After watching the video for the second time, I really understood it more than the first time. It's hard losing a family member, trust me I've been there before, but to just have a family member living on a ventilator is rough. I couldn't imagine having a family member put on life support for a prolonged period of time. Some families just choose not to let go or are in denial. As a nurse or even a doctor, it is hard to discuss what should take place, but it is not their choice. I just hope when the time comes for me to handle certain situations, I will make the right decision for my family.
After watching the video, I was able to realize that nursing is what I truly want to do. Helping people in their earliest stages of life are just as important as their last moments in life. I feel that already as a student nurse I was able to experience some of what was watched in the video today. I had a patient get rushed to the ICU while under my care, and watching as they hooked up the ventilator was a heart stopping experience. For the family members of this patient, a decision was soon to be made. This I know from personal losses is definitely a hard decision, but I hope as a nurse, I will be able to help educate the family on their decisions and options. I was also able to experience the sudden onset of a life threatening illness during clinical rotations, so this movie was very real, and I was able to relate to what I was seeing. Although you may have the facts, the right action is not always the easiest one especially when it involves the life of a loved one. Like Stefaney said though, I can only hope that I am able to make the right decision for my family members when the time comes.
For me, the video expressed the all-too-common occurrence where families have to face the realization of letting go. I, myself have lost both of my grandmothers' roughly five years ago, both of which were no more than two weeks apart from each other's passing. That said, I can certainly relate to, at least, how these people feel and that such a decision is incredibly difficult. I find an especially deep respect for some of the patients that never gave up and decided to continue and fight for as long as they possibly could.
I thought it was interesting that the video made a reference to the duality of the hospital as a place of healing as well as a place of death. Both happen at hospitals, and, depending upon one's experiences there, the hospital may be more one than the other for any person. I do not know what I would do if someone I knew was in one of those situations.
The video touched on some serious issues dealing with morality. As one doctor described, the physicians now have the ability to keep the heart beating and lungs working and there is "almost always something [they] can do to delay the inevitable [death]". However, the patient is in a "suspended animation state" which surely leads some to raise a question about preserving a quality of life that will satisfy the patient. Sustaining a life does not guarantee that the patient will be happier or feel better, and dependence on the life supports may not improve the quality. The reality is that the suffering may persist. Another important point was that since many patients can not communicate their wishes at the end of life, the decision is placed on a family member to make the decisions for them. This can be a huge burden for a loved one deciding whether to "allow life or not allow life." As the film states, the uncertainty is the toughest part of the decision. Is the health care proxy making the right decision? There is a tremendous amount of guilt this person can feel depending on the outcome of the patients health after their decision is made. Of course, the best scenario would be for the patient to make an end of life decision ahead of time, but many times this is not the case.
The video caused me to have very mixed emotions. First I felt very blessed to be healthy and to have all my loved ones in good health. Secondly, it caused me to reflect on my own wishes in a situation like that. I believe that personally I would not want to linger in that kind of state but I can't be 100% sure because I don't have to make that decision now. I would hope never to have that choice placed on me for a loved one. The film presented the issue of life and death in a way that showed to true reality of what it means to be dying. It was a powerful documentary.
The video was very emotional because of the reality of it all. It really showed me how much doctors and nurses have to go through in such situations. I have had a few family members be put on life support and each time all they want to do is say goodbye to the people they loved and then ask for the plug to be pulled. I have a 102 year old great aunt and she just lays in bed all the time waiting to die because there isn't much she can do. She is just trapped in a nursing home not able to walk on her own. She too just wishes to "go home with God" as she says. So the video really made me connect with those who were living in pain and had a minimal chance to get better that wanted to have the DNR. But then again it made me respect the ones that wanted to fight until the end no matter what pain they had to endure. I think whichever way they chose to go I don't think it could be branded as the right or wrong choice but just their choice and that should be respected.
I had mixed emotions about this video. I have never been put in the place of any of the patients or of the family members, so it is hard to say what I would do in their situations. My instinct tells me that I would not want to linger in a vegetative state nor would I want to put someone through a life like that. Everyone always has that little bit of hope that makes them hold on to their loved ones, though. I truly believe that miracles do happen and I was pretty disappointed that none of the patients in the film got any better. I am curious to see how the discussion about the video will go and where our class will go from here.
After watching the Frontline Video on Dying, it helped me relate to the families who lost loved ones. In the beginning it talked about intensive care patients who are facing death. There was one guy who had liver disease and his family wanted to take him off of life support. Believe it or not, this actually happened to my Grandpa. My Grandpa had liver disease and his kidneys were failing and he wanted to be put on hospice. We were there for almost two weeks with him at his house while someone came to take care of him 24/7. He was pretty much a vegetable and wasn't happy at all. He was in a lot of pain and told his wife to take him off life support once his kidneys had completely shut down. She did what he wanted and had him taken off of life support and he died that day. The nurse told us that he had definitely gone to Heaven because of the peaceful look on his face. Something I noticed in this video is that a lot of times the patient isn't able to say whether they want to be taken off of life support or not. If this is the case then a family member usually has to make the decision based on what they think is best for the patient, even though it is extremely hard for the family member. To me I think the hardest part as a patient would be sitting there listening to the doctor talk to family members about how nothing can be done to help and how there are no signs of improvement. The scariest thing I had to hear during my near death experience was, "We need to air care her to UC right now because if we don't then she might not make it in the ambulance." That was extremely hard for me to hear, especially being by myself and not having any family able to ride over with me. I hope if I am ever faced with an end of life decision that I make the right choice for my family.
This video was a real eye opener to the fact that things are not always black and white but there are sometimes large gray areas. I've always thought that you were dead or not dead but this video showed that with the evolution of medical technologies doctors can sustain the lives of otherwise terminally ill patients indefinitely. Hence, this video illustrated, in a very powerful way, the impossible situation that doctors and familys' of a terminally ill patient find themselves in when faced with the options of ending a loved one's pain or continue treatment in the hopes of a miracle.
The video brought back many different emotions that pertained to my past. When I was younger my grandma was constantly in and out of the hospital is seemed like. While she was never on life support, she was on oxygen, had a catheter, and was hooked up to different machines. By watching the movie, it brought me back to the time when I was scared to even touch my grandma for I was afraid I would cut off her oxygen supply or pull out an IV causing harm or bring discomfort in some way to my grandma. It also brought with it empathy for the patients that went through what they are going through in the video along with those who are fighting the same illnesses as those in the video today. While watching the video, I asked myself, "What would I want if I were in the same situation as the patient on the screen?" It's a hard question to answer. As they said in the video, no one wants to die. But I also asked myself if you can't 'live' then why is it worth being kept alive by machines? Death is a much scarier topic than life. You can see life, but you can't see the other side of death. A question brought up in class that I am very interested in discussing is "Where is the point when someone dies?" The video was a good starting point for beginning this class.
The first time that we watched this frontline video in a previous class, I sided more with the families of the people on life support. After going though more nursing classes and clinicals, I have changed my views on these families. Like one of the doctors said the paitents could suprise them and make a better recovery than they expected, however that does not occur in 100% of the cases. The amount of care and treatment that goes into these ICU patients is extremely costly. I understand where the families are coming from, however putting them on machines just so they can hold onto them longer is not worth the extra days. All the new technology these days has all of us questioning when is the true point of death?
Decisions of whether to continue to provide support to those suffering are always hard. I can't even begin to imagine how to deal with those situations as a doctor, and hopefully I never will professionally. Modern medicine is a double-edged sword. We can save people who's cases would have proved fatal just a few years ago, but we also have the ability to prolong their suffering. I wish we could save everyone but often we're fighting the inevitable, especially in the ICU. Everyone's scared to die. It is the unknown that we all face at some point in our lives. Who's to say that we should play God and keep patients alive when there is no hope of recovery? I'm so conflicted about the issue that I really don't have an answer so I'm looking forward to reading more comments.
The video was very touching, taking you into the lives of real people and the tragedy and heartache that they face. It raises many questions, including who has the right to decide how someone lives their lives? It should without a doubt be that individuals right to choose in those situations. I know if I was on life support I would not want to continue living that way for the rest of my life. But it is hard looking at a loved one and saying yes, I can let go and be without this person. Because there will always be the what if i hadn't pulled the plug, would a miracle have occured? Death is not an easy thing to except or deal with.
This video brought back lots of memories. My mother passed away nine years ago after spending close to three years in and out of the hospital and Drake Rehab center. We went through many, many sessions in the ICU and ultimately had to make the decision of life or death. It is an experience that I would never wish on anyone. What this video really brought forth for me, though, was the definition of life. Is quantity better than quality? Who has the right to decide? How much training is offered to the medical profession in dealing with the moral issues of a life and death choice? Is there some point when we should choose to stop advancing medicine? I continue to struggle with these issues and hope to get some new thoughts on these questions.
This video reminded me of when my great grandmother passed a few years ago. She was ninety five years old. I could only imagine how complicated and emotional a situation like the ones in the video could be. The amount of emotion and frustration going through a terminally ill patient is probably unreal. I remember my family trying to hold on as long as she could, but after a while she wanted to go. I did have respect for her and the people in the video who fought as long as they could before they passed because it showed they were fighters. However sometimes letting go is probably the best thing for them due to the suspended animation state they are in. What is the point of living if their quality of life is so low?
The video was interesting. I know that people are sometimes kept in a vegetative state for periods of time, but it made it seem very common. It makes sense that this could be an issue in these times with our technology. I understand why people could have a difficult time in that situation, but I believe that most people in that situation just need to let go. Just because you can keep someone alive does not mean you should. I realize I might sound harsh, but I know if I were on that hospital bed I would want to get it over with instead of lingering as a vegetable with such a small chance of getting better. I'm not saying to give up on healing someone who has a chance, but when someone has that many problems, It just does not make sense to me.
Holy deep fried Jesus! That movie brought up all sorts of uncomfortable. Props to PBS for doing a documentary on that sort of thing. It's hard to find a program that isn't tailored to entertain me every minute. Even the history and discovery channel are showing less educational material and more pawn stars/ dangerous catch. This program is more reality than anything on reality tv shows. The front line video gives light to the difficult decisions those in the the health care field and the families involved have to make every day. There is so much gray area in those situations that really bring out the human element. I sympathized with wives, daughters, husbands that had to make the tough decision to either expose their loved ones to risky possibly ineffective treatments or just to end it all. I like how they mixed the cases up: some ending good, some ended badly, some found themselves right back where they started.
Watching this video really made me think (and tear up a bit). I'm a bit mixed on this issue, especially when it comes to younger adults who are just trying to cling to the life they used to have. It was heartbreaking seeing the wife of the elderly man who refused to accept his treatments weren't working. I honestly felt that he should have just accepted that his death was immenent, but then again, I couldn't decide why he was so headset on continuing his treatments. I halfway feel it is not necessarily that the patient is afraid of death, but more what they are afraid to leave behind. He was afraid to leave his wife, and the young father was most likely terrified of leaving his family behind as well. I know if I was in their situation, that would be my motive for not wanting to die. For the families who had to make the painful decision to let their family member die or live a few more days on life support, it truly is a tremendous burden. The fact is though, you never know what is going to happen. I try to comfort myself by thinking that not too long ago, none of this technology was even available to those who were dying. Whatever was wrong would most likely kill them. The fact that we have the technology to allow families the opportunity to let them say goodbye to a loved one, even if that technology does not manage to save them, is still a blessing we should be thankful for.
This video made me think of many things - and all of which were tough to face. It made me think of my perspectives on many things including quality of life, assisted suicide, general care in the ICU, and ultimately what I would do in this kind of situation. I had a hard time identifying with the people who wanted to keep their loved ones alive for what seemed like their own benefit(I hesitate to use those words).Let me explain - I know from personal experience that knowing when to let someone go is quite possibly the hardest decision any person will ever make, especially when that person is dearly loved. It comes to a point though when it must be recognized that their condition is not going to improve and they are at such at a state that is not conducive to what is conventionally termed a "good" or "happy" existence. It brings to mind the question "What would I want in that same position?". I suppose that this is very different for each person which, in extension, brings up a whole different question - "What do other people believe a "good" or "happy" life is?" Granted, it is no to be said that the available technology should not be used. There is the off chance that it might help them become stable again or offer the family and loved ones that little bit more time to say their goodbyes. Making these incredibly difficult decisions is a huge burden to bear.
This video made me step back for a minute and think about death in a way i never really have. Having the choice to end someones life made me cringe just thinking about. I don't think i would be able to handle a decision like that if it came down to it. If it was what the person really wanted i think i would be able to do it. However, if i could not communicate with that person and had to decide whether or not to "pull the plug" i would feel guilty either way the decision goes. it made me step back and appreciate the people i have in my life and be thankful i have never had to go through anything like that.
I wasn't affected much by this film. This is mostly because I had no connection with these people. If I was to actually be in a life or death situation as those families were, I would be very emotional. Personally, I would not want a family member of mine to have to suffer through death, so if I had to make the call to pull the plug or not, I would probably have to pull it. (depending on the circumstances). Overall though I thought that this film provided great insight to what people in these situations have to go through and that it is quite a difficult decision to make.
The video was very intriguing. I felt the take on death that it took was interesting and it opened my eyes and put many questions in my heart. Death is one of the top fears instilled in the human psych. It is interesting that during this semester we are to take a closer look into what this means and how to deal with it. Now, to take a closer look at what the video portrayed: The human being, or patient, who is assisted by a machine and is completely brain dead, is in fact, dead. The video made compelling arguments both ways, however, this is what I believe. The decision making process can be very challenging for family, however, in the end, a person without a brain is not the person the family once knew.
The video really put a perspective on life and what some people have to go through just to fight for their life. It honestly was really depressing seeing some of the doctors tell the patients that they did not have long to live. It also made me think of hard times that others and I have. To think they have to wake up, if they even wake up, and wonder whether or not they will be breathing at the end of the day is scary. I wake up without a worry in the world and get to live my life. These people have real life problems and don’t get to just live a normal life. These people are some of the strongest willed people I have seen to be able to fight like they do just keep their heart beating.
This video reminded me a lot of previous and present nursing classes I have had. It put in perspective the idea of end of life care. The hardest part being a family member of someone dying is the most difficult position to be in. Being able to let go of a loved one is hard but knowing when enough is enough is the key. With the idea of the man who finally decided to stop his treatments. The toll on family life sometimes blurs the idea of living a quality of life not a quantity.
After watching the video for the second time, I really understood it more than the first time. It's hard losing a family member, trust me I've been there before, but to just have a family member living on a ventilator is rough. I couldn't imagine having a family member put on life support for a prolonged period of time. Some families just choose not to let go or are in denial. As a nurse or even a doctor, it is hard to discuss what should take place, but it is not their choice. I just hope when the time comes for me to handle certain situations, I will make the right decision for my family.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the video, I was able to realize that nursing is what I truly want to do. Helping people in their earliest stages of life are just as important as their last moments in life. I feel that already as a student nurse I was able to experience some of what was watched in the video today. I had a patient get rushed to the ICU while under my care, and watching as they hooked up the ventilator was a heart stopping experience. For the family members of this patient, a decision was soon to be made. This I know from personal losses is definitely a hard decision, but I hope as a nurse, I will be able to help educate the family on their decisions and options. I was also able to experience the sudden onset of a life threatening illness during clinical rotations, so this movie was very real, and I was able to relate to what I was seeing. Although you may have the facts, the right action is not always the easiest one especially when it involves the life of a loved one. Like Stefaney said though, I can only hope that I am able to make the right decision for my family members when the time comes.
ReplyDeleteFor me, the video expressed the all-too-common occurrence where families have to face the realization of letting go. I, myself have lost both of my grandmothers' roughly five years ago, both of which were no more than two weeks apart from each other's passing. That said, I can certainly relate to, at least, how these people feel and that such a decision is incredibly difficult. I find an especially deep respect for some of the patients that never gave up and decided to continue and fight for as long as they possibly could.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting that the video made a reference to the duality of the hospital as a place of healing as well as a place of death. Both happen at hospitals, and, depending upon one's experiences there, the hospital may be more one than the other for any person. I do not know what I would do if someone I knew was in one of those situations.
ReplyDeleteThe video touched on some serious issues dealing with morality. As one doctor described, the physicians now have the ability to keep the heart beating and lungs working and there is "almost always something [they] can do to delay the inevitable [death]". However, the patient is in a "suspended animation state" which surely leads some to raise a question about preserving a quality of life that will satisfy the patient. Sustaining a life does not guarantee that the patient will be happier or feel better, and dependence on the life supports may not improve the quality. The reality is that the suffering may persist.
ReplyDeleteAnother important point was that since many patients can not communicate their wishes at the end of life, the decision is placed on a family member to make the decisions for them. This can be a huge burden for a loved one deciding whether to "allow life or not allow life." As the film states, the uncertainty is the toughest part of the decision. Is the health care proxy making the right decision? There is a tremendous amount of guilt this person can feel depending on the outcome of the patients health after their decision is made.
Of course, the best scenario would be for the patient to make an end of life decision ahead of time, but many times this is not the case.
The video caused me to have very mixed emotions. First I felt very blessed to be healthy and to have all my loved ones in good health. Secondly, it caused me to reflect on my own wishes in a situation like that. I believe that personally I would not want to linger in that kind of state but I can't be 100% sure because I don't have to make that decision now. I would hope never to have that choice placed on me for a loved one. The film presented the issue of life and death in a way that showed to true reality of what it means to be dying. It was a powerful documentary.
ReplyDeleteThe video was very emotional because of the reality of it all. It really showed me how much doctors and nurses have to go through in such situations. I have had a few family members be put on life support and each time all they want to do is say goodbye to the people they loved and then ask for the plug to be pulled. I have a 102 year old great aunt and she just lays in bed all the time waiting to die because there isn't much she can do. She is just trapped in a nursing home not able to walk on her own. She too just wishes to "go home with God" as she says. So the video really made me connect with those who were living in pain and had a minimal chance to get better that wanted to have the DNR. But then again it made me respect the ones that wanted to fight until the end no matter what pain they had to endure. I think whichever way they chose to go I don't think it could be branded as the right or wrong choice but just their choice and that should be respected.
ReplyDeleteI had mixed emotions about this video. I have never been put in the place of any of the patients or of the family members, so it is hard to say what I would do in their situations. My instinct tells me that I would not want to linger in a vegetative state nor would I want to put someone through a life like that. Everyone always has that little bit of hope that makes them hold on to their loved ones, though. I truly believe that miracles do happen and I was pretty disappointed that none of the patients in the film got any better. I am curious to see how the discussion about the video will go and where our class will go from here.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the Frontline Video on Dying, it helped me relate to the families who lost loved ones. In the beginning it talked about intensive care patients who are facing death. There was one guy who had liver disease and his family wanted to take him off of life support. Believe it or not, this actually happened to my Grandpa. My Grandpa had liver disease and his kidneys were failing and he wanted to be put on hospice. We were there for almost two weeks with him at his house while someone came to take care of him 24/7. He was pretty much a vegetable and wasn't happy at all. He was in a lot of pain and told his wife to take him off life support once his kidneys had completely shut down. She did what he wanted and had him taken off of life support and he died that day. The nurse told us that he had definitely gone to Heaven because of the peaceful look on his face.
ReplyDeleteSomething I noticed in this video is that a lot of times the patient isn't able to say whether they want to be taken off of life support or not. If this is the case then a family member usually has to make the decision based on what they think is best for the patient, even though it is extremely hard for the family member.
To me I think the hardest part as a patient would be sitting there listening to the doctor talk to family members about how nothing can be done to help and how there are no signs of improvement. The scariest thing I had to hear during my near death experience was, "We need to air care her to UC right now because if we don't then she might not make it in the ambulance." That was extremely hard for me to hear, especially being by myself and not having any family able to ride over with me.
I hope if I am ever faced with an end of life decision that I make the right choice for my family.
This video was a real eye opener to the fact that things are not always black and white but there are sometimes large gray areas. I've always thought that you were dead or not dead but this video showed that with the evolution of medical technologies doctors can sustain the lives of otherwise terminally ill patients indefinitely. Hence, this video illustrated, in a very powerful way, the impossible situation that doctors and familys' of a terminally ill patient find themselves in when faced with the options of ending a loved one's pain or continue treatment in the hopes of a miracle.
ReplyDeleteThe video brought back many different emotions that pertained to my past. When I was younger my grandma was constantly in and out of the hospital is seemed like. While she was never on life support, she was on oxygen, had a catheter, and was hooked up to different machines. By watching the movie, it brought me back to the time when I was scared to even touch my grandma for I was afraid I would cut off her oxygen supply or pull out an IV causing harm or bring discomfort in some way to my grandma.
ReplyDeleteIt also brought with it empathy for the patients that went through what they are going through in the video along with those who are fighting the same illnesses as those in the video today. While watching the video, I asked myself, "What would I want if I were in the same situation as the patient on the screen?" It's a hard question to answer. As they said in the video, no one wants to die. But I also asked myself if you can't 'live' then why is it worth being kept alive by machines?
Death is a much scarier topic than life. You can see life, but you can't see the other side of death. A question brought up in class that I am very interested in discussing is "Where is the point when someone dies?" The video was a good starting point for beginning this class.
The first time that we watched this frontline video in a previous class, I sided more with the families of the people on life support. After going though more nursing classes and clinicals, I have changed my views on these families. Like one of the doctors said the paitents could suprise them and make a better recovery than they expected, however that does not occur in 100% of the cases. The amount of care and treatment that goes into these ICU patients is extremely costly. I understand where the families are coming from, however putting them on machines just so they can hold onto them longer is not worth the extra days. All the new technology these days has all of us questioning when is the true point of death?
ReplyDeleteDecisions of whether to continue to provide support to those suffering are always hard. I can't even begin to imagine how to deal with those situations as a doctor, and hopefully I never will professionally. Modern medicine is a double-edged sword. We can save people who's cases would have proved fatal just a few years ago, but we also have the ability to prolong their suffering. I wish we could save everyone but often we're fighting the inevitable, especially in the ICU. Everyone's scared to die. It is the unknown that we all face at some point in our lives. Who's to say that we should play God and keep patients alive when there is no hope of recovery? I'm so conflicted about the issue that I really don't have an answer so I'm looking forward to reading more comments.
ReplyDeleteThe video was very touching, taking you into the lives of real people and the tragedy and heartache that they face. It raises many questions, including who has the right to decide how someone lives their lives? It should without a doubt be that individuals right to choose in those situations. I know if I was on life support I would not want to continue living that way for the rest of my life. But it is hard looking at a loved one and saying yes, I can let go and be without this person. Because there will always be the what if i hadn't pulled the plug, would a miracle have occured? Death is not an easy thing to except or deal with.
ReplyDeleteThis video brought back lots of memories. My mother passed away nine years ago after spending close to three years in and out of the hospital and Drake Rehab center. We went through many, many sessions in the ICU and ultimately had to make the decision of life or death. It is an experience that I would never wish on anyone. What this video really brought forth for me, though, was the definition of life. Is quantity better than quality? Who has the right to decide? How much training is offered to the medical profession in dealing with the moral issues of a life and death choice? Is there some point when we should choose to stop advancing medicine? I continue to struggle with these issues and hope to get some new thoughts on these questions.
ReplyDeleteThis video reminded me of when my great grandmother passed a few years ago. She was ninety five years old. I could only imagine how complicated and emotional a situation like the ones in the video could be. The amount of emotion and frustration going through a terminally ill patient is probably unreal. I remember my family trying to hold on as long as she could, but after a while she wanted to go. I did have respect for her and the people in the video who fought as long as they could before they passed because it showed they were fighters. However sometimes letting go is probably the best thing for them due to the suspended animation state they are in. What is the point of living if their quality of life is so low?
ReplyDeleteThe video was interesting. I know that people are sometimes kept in a vegetative state for periods of time, but it made it seem very common. It makes sense that this could be an issue in these times with our technology. I understand why people could have a difficult time in that situation, but I believe that most people in that situation just need to let go. Just because you can keep someone alive does not mean you should. I realize I might sound harsh, but I know if I were on that hospital bed I would want to get it over with instead of lingering as a vegetable with such a small chance of getting better. I'm not saying to give up on healing someone who has a chance, but when someone has that many problems, It just does not make sense to me.
ReplyDeleteHoly deep fried Jesus! That movie brought up all sorts of uncomfortable. Props to PBS for doing a documentary on that sort of thing. It's hard to find a program that isn't tailored to entertain me every minute. Even the history and discovery channel are showing less educational material and more pawn stars/ dangerous catch. This program is more reality than anything on reality tv shows. The front line video gives light to the difficult decisions those in the the health care field and the families involved have to make every day. There is so much gray area in those situations that really bring out the human element. I sympathized with wives, daughters, husbands that had to make the tough decision to either expose their loved ones to risky possibly ineffective treatments or just to end it all. I like how they mixed the cases up: some ending good, some ended badly, some found themselves right back where they started.
ReplyDeleteWatching this video really made me think (and tear up a bit). I'm a bit mixed on this issue, especially when it comes to younger adults who are just trying to cling to the life they used to have. It was heartbreaking seeing the wife of the elderly man who refused to accept his treatments weren't working. I honestly felt that he should have just accepted that his death was immenent, but then again, I couldn't decide why he was so headset on continuing his treatments. I halfway feel it is not necessarily that the patient is afraid of death, but more what they are afraid to leave behind. He was afraid to leave his wife, and the young father was most likely terrified of leaving his family behind as well. I know if I was in their situation, that would be my motive for not wanting to die. For the families who had to make the painful decision to let their family member die or live a few more days on life support, it truly is a tremendous burden. The fact is though, you never know what is going to happen. I try to comfort myself by thinking that not too long ago, none of this technology was even available to those who were dying. Whatever was wrong would most likely kill them. The fact that we have the technology to allow families the opportunity to let them say goodbye to a loved one, even if that technology does not manage to save them, is still a blessing we should be thankful for.
ReplyDeleteThis video made me think of many things - and all of which were tough to face. It made me think of my perspectives on many things including quality of life, assisted suicide, general care in the ICU, and ultimately what I would do in this kind of situation. I had a hard time identifying with the people who wanted to keep their loved ones alive for what seemed like their own benefit(I hesitate to use those words).Let me explain - I know from personal experience that knowing when to let someone go is quite possibly the hardest decision any person will ever make, especially when that person is dearly loved. It comes to a point though when it must be recognized that their condition is not going to improve and they are at such at a state that is not conducive to what is conventionally termed a "good" or "happy" existence. It brings to mind the question "What would I want in that same position?". I suppose that this is very different for each person which, in extension, brings up a whole different question - "What do other people believe a "good" or "happy" life is?"
ReplyDeleteGranted, it is no to be said that the available technology should not be used. There is the off chance that it might help them become stable again or offer the family and loved ones that little bit more time to say their goodbyes.
Making these incredibly difficult decisions is a huge burden to bear.
This video made me step back for a minute and think about death in a way i never really have. Having the choice to end someones life made me cringe just thinking about. I don't think i would be able to handle a decision like that if it came down to it. If it was what the person really wanted i think i would be able to do it. However, if i could not communicate with that person and had to decide whether or not to "pull the plug" i would feel guilty either way the decision goes. it made me step back and appreciate the people i have in my life and be thankful i have never had to go through anything like that.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't affected much by this film. This is mostly because I had no connection with these people. If I was to actually be in a life or death situation as those families were, I would be very emotional. Personally, I would not want a family member of mine to have to suffer through death, so if I had to make the call to pull the plug or not, I would probably have to pull it. (depending on the circumstances). Overall though I thought that this film provided great insight to what people in these situations have to go through and that it is quite a difficult decision to make.
ReplyDeleteThe video was very intriguing. I felt the take on death that it took was interesting and it opened my eyes and put many questions in my heart. Death is one of the top fears instilled in the human psych. It is interesting that during this semester we are to take a closer look into what this means and how to deal with it. Now, to take a closer look at what the video portrayed: The human being, or patient, who is assisted by a machine and is completely brain dead, is in fact, dead. The video made compelling arguments both ways, however, this is what I believe. The decision making process can be very challenging for family, however, in the end, a person without a brain is not the person the family once knew.
ReplyDeleteThe video really put a perspective on life and what some people have to go through just to fight for their life. It honestly was really depressing seeing some of the doctors tell the patients that they did not have long to live. It also made me think of hard times that others and I have. To think they have to wake up, if they even wake up, and wonder whether or not they will be breathing at the end of the day is scary. I wake up without a worry in the world and get to live my life. These people have real life problems and don’t get to just live a normal life. These people are some of the strongest willed people I have seen to be able to fight like they do just keep their heart beating.
ReplyDeleteThis video reminded me a lot of previous and present nursing classes I have had. It put in perspective the idea of end of life care. The hardest part being a family member of someone dying is the most difficult position to be in. Being able to let go of a loved one is hard but knowing when enough is enough is the key. With the idea of the man who finally decided to stop his treatments. The toll on family life sometimes blurs the idea of living a quality of life not a quantity.
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