Kelly Martin died of cancer on September 30. She was able to enjoy her final days at home, and as she knew the end was near, she kept track of her drug doses in a dashboard:
Brain tumors are unpredictable. I don’t want my last days with a personality that isn’t mine. I wanted to laugh, to enjoy the days, and fart around in the garden as much as possible. We added in a variety of medications to use as needed to manage symptoms and tracked what worked and what didn’t in a Tableau dashboard. It was the only way to see the patterns and to get more good days.
From Bridget Cogley, Martin’s friend who took over the writing as Martin grew too ill:
63% of Canadians with a terminal illness want to die at home. Only about 15% do. Kelly Martin died on September 30, 2019 in her home with her son and me (Bridget) at her side and her mother on the phone. A true honor she gifted us knowingly. We used this dashboard to provide care and communicate with providers. It was crafted in a couple of hours, edited with Kelly’s feedback, and used to provide a better death. Seeing the data can truly be life-changing.
I… just. Wow.
