If you had to decide over the life of a loved one, do you think you could handle it?

[noname223]

I read an article about a case that tore a family apart. The husband and the older son wanted to turn the machines off for a mother after a stroke. The younger son wanted to keep her alive. In the end she recovered in a surprisingly good way. They almost killed her.

I have a patient's decree and a health care proxy. One of my best friends can turn off the machines. He knows my stance and I think he would act on it. For example, when I survive a suicide attempt but I fear my family would threaten to sue him.

My parents would never turn the machines off. I am pretty sure. When I talked to my dad about it, he told me to turn the machines off in case he is in a coma. I am pretty sure he would not do the same for me. I imagined myself to be in the same position as this family in this article. Even though, my dad told me to turn the machines off in case he is in a coma, I am not sure whether this would be actually his will. My dad clings to life a lot. He considers people who kill themselves stupid. I think in general my family loves life and likes living. My sister told me life is the most precious thing one has. The same sister that blamed me for my child abuse. If the abuse of my mom really bugged me this much, why I haven't I hit her back simply? Bro, I gonna meet her soon. I will update this forum.

I would be careful if I had to turn off their machines because we have a diametrical approach to life. The rest of my family would probably pressure me to keep the machines going and I had a guilty conscience over that. I might would speak to the family member in coma about my considerations. But tbh I am overwhelmed by my own issues, I don't know whether I actually had the capacities for that.

What about you?

 

[EmptyBottle]

I'm not sure... for me, if I was brain dead and on machines, I'd probably find comfort that those machines have finite lifetimes (motors are probably rated for 10,000 hours or less), and that physics and biology limitations would force the hospitals to eventually turn it off.

The concern is more for the planet and the cost vs me... brain death means no consciousness, so I'd be in the afterlife.

For others, I'd like to know their wishes so I'd know what to do, I might step aside otherwise and let someone else make the decision, or if no one else is there, assess the situation before deciding out of [keepalive, wait, disconnect].