I am adamant that I do not want to merely exist. My family knows I want the plug pulled and then I want them to drink lots of fine scotch and tell stories about me while joyous music plays. Then scatter my ashes.
I also support assisted suicide (and live in a state where it is legal). There is just no reason to drag it out. Should it become when and not if I will go, I want to go on my own terms.
Pull the plug. Me and my man decided that a long long time ago. We have told our family and our children the same so there will be no indecision should the awful situation arise.
My husband and I both agree, pull the plug. I'm an organ donor, so do that then cremate me. Use the land for the living, grow food or something. I don't want a funeral either. A memorial that is a thin disguise for a good party is fine with me.
@ Luke - ITA. To all of. More importantly the huge party.
My brother is a hospice therapist and we call him the angel of death, because, well, he is. One of his favorite therapy exercises is to have the dying list the song they want played at the start of their service and at the end. When you think about it, it's pretty awesome, and thoughtful.
Pull the plug. Put me in a Bio-Urn and turn me into a pretty plant or tree...haven't decided which one I'd like to become. Of course, it's probably not legal in the US. I, too, am supportive of assisted suicide for the terminally ill.
If there's no hope whatsoever of me ever having any kind of half-decent life (e.g., in a permanent vegetative state), then yes, pull the plug and donate any usable organs.
I've always said in the past that I'd rather be cremated, unless, of course, there's anything even vaguely fishing about my demise, in which case pickle me & put me 6 feet under just in case. Something that's made me laugh recently is a sigfile I've seen on some forum or another that says something to the effect of "when I die, I'm going to be buried in a springloaded coffin full of confetti, so some day some archeologist can have a REALLY cool day!", and I have to admit I get a kick out of that one, though. ;-)
I believe anything that "hurries" along death accounts to murder.You have to allow it to occur naturally and not interfere in any way but let nature take it's course.
Your answer is confusing, it implies that you are against pulling the plug, but it also says that nature should take it's course so that tells me you are opposed to being plugged in, an extremely unnatural state.
Send in a cleaning lady with a vacuum to pull the plug, watch the horrified looks as she plugs in the vacuum in it's place then turns to everyone and says
"She got you bitches one last time!"
Steal my organs then cremate what's left. Scatter my bits at Sunset Beach in Vancouver with my departed bro.
Sheery (and others), I was almost waiting for y'all to add "Stick a fork in me, I'm done."
I myself would like to be put through aggressive experimental techniques if I were on life support for more than 60 days. See what can be done. Then pull the plug after a few months. Unless the costs were prohibitive, and then just pull the plug.
Depends, can I still understand what's happening on TV? *g* In that case, tune it to Supernatural and leave me plugged in. Otherwise, do unto me like I did unto Dad, pull the damn plug.
Pogue, I know of plenty of people who had that same opinion until they sat at the end of a bed watching their loved ones slowly and painfully perish in the most awful ways possible.
Jesus will still love you if you clock out a little early.
Pull the plug (although I don't believe in euthanasia I do believe in allowing someone to die naturally). This is assuming I'm terminal of course. And as many pain killing drugs as possible before. I want to be cremated but I would prefer my ashes not be scattered but buried in an urn.
And allow them to take as many organs as they can - Heaven knows we need them here.
@Pogue Mahone (and I know what that means!!)- if we allowed it to occur naturally and didn't interfere in any way, but let nature take it's course, we wouldn't be hooked up to a life support machine - we'd be dead.
For my 55th birthday (which will be along sooner than I'd like, dammit), I'm getting my first tattoo. On my chest, it will simply say "D.N.R."
Which, of course, means 'do not resuscitate'. Which will hopefully stop them plugging me into a damned machine in the first place. My loved ones all know my feelings on the matter, and know that I have promised to haunt anyone who defies those wishes. And yes, I will make the walls bleed my displeasure, if it comes to that. =D
VeryUnseemly and smash: This is where I have the ethical dilemma: if one is put on life support in the first place then I don't believe it should be removed; you don't start it and then remove it; you don't help sustain one's life longer and then snatch it away. There are some cases where "extraordinary measures" are NOT put in place in the first place to prolong life(the person prefers to just die naturally and NOT be PUT on life support to begin with) but once life support measures are already put in place I believe to discontinue it is murder.
I'm a plug-puller, but I have to add a little caveat - many, many times, these situations are far more complicated that just a straight-up are you brain dead situation. My father in law was kept alive by a respirator for nearly the last year of his life, and it was a decision I agreed with. He was fully lucid and aware, but his respitory system was shot - emphaseyma for nearly 20 years. It was very evident that "pulling the plug" on him would be murder, as he was still very much with us, but couldn't effectively breathe on his own.
Anywhoo, just a little food for thought. So many times, it's not the death, but the dying, that's so heart-wrenching and complicated.
If there's a chance, life support. If there's no chance, pull the plug. I'm all for assisted suicide, too. If the person is terminally ill and in pain, let them die with dignity and on their own terms.
@ Pogue - As a nurse, I understand, and it's such a personal decision based on our life experiences and upbringing. We each have our own code and the most important thing is we communicate it (whatever it is) to our loved ones and hospital staff. However, where I live, my wishes can be over-ridden by next of kin/family, so sometimes I wonder what the point of declaring it is sometimes!
The worst is when you don't know if there's "a chance" or not. "Informed consent" doesn't always work the way it should. If we'd known earlier all the stuff we learned after we pulled the plug, my dad would've been spared days of suffering, and the system would've been spared a million dollars in medical costs.
No worries Barton. Bflogurl I kind of vaccilate between outright cremation OR plastinating my body and going on the road as an art show. That would be awesome to be on display for the world to see all my muscles and sinew.
@Kamil - you might want to reconsider having DNR tattooed on your chest. There have been many cases of people who have arrested and resuscitated, had treatment and gone on to live many more happy, healthy years. There are also events that would cause you to arrest not connected to terminal illness - being accidentally electrocuted for one.
When my mom died last month (and if I didn't say it then let me say now you guys were awesome to me during that time) we had to make the choice and it was a no brainer, we had them pull life support because that just isn't living. It's life, yes, but it's not living.
As for me, I've always said give it 30 days if there is some hope for recovery (my mom had all her organs fail so there was no hope at all) and then pull the plug on me.
If I'm going to be a veggie - pull the plug. If I'm going to have no use of any of my limbs - pull the plug. If my mind isn't going to be good - pull the plug. And if I get cancer and it's getting to the end - give me a huge dose of painkillers and let me go. I don't want to suffer. I don't want those around me to suffer.
I would like to have an open casket type of memorial with my hair and make up done, in a hot outfit with all my favorite music played. And then cremate me and do what you want.
Pull the plug, zero embalming, put me in a cardboard coffin and give me a natural burial. I will be part of the earth again in a few months, no headstone, no fuss.
This is an extremely heavy question, and something I had to deal with last May. I think you should make it clear to your family or significant other before there is even a need to worry. my stepfather and I argued about my mother. even though I knew her wishes, she had never told him.
People who have DNR need to check with their specific hospital policy. At one hospital I had clinicals at, even with a DNR you had to have a doc sign an order and it had to be renewed every 24 hours. Some docs weren't comfortable with that
I already told my Mom I give her full permission to "trip" over the cord. Cremate me, donate all my organs except for eyes and spread my ashes into the Caribbean.
I think assisted suicide should be legal, especially if the patient has specified before that that is what they want. I don't want my family to suffer, I don't want them to watch me suffer, I want them to live their lives to the fullest extent, not a half life centered around me.
Pull the plug! And if you can't pull the plug, smother me with a pillow. The last one can be done at any time. I'm tired and need to make room for someone with a bit more energy and zest for life.
ardleigh, in my work life I have seen family members do balance transfers of their debt to a parent's credit card while the parent was on life support. Despicable!!
My husband and I have living wills to hopefully avoid ant confusion about our wishes. If we have learned anything from the Terry Schiavo case, it is the necessity of having legal documents that state your wishes. I hope all of the readers here do the same to protect yourselves.
give me a couple weeks if there's a shot I will wake up, otherwise you'd better pull the plug. Keeping me artifically alive so that I can run up a huge bill for my family, so they can watch a corpse breath with the help of a machine? Why would I want them to see me that way? I'd give them enough time to say goodbye to me, then I'd want to leave.
I've told everyone that if i have an accident, a head trauma or a stroke they cannot pull the plug. If there was an underlying reason like terminal cancer that put me in the coma, they can go ahead. I'm not at all sure my son would not pull for the money so my daughter and my best friends have my POA.
If there is no chance for recovery, pull the plug. As a nursing assistant, I've seen too much.
ReplyDeletePull the plug, cremate me and spread my ashes. Get me back in the food chain as quickly as possible.
ReplyDeleteIf it's determined that I'm going to be in a permanent vegetative state - Pull! That! Plug!
ReplyDeleteI am kinda ambivalent...I don't want my family to watch me suffer and spend needless money but if there is a chance, then maybe take it?
ReplyDeleteMy husband is adamantly against life support and has made me promise that I would have them 'pull the plug'.
We support the Hemlock Society.
ReplyDeletePull the plug
ReplyDeleteNice Your Turn. Next one should be who would you rather bang, LiLo or Paris?
ReplyDeletePull the plug on that sh*t!
ReplyDeleteFSP, that's a little gag worthy.
ReplyDeleteAs for the original question, if it is a perm vegetative state then yeah, pull the plug. I had read it as a 'maybe there's hope' situation.
What @Jessica and @disco said.
ReplyDelete@Sherry- my thoughts exactly!!!
ReplyDeleteIf I am going to be a veggie and never wake up- pull it and cremate me.
ReplyDeletePull the plug and donate my organs.
ReplyDelete@wen +1. for science!
DeleteThere are worse things than death. Pull the plug.
ReplyDeletePull it.
ReplyDeleteI'd like a chance at recovering, but if I'm brain dead, let me go.
ReplyDeleteI am adamant that I do not want to merely exist. My family knows I want the plug pulled and then I want them to drink lots of fine scotch and tell stories about me while joyous music plays. Then scatter my ashes.
ReplyDeleteI also support assisted suicide (and live in a state where it is legal). There is just no reason to drag it out. Should it become when and not if I will go, I want to go on my own terms.
Pull the plug. Me and my man decided that a long long time ago. We have told our family and our children the same so there will be no indecision should the awful situation arise.
ReplyDeleteIf there is no hope, no chance...unplug me.
ReplyDeleteNot my decision at that point, so I prefer whatever helps my family deal with grief.
ReplyDeleteIf I'm gone, pull the plug.
ReplyDeleteThen cremate me and throw the wake I have planned in my will.
If I'm a vegetable, pull it.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I both agree, pull the plug. I'm an organ donor, so do that then cremate me. Use the land for the living, grow food or something. I don't want a funeral either. A memorial that is a thin disguise for a good party is fine with me.
ReplyDelete@ Luke - ITA. To all of. More importantly the huge party.
ReplyDeleteMy brother is a hospice therapist and we call him the angel of death, because, well, he is. One of his favorite therapy exercises is to have the dying list the song they want played at the start of their service and at the end. When you think about it, it's pretty awesome, and thoughtful.
Pull the plug. Put me in a Bio-Urn and turn me into a pretty plant or tree...haven't decided which one I'd like to become. Of course, it's probably not legal in the US. I, too, am supportive of assisted suicide for the terminally ill.
ReplyDeletePull the damn plug.
ReplyDeletePull the plug and make sure I have enough pain killers if necessary.
ReplyDeleteIf there's no hope whatsoever of me ever having any kind of half-decent life (e.g., in a permanent vegetative state), then yes, pull the plug and donate any usable organs.
ReplyDeleteI've always said in the past that I'd rather be cremated, unless, of course, there's anything even vaguely fishing about my demise, in which case pickle me & put me 6 feet under just in case. Something that's made me laugh recently is a sigfile I've seen on some forum or another that says something to the effect of "when I die, I'm going to be buried in a springloaded coffin full of confetti, so some day some archeologist can have a REALLY cool day!", and I have to admit I get a kick out of that one, though. ;-)
My godson just said "Robin should pack a new pair of underpants & a little bottle of rye for the archaeologist!"
DeleteThat would be "vaguely FISHY"...
ReplyDeleteI believe anything that "hurries" along death accounts to murder.You have to allow it to occur naturally and not interfere in any way but let nature take it's course.
ReplyDeleteYour answer is confusing, it implies that you are against pulling the plug, but it also says that nature should take it's course so that tells me you are opposed to being plugged in, an extremely unnatural state.
DeleteSend in a cleaning lady with a vacuum to pull the plug, watch the horrified looks as she plugs in the vacuum in it's place then turns to everyone and says
ReplyDelete"She got you bitches one last time!"
Steal my organs then cremate what's left. Scatter my bits at Sunset Beach in Vancouver with my departed bro.
Sheery (and others), I was almost waiting for y'all to add "Stick a fork in me, I'm done."
ReplyDeleteI myself would like to be put through aggressive experimental techniques if I were on life support for more than 60 days. See what can be done. Then pull the plug after a few months. Unless the costs were prohibitive, and then just pull the plug.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDepends, can I still understand what's happening on TV? *g* In that case, tune it to Supernatural and leave me plugged in. Otherwise, do unto me like I did unto Dad, pull the damn plug.
ReplyDeleteAnd by Sheery I meant Sherry, sorry 'bout that.
ReplyDeletePogue, I know of plenty of people who had that same opinion until they sat at the end of a bed watching their loved ones slowly and painfully perish in the most awful ways possible.
ReplyDeleteJesus will still love you if you clock out a little early.
Pull the plug. Also if pain becomes unbearable (e.g. terminal cancer), I want the possibility of euthanasia (it's legal over here).
ReplyDeletePull the plug (although I don't believe in euthanasia I do believe in allowing someone to die naturally). This is assuming I'm terminal of course. And as many pain killing drugs as possible before. I want to be cremated but I would prefer my ashes not be scattered but buried in an urn.
ReplyDeleteAnd allow them to take as many organs as they can - Heaven knows we need them here.
@Pogue Mahone (and I know what that means!!)- if we allowed it to occur naturally and didn't interfere in any way, but let nature take it's course, we wouldn't be hooked up to a life support machine - we'd be dead.
ReplyDeleteVery- you beat me to it! :)
DeletePogue- if you have to be on life support in the first place are you really living "naturally". No a machine is keeping you from dying.
ReplyDeletePull it if there is no chance for me to wake up.
For my 55th birthday (which will be along sooner than I'd like, dammit), I'm getting my first tattoo. On my chest, it will simply say "D.N.R."
ReplyDeleteWhich, of course, means 'do not resuscitate'. Which will hopefully stop them plugging me into a damned machine in the first place. My loved ones all know my feelings on the matter, and know that I have promised to haunt anyone who defies those wishes. And yes, I will make the walls bleed my displeasure, if it comes to that. =D
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteGreat minds, smash, great minds :)
ReplyDeletethey would be scrambling to switch me off!
ReplyDeletePoorly phrased, Enty.
ReplyDeleteVeryUnseemly and smash: This is where I have the ethical dilemma: if one is put on life support in the first place then I don't believe it should be removed; you don't start it and then remove it; you don't help sustain one's life longer and then snatch it away. There are some cases where "extraordinary measures" are NOT put in place in the first place to prolong life(the person prefers to just die naturally and NOT be PUT on life support to begin with) but once life support measures are already put in place I believe to discontinue it is murder.
ReplyDeleteI'm a plug-puller, but I have to add a little caveat - many, many times, these situations are far more complicated that just a straight-up are you brain dead situation. My father in law was kept alive by a respirator for nearly the last year of his life, and it was a decision I agreed with. He was fully lucid and aware, but his respitory system was shot - emphaseyma for nearly 20 years. It was very evident that "pulling the plug" on him would be murder, as he was still very much with us, but couldn't effectively breathe on his own.
ReplyDeleteAnywhoo, just a little food for thought. So many times, it's not the death, but the dying, that's so heart-wrenching and complicated.
If there's a chance, life support. If there's no chance, pull the plug. I'm all for assisted suicide, too. If the person is terminally ill and in pain, let them die with dignity and on their own terms.
ReplyDeletePull the plug.
ReplyDeletePull the plug ALREADY!!!
ReplyDelete@ Pogue - As a nurse, I understand, and it's such a personal decision based on our life experiences and upbringing. We each have our own code and the most important thing is we communicate it (whatever it is) to our loved ones and hospital staff. However, where I live, my wishes can be over-ridden by next of kin/family, so sometimes I wonder what the point of declaring it is sometimes!
ReplyDeleteWhere you live, they can override a living will? Do you have one?
DeletePull the m'fkn plug already!
ReplyDeleteThe worst is when you don't know if there's "a chance" or not. "Informed consent" doesn't always work the way it should. If we'd known earlier all the stuff we learned after we pulled the plug, my dad would've been spared days of suffering, and the system would've been spared a million dollars in medical costs.
ReplyDelete(He never regained consciousness, so we had to make the decision for him.)
ReplyDeleteNo worries Barton. Bflogurl I kind of vaccilate between outright cremation OR plastinating my body and going on the road as an art show. That would be awesome to be on display for the world to see all my muscles and sinew.
ReplyDeletePull the plug!
ReplyDeletefrozen head
ReplyDeleteI don't like this question one bit! *L*
ReplyDelete@Kamil - you might want to reconsider having DNR tattooed on your chest. There have been many cases of people who have arrested and resuscitated, had treatment and gone on to live many more happy, healthy years. There are also events that would cause you to arrest not connected to terminal illness - being accidentally electrocuted for one.
ReplyDeleteDamn Enty you asked this question on the day I had to have the family pet euthanized.
ReplyDeleteNevermind my condolences on your loss. I know the decision was hard to make.
DeleteSorry for your loss. Pets are family. I'm sure you based this decision on your pet's best interest.
Delete@nevermindthat: I'm so sorry for the loss of your pet. Hugs and love to you. <3
ReplyDeletePull the plug. I'd hate to not only live like that but to have my wife revolving her life around me like that.
ReplyDeletePull. The. Plug.
ReplyDeletePull the plug.
ReplyDeletePull the plug.
ReplyDeleteWhen my mom died last month (and if I didn't say it then let me say now you guys were awesome to me during that time) we had to make the choice and it was a no brainer, we had them pull life support because that just isn't living. It's life, yes, but it's not living.
ReplyDeleteAs for me, I've always said give it 30 days if there is some hope for recovery (my mom had all her organs fail so there was no hope at all) and then pull the plug on me.
If I'm going to be a veggie - pull the plug. If I'm going to have no use of any of my limbs - pull the plug. If my mind isn't going to be good - pull the plug. And if I get cancer and it's getting to the end - give me a huge dose of painkillers and let me go. I don't want to suffer. I don't want those around me to suffer.
ReplyDeleteI would like to have an open casket type of memorial with my hair and make up done, in a hot outfit with all my favorite music played. And then cremate me and do what you want.
Pull the plug, zero embalming, put me in a cardboard coffin and give me a natural burial. I will be part of the earth again in a few months, no headstone, no fuss.
ReplyDeleteMr. Hub wishes for me to end it if he even loses the use of his legs. I'm all for pull the plug. Your soul wants to move on.
ReplyDeleteThis is an extremely heavy question, and something I had to deal with last May. I think you should make it clear to your family or significant other before there is even a need to worry. my stepfather and I argued about my mother. even though I knew her wishes, she had never told him.
ReplyDeletePull ....donate ....cremated
ReplyDeleteTHE END
People who have DNR need to check with their specific hospital policy. At one hospital I had clinicals at, even with a DNR you had to have a doc sign an order and it had to be renewed every 24 hours. Some docs weren't comfortable with that
ReplyDeleteMade it clear to my children to pull the plug. On a side note- keep an eye on my ex-husband cause he'd pull the plug if I got a paper cut!
ReplyDeletethe problem with puting a peson ON life support, is the you have to take them off. no life support.
ReplyDeleteI already told my Mom I give her full permission to "trip" over the cord. Cremate me, donate all my organs except for eyes and spread my ashes into the Caribbean.
ReplyDeleteI think assisted suicide should be legal, especially if the patient has specified before that that is what they want. I don't want my family to suffer, I don't want them to watch me suffer, I want them to live their lives to the fullest extent, not a half life centered around me.
Hemlock Society.
ReplyDeletePull the plug! And if you can't pull the plug, smother me with a pillow. The last one can be done at any time. I'm tired and need to make room for someone with a bit more energy and zest for life.
ReplyDeleteLet me be clear that I want as much of me recycled as possible. Liver's shot be the rest is still okay.
ReplyDeletePULL THE PLUG!! Working in a hospital I see a lot! I told my family if they keep me alive I will HAUNT their ass like a bad horror movie!!
ReplyDeleteI have seen family members override a living will. They needed Granny for her Soc. Security check and her home.
ReplyDeleteardleigh, in my work life I have seen family members do balance transfers of their debt to a parent's credit card while the parent was on life support. Despicable!!
DeletePull the plug! Just let me go and save the money.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I have living wills to hopefully avoid ant confusion about our wishes. If we have learned anything from the Terry Schiavo case, it is the necessity of having legal documents that state your wishes. I hope all of the readers here do the same to protect yourselves.
ReplyDelete*Any confusion...
Deletegive me a couple weeks if there's a shot I will wake up, otherwise you'd better pull the plug. Keeping me artifically alive so that I can run up a huge bill for my family, so they can watch a corpse breath with the help of a machine? Why would I want them to see me that way? I'd give them enough time to say goodbye to me, then I'd want to leave.
ReplyDeleteI've told everyone that if i have an accident, a head trauma or a stroke they cannot pull the plug. If there was an underlying reason like terminal cancer that put me in the coma, they can go ahead.
ReplyDeleteI'm not at all sure my son would not pull for the money so my daughter and my best friends have my POA.
Pull the plug. Don't delay my journey.
ReplyDeleteIf there's no chance, pull the plug. I do not want to sit there lifeless and wasting money.
ReplyDelete