Consider a Different “Con” in Medical Decision Making

My neighbor Stan, age 57, was told last summer that he needed open heart surgery, in the midst of the COVID pandemic. He was scared out of his wits and could not make the decision to have the surgery. He lived by himself and had no one to help him out or provide support.

As I was walking my dog one morning, I saw Stan in his driveway. Stan knows what sort of work I do, and he approached me, asking me if I had a minute to chat with him. He described his dilemma, including his inability to make up his mind. In my attempt to be as good a neighbor-advocate as I could be for him, (we didn’t have a formal advocacy relationship. This was just a conversation…) I asked him, “Stan, have you figured out the pros and cons?”

“Oh, sure, of course,” he replied. “But I just can’t figure out which way to go. I don’t have good options.”

So I asked him what pros and cons he had thought of. The pros were all about the repair of his heart and a healthier future.

The cons were ... Read more.