Thank you for your response, MN!!! I knew that my experience was not at all unique, but your experience sounds extremely similar to mine. If I had not pushed back against the doctor and demanded that he step aside and let the specialists treat her, resistant to his protests and statement that my family was causing her to suffer and that the specialist was only treating her to please the family, in spite of my very alert mom stating that she was "not suffering" and wanted to try more treatment, she would not be here today, happy to be alive and enjoying life. It's scary that this is so common and it creates more anxiety about the next time...or to wonder who will do that for us when we're elderly, especially those of us with no children. Thank you again!!!