Kept alive with tubes for nearly 17 years
latimes.com
Kept alive with tubes for nearly 17 years
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Re: Kept alive with tubes for nearly 17 years
#2[deleted]
Re: Kept alive with tubes for nearly 17 years
#3As a 58 year old, I think semi-constantly about my need for an advanced health directive. I also now suspect (reading this) that whilst no 15 or 16 year old is actually capable of processing the issues (amygdala) even young people need an AHD.
I'm all in favour of the tubes. My partner is not. If you don't know, then your fate in the system is left to others. The AHD won't give you your wishes but it at least tries to address them.
Re: Kept alive with tubes for nearly 17 years
#4This has to be a "worst nightmare" for most people. I came across a guy a very long time ago who had been in a long term care unit after an auto accident for something like 15 years at that point. The story I was told, and I don't know it's veracity, is that he was resuscitated against his stated wishes and the hospital was paying for his care forever. His eyes would open but he didn't respond in any way to any stimulus that I saw. He had a feeding tube if I recall, and breathed on his own without ventilator support. He was a swollen belly with stringy arms and legs as atrophy did it's thing. The nurses moved him around to prevent ulcerations and tended to his "survival". It was terribly disconcerting and I hope to god he wasn't aware because that sounds like hell.
As @ggm mentioned the documents...everyone should get an advanced directive. Anyone can do it and you don't have to have a reason, unlike a DNR which has more restrictions and requires a doctor's approval. A living will/advanced directive is a 5min bit of paperwork you can get done free at hospitals and doctors offices in most places. Submt it for your medical record and keep a copy in your emergency papers. Unsure how much it would have helped the guy above as I don't know the full story, but it's easy to do and important to have. I've seen loads of cases where people were strung along barely or not even "alive" by any metric other than "technically". for months and years and families fought over care etc. Don't put it off as tomorrow might be the day you need it.
Re: Kept alive with tubes for nearly 17 years
#5This has to be a "worst nightmare" for most people. I came across a guy a very long time ago who had been in a long term care unit after an auto accident for something like 15 years at that point. The story I was told, and I don't know it's veracity, is that he was resuscitated against his stated wishes and the hospital was paying for his care forever. His eyes would open but he didn't respond in any way to any stimu…
I suspect after enough months of no stimulus you just go unconscious. Your brain learns to be conscious why wouldn’t your brain learn not to be. It’s normal mode is to stop caring about noise.
Re: Kept alive with tubes for nearly 17 years
#6Juliana should speak Mixtec to him. She might speak Spanish more in the last 15 years, but Ignacio is more 17 year old kid than anything else.
Re: Kept alive with tubes for nearly 17 years
#7wow. this an incredibly moving story... so bittersweet.
Re: Kept alive with tubes for nearly 17 years
#8This has to be a "worst nightmare" for most people. I came across a guy a very long time ago who had been in a long term care unit after an auto accident for something like 15 years at that point. The story I was told, and I don't know it's veracity, is that he was resuscitated against his stated wishes and the hospital was paying for his care forever. His eyes would open but he didn't respond in any way to any stimu…
I suspect after enough months of no stimulus you just go unconscious. Your brain learns to be conscious why wouldn’t your brain learn not to be. It’s normal mode is to stop caring about noise.
Learn morse code so you can communicate with any action you can do, like in Johnny Got His Gun (the basis for One by Metallica)
Re: Kept alive with tubes for nearly 17 years
#9Earlier quoted context omitted.
I suspect after enough months of no stimulus you just go unconscious. Your brain learns to be conscious why wouldn’t your brain learn not to be. It’s normal mode is to stop caring about noise.
Learn morse code so you can communicate with any action you can do, like in Johnny Got His Gun (the basis for One by Metallica)
That only works if anyone is “listening.”
Re: Kept alive with tubes for nearly 17 years
#10Earlier quoted context omitted.
Learn morse code so you can communicate with any action you can do, like in Johnny Got His Gun (the basis for One by Metallica)
That only works if anyone is “listening.”
SOS is pretty recognizable even by people that don't know morse code. It has a very distinctive pattern to it. You can use it to get someone's attention.