If you had the choice on whether to discontinue life support on a loved one would you do it? Considering they are a vegetable.
123397
I'm a nurse and have taken care of the "living dead" also.  It is still an agonizing desicion to have to make.  It's different to care for these people and say pull the plug than it is to have known them, loved them, and say pull the plug.  There is no right answer.  Death is immenent.  The desicion is agonizing.
647907
Unfortuately, we can't chose the way we're going to die.  Naturally, a slow death, caused by a cancer of some sort, is a horrible thing to go though, for the person with the cancer and their family.  Then again, a very quick death, caused by heart attack, stroke, etc. is much easier for the person who's dead, but still a shock to the family.  Either way....that's a very hard question to answer.  In my opinion, dying quickly is the lesser of two evils.
200804
Don't you dare take your life. I'm sure there are many that have time to help you. Are you willing to accept help from others is the question??
497165
There is no right answer to this question. Either way, someone dies. You are still left for the rest of your life, knowing that you either killed your own child, or a train full of people.  If push came to shove. I'd have to be selfish and save my child. It's easy to say you would save the train. Fact of the matter is. Unless you are in that situation, you will never know what you will actually do.
140961
NO if anything since 911 I'm more willing to fight than ever.\n\nI'd forget the phone for the moment. \nThere is always a chance of survival. \nI'd be busy beaten the crap out of the person who thinks they can take my life without a fight.\nI would live in this situation because it would be my oppressor that would die not me.\n\nI'd then pick up the phone call Lori to tell her of the grand adventure. That I love her and will be home soon with a hug and a kiss.
447238
i would. i want to see what it's like to see what the wait for death is for. why so many people think it is horrible. i think death is only horrible for people who's loved one dies.\nthat's a great question. are you like a psychiatrist?\nif not you should consider.\ni'm serious.
387571
I am sorry for the loss of you mother. AS someone who has been faced with the decision to end life support..its a very touchy subject. My daughter was on life support for five days. In those 5 days numerous brain scans were done on her. There was no blood flow to her brain stem. She did have very slight blood flow to the upper part of her brain, but without the brainstem you dont breathe. I chose after much consideration to let her go. She was never going to recover, she was never going to do anything but lay in that hospital bed for the rest of her life. She would never smile or even open her eyes. She was Brain-dead. I disconnected life support and she died in my arms on April 14,1998. \nNow if someone had brain activity and there was a chance they could come "back" then I believe it is murder. Its hard to lose a loved one. Nobody wants to be put in that situation. But would you mother have wanted to "live" like that for the rest of her life??  The reason your stepfather gave was crap..and hopefully he didnt mean it. Because the lack of money is no reason to disconnect someones lifesupport. Maybe that was his way of rationalizing the HUGE responsibility he had to undertake...and perhaps a way to hide his sorrow.
398577
No One, I think that immortality for one person would be more of a burden then a blessing. You would constantly go through life losing the people that you have come to care about and love and just seems like a lonely fate. If I had to give it  to someone though and didn't have the option of giving it to no one, then I'd give it to myself. I'd rather suffer then make others constantly endure pain and loss...
454000
wow, now that would be a great pick up line for girls. hey gorgeous, how would you prefer to die. hehe. i'd say advance knowledge, at least gives you time to say goodbye to your loved ones.
7342
It's just my opinion, but we live in a world where the need for medical care outstrips the available resources.  If someone of sound mind has decided that they no longer wish to live, it only makes sense to help them.  Not only does this ease suffering, it also frees up valuable health care resources for people who want to keep living.\n\n** Big disclaimer ** This of course does not take into account any religious convictions that people may have.
69813
Sorry to hear that..How would you feel if the situation were reversed. Would you want him to stay in Limbo?\nPeople die everyday..it's a sad fact of life but a fact all the same..and we are all here as individuals not to love just one person..Not to have just one experience..but to experience life to the fullest..there is no guarantee you will even be here tomorrow..don't throw today away!
19333
being educated on these things is best.. and knowing the risks. If she was dis-abled would you feel differantly? feelings that are from the true heart can over come any ostacle... never feel bad about weighing out things that can effect the rest of your life.. always good to reach out to get knowledge..
482991
That's a lot of questions. Let's see...\n1) I will not donate my organs. There's no point. For medical reasons, they would be unusable except for training purposes, and I feel that is undignified.\n\n2) Ordinary means of resusitation can include paddles. But machines that breathe for you or take over organ function for more than a few minutes would be extraordinary.\n\n3) Euthanasia should be illegal because it's too easy to shift the decision from the person to the doctor, or worse, the inheritor. This has already happened in Holland.\n\n4) I could only offer encouragement, and see to it that appropriate pain relievers are made available.\n\n5) Passive is the only way. However, witholding of feeding is NOT acceptable.\n\n6) No. That is not a decision that can be morally made by any man.\n\n7) Life ends when brain function stops. At that point, the soul is no longer present, and there is no point in keeping the rest of the  body functioning.\n\nOh, I'm 52, and have a personal relationship with my Creator.
171426
if I found out that I was going to dye in like a year, I would  not be afraid of the dying part. It would be fear over what would happen to my son. I would be scared of leaving him, and not being there to see him grow up, and teach him things... to make sure that he got the most of his childhood, and was successful in his life... I would not want to miss any of that. he is the most important thing in my life. thta is the only part of death that I would not be able to handle. if I didn't have him, then I would not care that much. people die. it is a law of nature. but if it means that a mother cannot be there for her child, it makes it a whole hell of a lot different. I would do anything in my power to live as long as possible.
207407
When you truly love someone, you understand that sometimes families need each other. My dad only sees my stepmother, Kathy, a couple of times a month for the last 6 months. Her mother is aging and her father is dying of cancer. He is 87 and their is nothing really that any doctor can do for him short of kemo therapy. Kinda stupid to put an 87 year old man with advanced prostate cancer through all that, not to mention the daily 2 hour drive she must drag her mother along with to get to the hospital.  My father says, "I don't know why his doctor even recommended the kemo knowing his condition and what it would mean to Kathy, but I'm not going to take away the only thing she's got to hold on to."\n\nI think that is true love and understanding. How can you come between a family during times of crisis? If he is not willing to compromise I would just say to myself, "I gave it my best but I got to do what I got to do."
326956
I would live as long as I can.\n\nMy dad had cancer he lived for 5 months.\n\nHe was in pain but wanted to live to be with the family.
299477
Euthanasia should be legalized but very carefully. Sometimes it is better to die than live with a painful, vegetative disease. However the laws will have to be clear, there are many who might use it for unscrupulous reasons