Blood Transfusion

　　Saturday afternoon I'm in my office to care for a patient in a critical condition. She is over 90 and has been bleeding from the digestive system. She has been bedridden for more than 10 years and fed through a gastrostomy tube. She can't communicate with others, even with her family members. The bleeding focus is considered to be the large intestine, and it's probably a malignant tumor. If she was a little bit younger or had a little more physical strength, I wouldn't hesitate to resect the focus, but,,,,
　　She has already been transfused 5 units of irradiated red cell concentrates equivalent to a liter of whole blood. Only when receiving blood, a slight flush springs into her thin cheeks and her respiration condition gets better. She critically needs to be transfused again right now, but blood infusion to her is just like pouring water into a cup with a hole. The blood is donated by peoples' good will. We, medical personnel, aren't permitted to use it in vain. What should we do? Even if I continue to infuse blood into her, her life will be terminated in a week or so. I'm going to have a conference with her family.
　　It's getting cooler in Japan. The chill of today's morning air reminded me of the fresh air of Whistler in Canada. The following picture shows me in a tense situation on the Peak2Peak Gondola connecting the tops of Whistler and Blackcomb Mountain. I get scared at that height.

(Vocabulary)
irradiated red cell concentrates 放射線照射済み濃厚赤血球
a slight flush spring into her thin cheeks  こけた頬に赤みが差す