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Pull the plug.
How many of you have made it clear what you would want done in regards to being in that type of a situation?
My mother and I both had a conversation and we both came to the same conclusion. I'd never talked to her about that before, but it is definetly now clear that neither of us would want to be kept on any form of life support, including that kind of feeding.
Pull the plug.
I've never discussed it with my father or my daughters (12&14) but it certainly is something to disuss with them. My mother passed away when I was 14, she was on life support due to an anyurism, My father had to make the decsion to take her off it. I know to this day that decision still hurts him. Me personally, I would not want to live the remainder of my days being kept alive by tubes. I would rather people remember me for how I lived and loved life rather than an involent dependent on machines.
Best solution to this kind of problem....which I was faced with with my own mother 3 weeks ago. Be an organ donor...which she was.
You don't have to watch them remove the tubes, and we found some comfort in the fact that she had a very rare blood type and was able to save a very sick woman here locally with her liver, someone in California with her pancreas and her kidneys & heart were very healthy and able to be harvested for a couple of other potential matches.
There was absolutely no question what her wishes were...that if my brother and I were to ever keep her alive on tubes she would come back from the dead and kick our asses the rest of our lives. It made the most excrutiatingly painful, heart-wrenching decision you'd ever, ever have to make as tolerable as something like that could ever be. But according to some I've seen express their opinions in this forum, my brother and I murdered my mom earlier this month....despite the fact that she was given absolutely ZERO chance of recovery.
My Father passed away of an Aneurysm as well. We had to make that tough decision as well, and it was more tough because my father never told us what he wanted, so it was hard to agree what should be done.
With today's technology in medicine, be very careful of what you choose, because sometimes miracles can happen. I have witnessed both and once the life is gone, there is no hope.
I would ask that if doctors think therapy can be done. and I can be improved, that keep going.
Never give up.
Unless I was a total, zombie with no feeling of pain.
I feel bad for Terri, heard her brother talk last night on Hannity and Colmes,
shes in so much pain that her mom is throwing up, and the others had to leave the room.
Absolutely sad.
How can she be in pain when her entire cerebral cortex is nothing but pure mush?
No human being can fill pain without a cerebral cortex.
Her family is being over dramatic in a long and continuous attempt to try and fool the public into believing that that woman is dying some kind of tortuous death..
Seems you feel victim to it.
I read In an article at work that when Terry was young and well she was bulimic...And now her family Is trying to keep her alive by feeding her through a tube...
So, was that an ironic job?
If so, it was executed very badly.
I would want them to pull the plug.
But at the sametime.....If they really feel there is no hope for her. Why not just inject her with something and kill her off quickly. Why wait 2 weeks and make her starve to death. No matter how you look at it, it just not right. I don't see how they can pull her feeding tube and let a human being STARVE to death. It's not like you pulling the life support machine off someone and they stop breathing and die fast.
Go to the Political forum if you want to debate Terri Schiavo, don't do it in this thread.
Again, our condolences for the loss of your mom. And I think it's awesome that her donations saved/helped so many others. These choices are so personal that I hate to hear when people pass judgement on families in these situations.Best solution to this kind of problem....which I was faced with with my own mother 3 weeks ago. Be an organ donor...which she was.
You don't have to watch them remove the tubes, and we found some comfort in the fact that she had a very rare blood type and was able to save a very sick woman here locally with her liver, someone in California with her pancreas and her kidneys & heart were very healthy and able to be harvested for a couple of other potential matches.
There was absolutely no question what her wishes were...that if my brother and I were to ever keep her alive on tubes she would come back from the dead and kick our asses the rest of our lives. It made the most excrutiatingly painful, heart-wrenching decision you'd ever, ever have to make as tolerable as something like that could ever be. But according to some I've seen express their opinions in this forum, my brother and I murdered my mom earlier this month....despite the fact that she was given absolutely ZERO chance of recovery.
I personally wouldn't want to be kept alive on life support if there was zero chance of recovery, or major irreversible brain damage. But I also wouldn't want to give away my organs. I know that is a selfish and probably stupid mindset, and maybe I'll feel differently about it as I get older.
Last edited by Kori Ellis; 03-26-2005 at 03:15 AM.
For what it's worth Christy, I'm proud of what you did. I'm an organ donor and I can think of no better way to live on.
Organ donation is giving the gift of life.
I know a few patients that have had lung transplants that are 50+ years old that could barely breath after two steps and now have 20 year old lungs and function quite well with no shortness of breath at all.
Amazing.
Look at Elliott and Mourning. They wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for a organ donation.
My mom is one of the rare people who say to keep them on life support no matter what. She has told everyone to never pull the plug.
I hate doctors and especially hate hospitals, so I'd tell them to pull the plug at the first sign that I might not make it.
Good Lord, Kori, you are not that young! The chance that a blind person could see because of your gift of corneas, the chance that a severely burned person could receive skin grafts, that bone marrow could be extracted and matched to a child dying from lukemia, that one of your kidneys might make it possible for someone to be relieved of continuous and painful treatments...
Why would you not want to give whatever you can? That's one of the things that keeps me going. If I die, someone may live, see, or just enjoy a better quality of life because of my death.
This isn't morbid! This is how you can change lives. I know you want to be a part of this!
Love,
Sallie
Didn't you just contradict yourself?
No! I did not contradict myself. One of the things that keeps me maintaining a healthy body is the thought that an accident could "rob" me of my life. But would I really be robbed of life, or would I gain the chance to give something through my death?
Your reading of my post may well be colored by the fact that I disagreed...
N'est pas?
"The only good bureaucrat is one with a pistol at his head. Put it in his hand and it's good-by to the Bill of Rights." H.L. Mencken.
Sallie, of course I understand and have thought many times about the same things you've said. But at this point still haven't chosen to be an organ donor. I know a lot of people who are the same way. Like I said, I may change later.Good Lord, Kori, you are not that young! The chance that a blind person could see because of your gift of corneas, the chance that a severely burned person could receive skin grafts, that bone marrow could be extracted and matched to a child dying from lukemia, that one of your kidneys might make it possible for someone to be relieved of continuous and painful treatments...
Why would you not want to give whatever you can? That's one of the things that keeps me going. If I die, someone may live, see, or just enjoy a better quality of life because of my death.
This isn't morbid! This is how you can change lives. I know you want to be a part of this!
Love,
Sallie
This is a very personal decision and nobody should be judged based on it or even singled out or forced into it.
I personally agree with cqsallie, since if I can be of use after my death - well so much the better (my mother in law would probably argue that I finally became useful - but that's another story). I know my mother does not want to be kept on life support but at the same time does not want to donate her organs. It's just a "thing", a phobia of some sorts - and to me that's the end of the story.
Just in case you didn't know, they don't put whether or not you want to be a donor on your driver's license anymore...so you really need to make your wishes known to your family, because ultimately it's their decision. We just happen to know that's what my mom wanted.
Something to think about that gave us chills and peace with our decision.....imagine this family....this lady was only in her 40's with an uncommon blood type and not given very good odds at surviving without a transplant. Early in the morning on the 3rd of March they got a phone call. Can you imagine how they must have felt? What if she had young children? I can't begin to imagine...but to know we could give someone even a chance is indescribable.
And you can specify which organs you'd like to donate, it's not an all-or-nothing deal. We only agreed to life saving organs....we were very uncomfortable with the appendage one and the methods they use with the cornea and tissue donation....which is basically removing one of the arms from the elbow.
It's not for everyone, obviously...just be very clear about your wishes. To make it easier for your loved ones when they are already consumed with grief. A living will, power of attorney, and even a generic handwritten will are absolutely vital, and not expensive at all to do.
Last edited by SpursWoman; 03-26-2005 at 10:18 AM.
The wife and I both agree we don't want to be kept alive by force unless there is true hope. If our brains are damaged then pull the plug.
We both know it is easier said than done though.
Thank you for your open posts Christy.
Hugs to you, SW!
I guess my husband and I need to sit down and talk about this stuff...
My wife and I have talked about this and are very clear that we would not want to live in that state or be kept alive by machines. It is our decision and no one has the right to interfere. We are also both organ donors.
Christy, Erica and I send you and your family our love and prayers.
Your organs will be too old to use if they looked at under a microscope!
On a more important note, I would like to donate my organs if anything were to happen to me where I was in a vegitative condition. The rest of me can be creamated and served in Chilli at a Spurs GTG for you all.
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