's funeral,but she went back to the hospital with a bucket of homegrown apples and gave them to Zhou Ning as a gift,hoping the apples (the pronunciation of apple in Chinese is similar with that of safety) bring a safe and sound life to Doctor Zhou.

Zhou Ning also feels grateful to them for the love and courage he witnesses during the treatment.

“A family almost collapsed when their middle-aged father was afflicted with a serious disease.The father was so agonized by the pain of a tumor that he wanted to commit suicide every day.But he knew what would happen if he killed himself.His wife and daughter would be doubted by others and even feel guilty.”Therefore,the patient chose to bear the pain and managed to be strong in front of his wife and daughter.This is the courage of being a husband and a father.

Another case was a time when a mother knew she has pancreatic cancer,she didn't show any fear or nervous expressions.

Zhou Ning intended to comfort her,but the old lady asked,“Doctor,is it a heritable disease?Will my children get this cancer?”Zhou Ning was shocked.“What comes to the mother's mind is not her health,but that of her children.How great the mother's love is!”

With his dedication and the hospice care,Zhou Ning warms dying patients and relieves them of their unbearable pain.He respects and safeguards their dignity and helps them reconcile with death at the final chapter of life.