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You Had To Make The Decision To “Pull The Plug” On A Loved One
2Dec2008 Filed under: What If's Author: Jim
What if you had to make the decision to “pull the plug” or drop life support for a loved one in a coma. You don’t know what the patient’s desires would be in this situation, and there is no official paper work or will to guide you. If you pull the plug the patient dies, although there is a remote chance that the patient can recover from the coma if left on life support. What do you do?
2 Responses to “You Had To Make The Decision To “Pull The Plug” On A Loved One”
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Paul Bliss
December 3rd, 2008 at 11:17 am
I did have to make this decision earlier this year for my mother - we had these conversations prior to her demise and she always told us that if she were to be in her words “a vegetable” - to pull the plug.
If she had not expressed her feelings, I think we would’ve came to the same conclusion - at some point you have to cut the cord…
The Wife
December 6th, 2008 at 10:33 am
I personally have never had to do this w/ a family member, but I can imagine it being very difficult. I personally would not want to be left laying in a bed with a machine breathing for me and I can’t see any of my family wanting that either. Although there is a remote change for recovery, what quality of life will the person have. This would be one of the most difficult decision I would have to make in life, but I would take my family member off the life support.