Pulling the Plug

My mother used to say that you needed luck in how you died.  Some died as if struck by lightening while others lingered on in agony.  One indisputable fact:  we all die.  How and when we die is sometimes left to our loved ones.  This post is about pulling the plug.

There is a case before the Ontario Supreme Court that deals with this issue.  A man has been on a ventilator for some time (months).  His doctors claim that he is in a vegetative state, had no brain function, and there is no hope of recovery. They want to pull the plug.  His family is sure that he is somewhat cognizant. They are resisting any action on the part of the doctors who want to turn off the machine.  The doctors have applied to their hospital's ethics committee.  The committee supports the doctors.  In short, this is one whole, costly mess.  Unspoken but not unnoticed is the cost of keeping this man alive.  We, collectively, bear that cost.

The moral of the story is that everyone should have a living will.  What's more, everyone should discuss these things with their family so that the intention of the involved person is known and clear.  Notwithstanding the low failure rate of bypass surgery I had this discussion with my family before I had my surgery done.  I wanted them to know, exactly, what I intended be done in case things did not work out well.

My wife and I had to make this decision when my wife's aunt  had a catastrophic stroke.  She was on the ventilator for several hours when the doctors told us that there was no brain function.  As I write this post I harken back to the agonizing decision my wife and I had to make.  My wife was the closest living relative and I was executor of her estate.  We felt that, by turning off the ventilator, we were, in fact, killing her.  There was no consolation from the doctor when he told us that she was, already, dead.  Breathing, albeit by and through a machine gave the appearance of life.  Turning off the machine put an end to that.  Not an easy decision.

There are conflicting religious points of view on this subject.  Ariel Sharon is still, to my recollection, on a ventilator several years after being pronounced legally dead with no brain function.  His family insists that turning off the machine is tantamount to murder.  Cooler heads prevail in many other religious sects.  Generally, when brain function is flat a person is considered to have died and the machine can be turned off.

The legal position regarding living wills is somewhat muddy.  There are jurisdictions where living wills have paramount authority.  In most hospitals a question is asked if the patient has a living will and if not a form is provided.  There are other jurisdictions where the living will is merely an expression of intent and a spouse or child or executor has the right to make the call.  Make sure you know what the law is in your jurisdiction.  Make sure that when you go in for even minor surgery, the place where your living will is kept is known to your spouse or child.  Also make sure that you reiterate what your intentions are.  Even if your procedure does not go well you will die lucky.

Bernie.