Should We Pull The Plug?
November 27, 2017 8:19 PM
Serious debate going on in my household tonight inspired by this story (back in the news today because the mother killed herself). The debate topic is centered around what condition someone has to be in before the family gets an option to pull 'the plug'. 'The Plug' being defined as some form of intervention prolonging someone's life (not the act of causing someone's death). Seems obvious when you're talking about a vent (kinda)... maybe a feeding tube... what about chemo? Lots of nuance.
Quick note: Everyone in my family wants everyone to live as long as possible. No one is out here trying to figure out how to let anyone die - everyone is healthy. This is really just a hypothetical medical/ethical debate.
The debate is basically this - We assume that people get to make all sorts of medical decisions about themselves (I don't want chemo, I'm a paraplegic but don't want to live this way - remove my vent, death with dignity for terminally ill folks, etc) but it's unclear to me what horrible quality of life I have to have (if incapacitated) before my family can let me die. Like, legally. Mamma Shew insists that any removal of care for someone with brain activity is murder. I'm not so sure.
Here are a few awful medical scenarios with specific questions for each:
1) You're in a bad car accident - incapacitated with a brain and spinal cord injury. You have some brain activity but you'll never move or speak or eat again. You require a vent and a feeding tube to continue living. You've left no will.
Questions:
* If your family is all in agreement that you wouldn't want to live like this - could they decide to remove the vent?
* Does it matter if you've left a medical power of attorney with specific instructions? Can that person get a stronger voice?
* Does this apply to all forms of medical intervention/life prolonging? If I only had a feeding tube - could that be removed?
2) You're in a bad car accident - incapacitated and with no brain activity.
Questions:
* The assumption here would be that there is no issue pulling this plug and that doctors would actually encourage it.
* What if my crazy brother wanted to protest the plug pulling? Does this trigger the Terri Shiavo type court case where a judge ends up deciding?
3) Your child is born premature, has severe CP, is blind and deaf and won't ever walk or speak or feed himself.
Questions:
* If my husband and I agreed, could we decide not to prolong care for our infant?
* Does it matter if we take the child home and want to make this decision 5 years from now?
4) Your 5 year old child has stage 4 cancer - it's in his bones, his brain and all over his organs.
Questions:
* As a parent - am I required to pursue treatment for my child? What if my child and I disagree on the course of treatment?
Quick note: Everyone in my family wants everyone to live as long as possible. No one is out here trying to figure out how to let anyone die - everyone is healthy. This is really just a hypothetical medical/ethical debate.
The debate is basically this - We assume that people get to make all sorts of medical decisions about themselves (I don't want chemo, I'm a paraplegic but don't want to live this way - remove my vent, death with dignity for terminally ill folks, etc) but it's unclear to me what horrible quality of life I have to have (if incapacitated) before my family can let me die. Like, legally. Mamma Shew insists that any removal of care for someone with brain activity is murder. I'm not so sure.
Here are a few awful medical scenarios with specific questions for each:
1) You're in a bad car accident - incapacitated with a brain and spinal cord injury. You have some brain activity but you'll never move or speak or eat again. You require a vent and a feeding tube to continue living. You've left no will.
Questions:
* If your family is all in agreement that you wouldn't want to live like this - could they decide to remove the vent?
* Does it matter if you've left a medical power of attorney with specific instructions? Can that person get a stronger voice?
* Does this apply to all forms of medical intervention/life prolonging? If I only had a feeding tube - could that be removed?
2) You're in a bad car accident - incapacitated and with no brain activity.
Questions:
* The assumption here would be that there is no issue pulling this plug and that doctors would actually encourage it.
* What if my crazy brother wanted to protest the plug pulling? Does this trigger the Terri Shiavo type court case where a judge ends up deciding?
3) Your child is born premature, has severe CP, is blind and deaf and won't ever walk or speak or feed himself.
Questions:
* If my husband and I agreed, could we decide not to prolong care for our infant?
* Does it matter if we take the child home and want to make this decision 5 years from now?
4) Your 5 year old child has stage 4 cancer - it's in his bones, his brain and all over his organs.
Questions:
* As a parent - am I required to pursue treatment for my child? What if my child and I disagree on the course of treatment?
This post was deleted for the following reason: Sorry, this kind of hypothetical debatefilter isn't suitable for Askme. -- LobsterMitten
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