Imagine the following situation you may face:
Your 70year old mother is in a vegetative state after suffering a severe stroke. The hospital authorities proclaim to you that she is 'physiologically futile' hence it's meaningless to provide her with further treatment or continue to keep her alive. What would be your immediate reaction and your feelings? This is when you might have to choose rationality over blood, strategy over kith and kin, I really don't know, but all I know is it would be just too devastating a situation to be in. Do you think a group of people who never met you or your mother before her illness, should have that golden right to decide the way your mother should die? You'd know that quality of her life right now is nil, but how do you agree to such a heart-breaking and callous decision?
I have read about families who have faced this situation and how degrading legal battles diminish that very being of the person involved. Because now everyone has a say in it and it's disgusting how some people have no feelings for the family's trauma of losing a loved-one by being forced to put him/her down! I understand that being in a vegetative state isn't the most hip way to live but that does not give any other stranger the right to call that life useless and therefore be perished prematurely. Your loved-one lives all her/his life, do all those things to make other loved-ones feel special and leave lasting memories and cherished moments, only for some stranger to pull her/his plug off? That will always be far-fecthed to me! The right should be the family's after the patient. What say?
43 Cranium Signets:
I agree that the family has the right to decide, and not the doctors. But I guess the doctors decide on behalf of families because they know that families get emotional and their decisions going to be biased. They won't look at the situation more practically. However, I have never been in such a situation so I wouldn't know how to take this.
Personally, I would never want to live that way, being a pain to my family and loved ones and watching them suffer with me, I would just rather they pull the plug.
BTW im the first one to comment...yayyyyyyy!!
yeyyyyy nv muah!
true I agree with ya...doctors r only being practical n trying to help the family...but maybe u dunno that some authorities force the families to pull the plug of their loved-one because it's a burden to keep em on life-support machines etc. I think that's really unfair.
But u r aboslutely right about not wanting to live that way being a pain to everyone else. I have told my mum that if I ever become paralysed or so ill that I can't talk walk or do anything at all, just send me home without any delay...
Thanks! I might drop in at IT after lunch if ur there...
Keshi.
Its always advisable to end life rather than keeping it hanging there. If I survive till 60+, I know I'll be having lotsa problems due to old age which I may not be in a position to carry on. Better to end it right there...no sufferings for myself...no pain for my family members.
But its painful to witness someone go for wishful death in front of us.
It happend few months back when PERL (my pet dal) got mouth cancer and most of my friends adviced me to shoot her to death, which I never was ready for. I tried my best to get her back....it didnt. She had to go.
dis topic has been discussed a lott
it has gone out of syle now
the POPE has the best answer for dis
your life is not yours
it was given to u by GOD
and only He has the rite to take it away
hence abortion is bad
hence suicide is bad
DONT PLAY GOD, folks
and ROHIT, u dont no wat ur talking about
no one no matter how bad condition he is in
he wants to survive
its only when he enters into depression
he wants to end it all
depression is a sickness of the mind
the family reserves the rights to decide, and i don't believe people who care so much about us will just let us die like that...but then, if i am in the patient's shoes..i rather have my life to be ended..
OK , if u guys dont want to bring in the POPE and GOD in to bloggdom
listen to science
all animals in cluding man are programmed to survive and to procreate the species
it is called the survival instinct
even a mother holding her child in her hands will drop the child and swim to safety
when the flood waters reaches her nose level
z000nie mah e-bro/e-mate/almost mah blood-e-relative now :)
~~I know I'll be having lotsa problems due to old...~~
How oud u know this now?
~~Better to end it right there...no sufferings for myself...no pain for my family members...~~
True...but wud ur family members be happy with that decision, no matter how hard it is for them to look after u?
~~But its painful to witness someone go for wishful death in front of us.~~
Sooo true! I'd rather kill myself than watching my loved-one having to go through that, seriously! I know I may sound ridiculous n totally stupid but sorry that's how I really feel... :(
~~PERL~~
Gosh z000nie u reminded me of one of the pet dogs we had to put down because of an incurable bladder disease...I was broken into pieces for days after his death. I still get tears when I recall that day. I'm so sorry abt Perl, I know the feeling...
Icyyy I'm well thanks hun n u? Hugggggz! I guess ur talking abt Terri Schiavo?? Yep that was a terrible tragedy...the husband is supposed to be already having another woman n kids by that woman...I think he just got rid of her. As much as how mean and callous it sounds, his actions speak volumes. Here is a new story abt her death and him:
http://washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20050710-100558-1213r.htm
u might be interested.
~~think of wat she thot of wen she was hungry and thirsty. ~~
Only noble minds like u will ever think of that Icy...
Amutha so rightly-said...I'd do the same as u, if I were the patient...but that's us. There r others who might want to live no matter how hard a medical condition they r in...
Saby just becos this topic was talked abt a lot that does not make it 'out of style'...besides we r not talking abt fashion here lol...this topic isnt ever going to vanish, it's something we might face quite often with the fast pace at which life is going right now...:)
ur right Saby...no one has the right to end their lives...or is it that not everyone gets a fair choice...? Abortion and Suicide r altogether different topics but like Amutha stated, I too am the kind of person who would just end it all if I become too much to bear for myself. Pope or God or whoever is not going to wear my shoes r they...as selfish and shallow as I may sound we r mortal and this is all we know! If my soul died, there's no need for me to carry this skeleton ard do I?
Keshi.
yep Saby we r made to survive...ur so right there...my point here is it's that very right that the authorities try to take away from patients n families. I may not want to live if I ever get into a vegetative state, but there r others who want to live...n they dun even get a say on their own life!
Keshi.
Some of the examples described here are foreign to me - I have not heard of such things, either in Western Europe of the US. Machines are switched off and the patient allowed to die a natural death (i.e. within minutes) and this is only done, when there is absolutely no hope of recovery. Nothing natural is keeping the patient alive, i.e. God has already taken the soul, but the blood is being pumped around the body arificially. The other, what you guys are speaking of, is Euthanasia...putting someone to sleep, because they are sick or have no quality of life. That is something else entirely, and it is illegal, everywhere to the best of my knowledge. It does, of course, happen, and I can often understand why it does. At least in the cases, where the patient has requested it, due to loss of dignity, severe pain, etc. But this does not change the fact, that death does not occur at the natural time. I leave this subject alone...I can understand some cases, but cannot begin to contemplate, what I would do in a similar situation. I do however believe, that I would not hang onto someone surviving only on machinery, regardless of whether it be my parents, sibling, child. Of course, I cannot know this. I do however carry an organ donation card, and so have thought about myself in that situation, and I would want my next-of-kin to abide by my wishes. The example of starvation is murder, cruel and simple. Wonderful choice of subject, yet again! Here is another for your contemplation (bearing in mind, I could end up commenting as much as this), the death penalty - for or against? Autumn :-)
Hi Kesi
First time dropped by...some cool posts...will read soem more later...
a touching question...I think Doc's do that bcos they know that the decision of the family is going to be emotionally afftected and it might be biased..I hope and pray this situ will never come to me or my children and every one else...
Keep it coming
Praksh
the right to die..yeah the topic has been discussed.The girl ice.princess refers is Terry S. I felt enraged that time and felt enraged seeing people can be so 'disinterested'.but then the Smashing Pumpkins song 'despite all my rage i'm still just a rat in the cage' brings me back to ground.
This is life.
btw..feels good to be able to read yer posts again.
Although there are sometimes situations where family or loved ones have to choose, it really is ultimately the decision of the person in the vegetative state... most often families base the decision to pull the plug based on their own feelings and desires, and not those of the person. That's why I have a Living Will - the decision is mine, and I don't want anyone else to make it for me.
How would one feel though? Would emotion or rationality win? Ask yourself this - if your cherished pet were in that kind of state, would anyone even hesitate to keep it on life support knowing it would never come out of that state? I would guess that 99.99% of people would say no. If all life is precious (as those who argue against pulling the plug would argue), then why is this scenario any different than doing it for a family member?
Thats a very difficult situation to be in. I don't know if you followed the Terry Schiavo case where she was in a vegetable state for more than 10 years and the doctors said she would never recover. Her parents were not for pulling the plug, her husband was and ultimately thats what happenned. they took her off support and she died.
I don't know if thats what she wanted. I just find the idea of taking someone's life wrong. So what if you are a doctor? That doesn't give you the right to pull the plug. Then again there is this argument that people would rather die than live in such a state. I don't know. Its very difficult.
Hey Keshi !
I really liked this post of urs...nd we've had debates in our skool too on this....
Well...i think in such a situation the family doesnt get practical AT ALL....they use their hearts nd not the brains...wen u alrdy know tht the person's gonna die sooner or later, then therez no point in keeping him/her on the life support systems nd all u see...ofcorz no one bothers abt the expense then...but even then acc. to me one should go by wht the doctors suggest. And esp. wen tiz someone so old as 70 ..tiz pointless to keep the plug on.
Am just being practical...coz i actually have witnessed such kind of a situation....and t'was my grandma...she was in comma for abt 24 hrs...nd the doctors advised to not to even put on the life-support-system...coz her survival was simply impossible.....it was a decision for our family to make...and unfortuntely she passed away the same evening, as they had predicted.
Sorry abt writin my own story....but somehow i cudnt stop myself .
Coming to a conclusion is not really possible coz miracles do happen!!
And well ref. to ur comment on Rohit’s blog….Thanx for missing me…atleast someone does!
Thot of quitting IT nd chatting!! Was kinna unwell too past few days…so cudnt think of nething for ma blog…..and the disabled comments….some jerks just don’t like me…my blog…or wateva……nd they spam like nethin.....deleting which is SOME job nd makes my fingers go numb!!
Moreover…am not as dynamic nd spontaneous as u are….gosh I think u can post twice a day or even more…innit?? And yeah I have been reading ur posts regularly….urs is one blog I never miss…..but somehow was too down to comment…moreover…..my intellectual level….duznt match urs……nd I just dunno wht to comment!! If u want me to leave a ‘hi nd hello’..hehe I can do tht everyday!!
Ok…this is like a letter now………..sorry for using up so much space nd making it so so boring….!!
Will think of something for ma blog over the weekend…..nd muuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuaaaaaah nd thanx for remembering me.
Lotsa Love,
Cheesy.
I agree - who wants a stranger to make that kind of decision.
Living wills are a really good idea, just so that you don't get into that situation.
Oh gosh!!! I dont wish anyone to go through something like this...!!!
Sad ..very sad!!!
hey guys
the right to pull the button is inconsequential
lets talk about pressing the button
http://imnutsincapsbushfires.blogspot.com/2005/07/nuclear-button.html
sorry kesh
i need a few readers too
, , shut up Janice,
lets not talk of death and dying
HEAL THE WORLD, ,
http://imnutsincapsheal.blogspot.com/2005/07/bloggers-of-world-unite.html
phewwwwwww wut a great list of rocking comments! Welld-one friends u guys bring up some real interesting points, I'm stoked!
Autumn well-stated...God has already taken the soul, but the blood is being pumped around the body arificially...i luv that line! And hey how did u know I was going to post abt death penalty? :)
Thanks Prakash n Uma, wc to mah bloggy! Will visit u guys too :)
Huggggggggggggz Ash! Muah! Missed ya tonzz!
'despite all my rage i'm still just a rat in the cage'...couldnt have said it any better, thanks matey!
U got a great point Justin...I know that it's terrible to see a soul-less body of a loved-one just being fed by a machine for the sake of living...but I just dun think that due to being physiologically futile, life should be deprived...that's my point. But then again like u say, it's really upto the patient, thereafter the family...thanks!
Heyy Icu yep...imagine how Terri wud have felt if she was watching all this from somewhere...
Kroopa true we can never answer this unless we r truly in that situation...thanks for those very valid points!
Cheesy muahhhhhh! WB!!! I'm so sorry to hear abt ur granma...that must have been a tough period for all of u. Life is really unfair sometimes na. Heyy I missed ur cheesy comments hehehe...thats why I said that :) Im flattered with all ur compliments altho I dun deserve all that...but I'm so glad to see u here again huggies!
Paul WC to mah blog! And hey spot on! Having a last Will is the best answer to all of this. I was thinking of a Will lately...n Im sure to write that if I ever face a similar situation, to pull the plug without a minute's delay....
True, really sad Dawn...
Juless ~~man is born to suffer
it is God's will~~ Like that bit...thanks!
True Jann...a quick death is a million times peaceful than a slow one..I totally agree there!
lolzz Saby :):)
Keshi.
Phew!!! pretty controversial topic...well if i had to come across something like that, though i sound quite desperate most of the times, but i would never loose hope till the last breath, whether its my own case or of anybody related to me. I have been through such a situation where one of my colleague who was brought up in an orphanage and i m one of his very few friends, he had 7 shots in an ambush, 2 of them on his spinal cord, he was in coma for 8 months, after he recovered from his coma, the doctors declared that he would never be able to stand up on his feet, we never gave up, after another 6 painfull months of physiotherapy at various places, today he can stand up on his feet, walk without any obstruction, do his ruitine work by himself, only thing is that his left hand is still paralysed, but we are hopefull that in another 6 months or so and a couple of operations that will also be cured and he can go through the physical tests again and get back to his job.
wow incredible story South!! God bless ur friend, he sounds very courageous and totally enthusiastic! I know I'm pretty selfish when I said that if I face such a situation I'd wanna die..but I'm not a person who can live that way...it's me, unfortunately...ur friend will spit on me, but then I deserve that...
Keshi.
Yo keshi, there is nothing unfortunate about it, everybody has a different tolerance level, today u might not have it, who knows tomorrow we may come across the irongal keshi!!!
find it quite strange that not a single person stated that they havethe following phobia:
Necrophobia- Fear of death
Good on ya guys!
:)
Keshi.
hehe south yep u got that right :)
Keshi.
i agree wid ya on this one kesh
:)
heyyy im backkk....tho jeez u got..uhmmm 1,2,3...4!! new posts...n i jus got back..so ill cum back on layta n read em..but i jus dropped by to thank you for ur warm wishes n wonderful words :)
love yaa ...muahh...!!
kesh;calling the decision a callous one would be oversimplifying the situation.
besides;by releasing a person who has got no chance whatsoever to be able to live again;i feel that would be an act of kindness;not only to the person concerned but also to those he/she will be leaving behind.
however;i state my opinions only on matters of clinically brain-dead persons for i dont believe in miracles.
i also sincerely believe that any living person has no rigt to be deprived of his life by any other person.but i mean living;and in living;i mean that man is after all a creature of the mind............
Then again, when it comes right down to it, everyone can debate their opinion and position till we are all blue in the face, but the simple fact remains that none of us will ever really know what this will be like until we face it ourselves. It's so easy to stand on the sidelines and judge this to be a black-and-white issue, completely ignoring the myriad shades of gray that exist in the middle. Unless we ourselves can experience something like this, we will never truly understand or comprehend EITHER position and can only judge in our own ignorance.
hey k00kie m bakkkkkk...muah to u babezzzz... missed ya loads... n i got the message u missed me too...lol
n i think u r absolutely right abt this... family first thn all.... wonderful post
Ya Keshi… I agree with you, the right should be with the family or patient… Hospital authorities should only advice based on their insight… but the final say shouldn’t be with them…
Dear plssss get some lighter topics... i'm yet not out with my hangover of rains :-)>
Simlz
No one should have to drift on like that. You are correct.
Rock on!
err,
Sorry guys
i just love to kick ass
hey kesh...
i think that the final decision should be left upon the family..d doctors should advice them but not take the decision themselves,thats not fair to the families.
On the other hand,i would neva wanna live in such a situation,would jus wanna die peacefully.
Cheers Ice_Avrillzz :)
Webbbbbbbbyyyyyyyyy n hugggggggggz Pearl! So good to have u bak...twas like a million years w.o ya :( I'm glad that ur keeping well, safe n sound...missed ya x 100000! Yep u r absoultely right...I wudnt wanna live that way either...
Deips ahoyy! ~~but i mean living;and in living;i mean that man is after all a creature of the mind...~~ Wow what a beautiful way to put it...u have a great understanding n depth of life n death than many of us...I admire ya for that, thanks!
Justin...who else could say it better that ya! ~~Unless we ourselves can experience something like this, we will never truly understand or comprehend EITHER position and can only judge in our own ignorance.~~ THAT IS SOOO TRUE! Thanks mate for those words of great wisdom!
Muahhhhh m000nie WB!! I missed u n was worried abt ya...so glad to know ur ok n mostly that ur bakkkkkkk!! Thanks for dropping by...looking forward to read ur wonderful n intuitive posts again sweety.
Ram n Juless me dun get Hindi :( But thanks!
Juless... 'let the man who has no sin, cast the first stone'...that's absolutely right! Thanks! But we r not casting stones on anyone here...we r just discussing...ur right tho...we dun even have the right to pass judgement on anyone...but life is totally screwed...society is all morphed to portray a pseudo existence...we r not what we should be...we have gotten so used to that that we have forgotten our natural selves...that's the root for all problems. Thanks for ur great words!
Hey Puneet, sorry I had to dump heavy topics on ya especially when u need a good rest from all that has been happening in Mumbai :( Me bad girl lol! Ok let me try n make my next posty less serious :)
Thanks Rex!
Keshi.
Yo snoberina, considering u hardly check my mails. goto tanvis blog k? dun ask why, JUS DO IT!
lolz tanx n000nie :) check ur email NV.
Keshi.
very sensitive issue this.. had a recent case here in the US with the Terri Schiavo one.. I guess when it comes to a point that the person concerned had no chance at to recover the family should be able to decide the consequence.. not the doctors..
very contentious issue this one.. good one. 1st time here.. nice blog
well-said vivhyd and thanks for visiting mha blog :)
Keshi.
For anyone interested read this article on Maria Korp who died today (05/08/05) after doctors disconnected her feeding tube 10days ago..
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=56816
Keshi.
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