How Did Miss Quinlan Saved My Life
When the body is under the influence of a depressant all bodily functions become slower. Miss Quinlan was under the influence of not only one depressant drug but two, alcohol and tranquilizers. Taking these depressants together slowed her bodily functions enough to cease them. I believe that the appropriate measures were taken to save her life. There was no such thing as Naloxone around in 1975 to reverse the effects of the drugs she had taken earlier in the day.
If I had a family member in a similar situation, I would have made the decision to discontinue all life sustaining measures the moment that I knew that there was no brain activity and no chance of recovery. I believe that it is cruel to keep a person alive when there is no hope of
any amount of recovery. I have been involved in a similar situation for the past 7 years. My, now 44-year-old, ex-husband, and the father of our two children, was in an accident that split his skull. He was in intensive care and on a respirator for 3 months. His prognosis when he was released from the hospital was that he had a 50/50 chance of recovery from the damage that his brain and spinal cord received. The first year he did make some small advancements in his recovery, after the first year, he has steadily declined and his quality of life is nil at present. While we were married, we had had discussions about whether we wanted to remain in a vegetative state or prefer death if we were ever faced with a situation of this matter. We had both stated that we would prefer death over living with no quality of life.
My ex-husband can understand what is being said to him, but he cannot speak, write or communicate his thoughts any longer. He is paralyzed from the chest down and has very limited moment of his arms. He is forced to rely on the health care workers at the nursing facility in which he resides, for every single ounce of his care. Our children are growing up and watching their father slowly deteriorate. I believe that when he died on scene, God’s will should have been honored and with the extent of his injuries, he should not have been resuscitated. The result of every life saving measure being taken is that not only is my ex-husband living in a state of purgatory but, our children as well.
As far as a law governing this, I am not quite sure how a situation such as my ex-husbands, would be governed. I believe that the person making the medical decisions for the incapacitated should be the final say in their care. After all, they normally know the patient better than anyone.
If I had a family member in a similar situation, I would have made the decision to discontinue all life sustaining measures the moment that I knew that there was no brain activity and no chance of recovery. I believe that it is cruel to keep a person alive when there is no hope of
any amount of recovery. I have been involved in a similar situation for the past 7 years. My, now 44-year-old, ex-husband, and the father of our two children, was in an accident that split his skull. He was in intensive care and on a respirator for 3 months. His prognosis when he was released from the hospital was that he had a 50/50 chance of recovery from the damage that his brain and spinal cord received. The first year he did make some small advancements in his recovery, after the first year, he has steadily declined and his quality of life is nil at present. While we were married, we had had discussions about whether we wanted to remain in a vegetative state or prefer death if we were ever faced with a situation of this matter. We had both stated that we would prefer death over living with no quality of life.
My ex-husband can understand what is being said to him, but he cannot speak, write or communicate his thoughts any longer. He is paralyzed from the chest down and has very limited moment of his arms. He is forced to rely on the health care workers at the nursing facility in which he resides, for every single ounce of his care. Our children are growing up and watching their father slowly deteriorate. I believe that when he died on scene, God’s will should have been honored and with the extent of his injuries, he should not have been resuscitated. The result of every life saving measure being taken is that not only is my ex-husband living in a state of purgatory but, our children as well.
As far as a law governing this, I am not quite sure how a situation such as my ex-husbands, would be governed. I believe that the person making the medical decisions for the incapacitated should be the final say in their care. After all, they normally know the patient better than anyone.