Joel Hendon

The Awful Decision: When to Allow a Loved One to Die


Posted: Wednesday, May 18, 2011

by Joel Hendon
http://hebronics.org/index.html

I was born seventh of eight children of my parents. I have watched as my parents and six siblings have passed on and followed them to their burial sites. Death in a close knit family is a horrible thing to bear. Each time it seems unreal, difficult to imagine that you will no longer have them around. Two of those siblings were taken in such condition that they each may have lived up to a month longer but for the permission to remove their life support systems. In neither case, did it fall upon me to have to make the decision, but I could see the torment placed upon those who did.

Had it been my call, I suppose I would have made the same decision, but I know how difficult it would have been. There are so many circumstances in which one may die from natural causes or be killed, it is virtually impossible to make a decision ahead of the actual event. But general decisions can be made and should be. The individual should make the decisions himself before a time comes that he will be unable to do so. But again, all the varied circumstances cannot be foreseen.

Many things come into play. The age of the patient, their general health before the accident or illness, plus the physician’s prognosis. We might use me as an example. I am almost eighty one years old, by all calculations, I would not have been expected to get this far. I have aches and pains but not unbearable. I feel quite well but I cannot walk well at all, I use a cane to help my stability. I had by-pass heart surgery nineteen years ago, have one impaired lung and many other non-life threatening tid-bits.

I had a round with pneumonia a couple of years ago which took the starch out of me. I recovered but it was then that I became so unsteady on my feet, weak leg muscles and increased shortness of breath. I have a feeling another such bout, would possibly take me away. But my wife and I had already, long since, made out an Advance Directive each with our choices of care in the event we should become unable to give the instructions orally.

Both read about alike, but neither of us want any form of life support if the physician cannot be sure that we have a good chance of recovery and quality of life afterward. Both of my brothers who were taken off life support, had incurred severe brain damage due to a lack of oxygen over an extended period. I have asked that a ventilator not be used to sustain my life. This may sound foolhardy to some, but my friends, when you reach eighty years old, the odds of your being around much longer deteriorates daily. To be forcibly pulled from the door of death only to live a short time and then face the same thing again, makes little sense to me.

But there are many things to consider if a person is young. It would be a pity to make the wrong call and allow a young loved one to die when there might have been a possibility of recovery. A coma is a horrible thing. One can never really make a firm decision that the patient will never recover. There have been some who have been comatose for several years, who suddenly came out if it and began talking intelligently.

These cases are extremely trying on those who are responsible for making decisions and caring for the patient. There are also religious aspects to consider. Christians should be extremely careful to never willfully end a persons life where there is reason to believe they could eventually recover.

Careful consideration should be given by everyone, including young adults, to plan what they would want done in the even of an automobile accident and they might receive brain damage, or other problems could bring them to the verge of death. These things should be discussed with one’s immediate family and also with their primary care physician. Plus, make out an advance directive where all will know your own preferences. Living Will or Advance Directive forms may be found online, or if anyone prefers they can get an attorney who is familiar with state laws to write up one which would meet legal requirements. Make several copies and give one to any concerned. Have one ready to be given to doctors and hospitals in case an emergency occurs somewhere other than your home area.
Author Biography: Joel Hendon was born near Gadsden Alabama. He attended public schools in Cherokee County, Alabama and after serving a tour of duty in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, attended Jacksonville State University, majoring in Business Administration. He became a Christian in 1948, and although he followed secular work as a career and retired from Allied Signal Aerospace, he is an avid student of the Holy Bible and related works as well as biblical history. He has an extensive website of conservative religious and political articles.http://hebronics.org/index.html

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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)
» left by Marijo Phelps
 363 days 19 hours ago.
143 fans.
GOOD advice - that reminds me my old one is at a doc I no longer go to and need to get a new one at the new doc! Blessings!
» left by Joel Hendon 363 days 4 hours ago.
127 fans.
Thank You Marijo, for your reading and commenting.
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