Quality of life, stay connected or pull the plug?

@mommyboo (13174)
United States
April 14, 2008 8:46am CST
Would you want to end up as a vegetable for years with your story drug through the media forever or removed from life support when it was obvious your quality of life was gone? What constitutes quality of life for you? Would you still want to remain alive if you could do nothing for yourself and therefore not care for your friends and family? Would it be enough to just be able to still communicate somehow? Where do you draw YOUR line?
4 people like this
8 responses
@dizzblnd (3073)
• United States
14 Apr 08
I, for one, feel that life is over when there is no brain activity. If I am living SOLELY because of machines and tubes... Pull the plug. I feel it would be too painful for my family to watch. I feel it would not be fair to them knowing I could not respond, and that there was nothing that could be done for me. However, if there is R.E.M, brain activity and I am able to squeeze a hand... there is hope. Keep me alive.
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
17 Apr 08
What if you couldn't communicate though? I would be afraid to be living while still having mental capabilities, being able to recognize people, see them hear them, but not answer or move or let them know in any way that I could do those things. I think that would be a nightmare.
@twoey68 (13627)
• United States
5 Aug 09
I've let my Mom and my Hubby know that should I ever be in that position that if the doctors all agree that there is no brain activity, then I want them to pull the plug. I don't want to just lie around hooked up to a machine. It would be better for everyone to just grieve and get on with their lives. [b]~~AT PEACE WITHIN~~ **STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS**[/b]
1 person likes this
@twoey68 (13627)
• United States
5 Aug 09
I wouldn't want to be a vegetable for years and years and I wouldn't want my family to just be hanging on to me. It would be better for them to just greive and move on. [b]~~AT PEACE WITHIN~~ **STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS**[/b]
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
5 Aug 09
Wow, this was from a year ago ! I still agree with my original assessment too - that I don't want to be 'plugged into the juice when nobody's home'. Don't know where I'd have gone really either but if I'm not in the body, why keep it going?
@dpk262006 (58678)
• Delhi, India
14 Apr 08
I would better like to get my plug pulled up, instead of living a life like a vegetable. Life without any activity is 'no life'. I would support those who think that non-active life is a useless thing.
1 person likes this
@dw2005 (22)
• United States
14 Apr 08
My husband and I have talked about situations like this. I told him if it ever come down to me just living on the machines pull the plug. I know it would be hard for him to do but Id rather that be done than him and our son coming to see my body and not my usual self. I dont want to put my family in false hope in thinking Im ever gonna come back because it makes it harder so I just say pull the plug
1 person likes this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
17 Apr 08
I agree with this =( It would be so hard to have to see somebody like this, and kids don't understand either. I know someday that scientists and doctors think they will find some solutions but that will probably not be in our lifetimes.
@reckon21 (3479)
• Philippines
27 Jul 08
Why this post make me emotional? After reading all the responses I wanted to cry. i was about to leave this post because...I have nothing to say. I just don't want to think of my self that way. But before I go I will say this, pull my plug before i lost my courage.
• United States
1 Aug 08
Quality of life for me if I was in vegative state and has no hope for living normal ever again, no brain activity,no movements, I would rather pull the plug because I know it be hard for my family to do it. So I had put out that in my medical files esp if I am not able to be able be myself and my friends to love me for me.
@34momma (13882)
• United States
22 Apr 08
you know i am ready to go when it's time to go. when you are like that you are no longer here. it's your family who don't want to let go that keep your body here. but your true self is already where it is suppose to be, with God
@twoey68 (13627)
• United States
27 Jul 08
For me, if there were no hope of recovery and no independent signs of life then I'd want to be unhooked and let God make the choice. If my time were through then it's through. I don't see the point in being hooked to machines trying to outdo God's will. **AT PEACE WITHIN** ~~STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS~~