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CPA · 06-11-2006, 07:09 AM

When I was younger (early-mid 20s) I worked part-time for a local ambulance service. Some of the most horrific scenes I witnessed were not the auto accidents, gunshots or even suicides, but the end of life struggles of several elderly people.

One that will always stick in my mind was a 93 year old woman (I can still remember her age and her exact address almost 15 years later).

This woman was suffering from many illnesses. She had a history of multiple strokes, dimentia and several recurrent infections. The last time I personally saw this woman was when we transported her to the emergency room to re-insert her feeding tube.

Instead of allowing her to die peacefully, the family insisted on "heroic" measures to keep her alive.

She was given a tracheostomy (breathing tube through her neck);
a naso-gastric feeding tube (a plastic tube stuck through her nose into her stomach so food could be pumped in with a syringe); and
an ostomy port/bag for excretion of waste.

This woman was SUFFERING and being "treated" with painful procedures with no hope of ever recovering. I doubt she even knew what was going on around her. When she was awake, she mostly had a frightened look in her eyes. She could not talk.

I will NEVER allow my parents or a loved one (or myself) to go through this type of TORTURE when it is obviously futile.

I saw enough futility in the several years worked to completely change my point of view on death. Although I still believe in figting as hard as possible to hold on to life, I realize that the fight eventually has to end. Sometimes, the end of the fight should not be when the heart stops beating.

On the opposite extreme, I was called for a patient in "cardiac arrest" one night. When we arrived on the scene, we found a frail man sitting in his chair in front of the television. He had passed away in his sleep - at home - with his family.

There were pictures of his children on the wall around him and his wife was by his side. I almost did not recognize him in a few of the pictures. He was a robust man in the photos - even a little on the heavy side.

He was a cancer patient and had lost nearly 100 lbs during his fight. Our protocols allowed us to sit with the family until the funeral home arrived. We helped them make some phone calls to relatives and talked with them about the deceased man. He loved to fish and went to the lake up to the time he was too weak to drive & walk.

I have chosen how I want to die. When the time comes, I want to be with my family in a peaceful setting. I do not want to be stuck with tubes, frightened and alone. I want support to be there for my family and I want to be remembered for how I lived my life.

06-11-2006, 07:09 AM	#15
CPA Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 93	Futile Treatments When I was younger (early-mid 20s) I worked part-time for a local ambulance service. Some of the most horrific scenes I witnessed were not the auto accidents, gunshots or even suicides, but the end of life struggles of several elderly people. One that will always stick in my mind was a 93 year old woman (I can still remember her age and her exact address almost 15 years later). This woman was suffering from many illnesses. She had a history of multiple strokes, dimentia and several recurrent infections. The last time I personally saw this woman was when we transported her to the emergency room to re-insert her feeding tube. Instead of allowing her to die peacefully, the family insisted on "heroic" measures to keep her alive. She was given a tracheostomy (breathing tube through her neck); a naso-gastric feeding tube (a plastic tube stuck through her nose into her stomach so food could be pumped in with a syringe); and an ostomy port/bag for excretion of waste. This woman was SUFFERING and being "treated" with painful procedures with no hope of ever recovering. I doubt she even knew what was going on around her. When she was awake, she mostly had a frightened look in her eyes. She could not talk. I will NEVER allow my parents or a loved one (or myself) to go through this type of TORTURE when it is obviously futile. I saw enough futility in the several years worked to completely change my point of view on death. Although I still believe in figting as hard as possible to hold on to life, I realize that the fight eventually has to end. Sometimes, the end of the fight should not be when the heart stops beating. On the opposite extreme, I was called for a patient in "cardiac arrest" one night. When we arrived on the scene, we found a frail man sitting in his chair in front of the television. He had passed away in his sleep - at home - with his family. There were pictures of his children on the wall around him and his wife was by his side. I almost did not recognize him in a few of the pictures. He was a robust man in the photos - even a little on the heavy side. He was a cancer patient and had lost nearly 100 lbs during his fight. Our protocols allowed us to sit with the family until the funeral home arrived. We helped them make some phone calls to relatives and talked with them about the deceased man. He loved to fish and went to the lake up to the time he was too weak to drive & walk. I have chosen how I want to die. When the time comes, I want to be with my family in a peaceful setting. I do not want to be stuck with tubes, frightened and alone. I want support to be there for my family and I want to be remembered for how I lived my life.