51–60 of 115 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Technically we don't know whether general anesthesia actually prevents you from feeling pain, or whether it just prevents you from forming memories. As far as I know at least.
I would imagine that we must know that by now. We should be able to just see on a brain scan whether the pain centers are lighting up in response to pain.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't think that life in and of itself is valuable even under terrible conditions. Especially if there is no positive outlook, that things will be better, no reason to hang on. I think only one thing really matters: QUALITY of life. Life is not intrinsically sacred. QUALITY of life is to me.
My belief is that since there's nothing except for life, life of any quality is infinitely better than no life. However this belief of mine is currentlly being viscerally challenged.
From someone who's been on the other side of the story (albeit nowhere close in severity) I can tell you that this is a philosophical debate that you might have with yourself for years and not really reach a solid and stable conclusion. Because it will change depending on your state. Like promising never to drink again during the worst drunkenness or hangover.
On one hand that low quality of life may be the worst thing you ever experienced and there's the distinct risk of going even lower. On the other hand we have no idea what lies on the other side - nothing or something that may be better or worse. And of course there's always the sliver of hope that all goes well and giving up on life too soon is a waste.
As 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 t…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't think that life in and of itself is valuable even under terrible conditions. Especially if there is no positive outlook, that things will be better, no reason to hang on. I think only one thing really matters: QUALITY of life. Life is not intrinsically sacred. QUALITY of life is to me.
My belief is that since there's nothing except for life, life of any quality is infinitely better than no life. However this belief of mine is currentlly being viscerally challenged.
In cases where we have to make hard decisions like this, I find some solace that they have made their decisions ahead of time so that we only complete their requests.
I don't envy you at all in this. The same thing happened to my dad, except the life-saving measures failed, and the doctors said there was nothing else they could do. They gave my mom an 'out', since it was not her choice.
Insane! Stories like this one make me question if it should be a requirement for every person to have on file his/her AMD for situations related to this outcome. People shouldn’t fear death or existence may be an extreme prison of torture. Why people continue to allow this is beyond me. Heck only till recently in all of humankind has this kind of torture become a thing. Geese..
>Why people continue to allow this is beyond me. If, in the end, the patient recovers, what a happy ending that would be! And we might learn how to better assist others in this condition. The alternative is giving up forever on such cases. This is also partly why I lean "against" on euthanasia.
My SO is currently in hospice after 6 brain surgeries for brain cancer (4 over last year with her state gradually deteriorating). For the last year she was severly disabled and had to be help with sitting down, standing up, lying down and adjusting pillows and blankets as she had very limited use of her hands and general body coordination. She had to be kept safe while walking. It wasn't as good life as she had befor…
My SO is currently in hospice after 6 brain surgeries for brain cancer (4 over last year with her state gradually deteriorating). For the last year she was severly disabled and had to be help with sitting down, standing up, lying down and adjusting pillows and blankets as she had very limited use of her hands and general body coordination. She had to be kept safe while walking. It wasn't as good life as she had befor…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
So? Does that mean babies don't feel pain? Because that is what the medical profession concluded. Here is a good overview: http://nocirc.org/symposia/second/chamberlain.html
You are in an accident and have to be operated on, but using anesthesia would drop probability of survival from 90% to 10%. They can give you instead a drug that will prevent you from remembering pain that has no influence on probability of success operation. What would you chose? I'm not saying that this is the exact case with infants. Just trying to illustrate there might be valid reasons to inflict temporary pain…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
So? Does that mean babies don't feel pain? Because that is what the medical profession concluded. Here is a good overview: http://nocirc.org/symposia/second/chamberlain.html
You are in an accident and have to be operated on, but using anesthesia would drop probability of survival from 90% to 10%. They can give you instead a drug that will prevent you from remembering pain that has no influence on probability of success operation. What would you chose? I'm not saying that this is the exact case with infants. Just trying to illustrate there might be valid reasons to inflict temporary pain…
My SO is currently in hospice after 6 brain surgeries for brain cancer (4 over last year with her state gradually deteriorating). For the last year she was severly disabled and had to be help with sitting down, standing up, lying down and adjusting pillows and blankets as she had very limited use of her hands and general body coordination. She had to be kept safe while walking. It wasn't as good life as she had befor…
I know what you are both going through. I know what myson & wife is going through, seeing me on my bad days during treatment. Knowing that one day I will leave them sooner than we had originally planned.
No matter how bad things are or appear to be I'm a firm believer that there's more after this life and unfortunately we have trek through the good and bad of this one to get to the end. Besides, where did we come from before we were born?
I only live for today, because this is all I have.
Be strong if you can. It's tough and hard. What we are experiencing is apart of life
Peace