Question of the Day: Day 187
If someone that you love is on life-support with no brain activity would you have the medical team continue to provide services (for years if necessary) or would you ask them to stop intervening and let nature take its course?
posted by Michelle at 8:36 AM
6 Comments:
As gut wrenching as that decision would be, and not actually having faced it myself for perspective, I will say that given all the medical information to make the decision, that I would have them removed from life support, and cry myself to sleep...
I would much rather pass on peacefully than be kept alive artificially for an indeterminate amount of time by machines. I would hope that everybody who makes a determination on this question would inform their loved ones and close friends so if the situation should arise, at least they would have the comfort of knowing that they're doing what you want. If I were to be entrusted by my family or close friends with this responsibility I would want to know their choice beforehand.
trapped in a body with no functional ability to communicate!
nuh uh - pull the plug!
people who have no brain activity are no use. but if the person loves them they may not want to pull the plug.
I'd hope that they have a living will to make the decision easier on those left to decide (my father did & it took responsibility off of us).
I know that I would not want to be merely half alive for any lengthy time. I honestly believe that after a reasonable amount of time, I would let nature take its course. I think that it would be selfish to keep someone alive for years under such conditions. "We" have to know when to let go.
I have been fortunate to have already talked to my parents about this and I know their wishes. I would do what was medically available up to a point and at the time that their quality of life , brain activity, and/or independence become severely depleted then we make that hard decision and let them go.
I am quite sure that it would be similar for my children but, not being in that situation, I can only assume that I would have the strength to do what needs to be done.
They know to do the same thing for me.
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