Friday, October 14, 2005

Mercy Killing!!!!

I have heard that Doctors in New Orleans euthanized several patients when the lights went out. Lordy Lordy Lordy!
Jennifer asked the bunch who read her blog to answer the question....do you think it is ever right to do so?

I would hesitate to euthanize a patient, I would not take such a step lightly or without subsequent nightmares and 4 AM quarterbacking, but I would do it if it was the right thing to do. In fact, I have done so. Or rather, signed the paper to allow the doctor to do so. Trouble is, I have actually been in the position of that fellow on the bed, and that experience has, well, sort of coloured my opinions a bit.
When I was lying dead on the bathroom floor (anaphalactic shock leading to cardiac arrest for those that care), I am glad my wife didn't just pick up her bible and say "well, God's will be done". Heck no, she called 911, and 20 minutes later I opened my eyes. When the doctor said to her "well, if he lives, he will be a vegetable for the rest of his life (he did say that, the bastard!) my wife said "well, I'll see what happens". I am thankful to her that she did wait to see what would happen, it would have been so easy to simply say....."He wouldn't want to live like that, don't resucitate him." I had always told her that if I was in such a situation, to not resusitate me. Glad she didn't listen to me! I never asked them to "turn out my lights", I fought for every single measely hour, every minute, every second sometimes. I was barely conscious, barely on this earth, and I fought hard to stay here. I died three more times that night. Finally, I was stable. I could go on and on, but my point is this....nobody wants to leave. We might have to, as responsible adults, help them to enter God's kingdom. Trust me on this one...making that decision for the right reasons will not jepardize your place there. If you do nothing, that too is a decision, and you WILL be judged on that decision. I have been there. I am NOT afraid to die, I have SEEN what happens after you die. But I will still fight! Most people will. A grown up will assess the situation and do the proper thing. Sometimes the proper thing is to bring the old geezer back to life....other times, it might be a mercy to "punch my ticket on the night train". I find it hard to judge somebody who finds themselves in that position, I mean its not like its your dog, lying there with a broken back from an automobile, and licking your hand, asking you to make it better. Or maybe it is.....

Oh my, what a speech! I surprise myself at times!

1 comment:

Robert said...
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