by Joseph Whalen

Created on: July 22, 2008

Making the decision to terminate life support for a terminally ill patient is one of the most difficult decisions for anyone to make, patient and family alike. It is a time of great struggle and a time of great selfishness. The patient may be seen as being selfish in wanting to end what could have been months or years of painful suffering while the family can be seen as selfish for not wanting to let a loved one pass on. In the end the ultimate decision lay with the patient. They have far more right to be selfish in this, the ultimate decision in their life than anyone else.

Well meaning family members will surely find it difficult to let their loved one go. It's a natural obstacle that is only made more difficult by modern medicine. We are at a crossroads in our medical technology in many ways. Often times we have the ability to prolong life and even extend life in many cases through the use of various medications, technologies and techniques. What many people fail to realize is that all too off the benefits of these medical wonders translate into unintended consequences such as a reduced quality of life for those benefiting from the increased life span. While our medical technology is advanced enough to sustain life, it is not advanced enough to ensure the quality of that extended life.

When looking at the question of life support we must invariably look at the life that we are supporting. There are too many occasions in which a family member intervenes in the stated wishes of a victim in order to preserve their life, only to see that the patient has no life outside of the clinical definition. Often a shadow of their former self or otherwise totally comatose these poor unfortunate victims are forced to continue a miserable and tortuous existence simply on the selfish whim of someone who cannot cope with the everyday reality that is death. With regard to the question of terminating life support, had it not been for the unnatural medical intervention that preserved the patient's limited existence they would have expired naturally in most cases.

The benefits of modern medicine cannot be denied and are demonstrated many times every day. Life expectancies are higher than they've ever been. Elderly citizens are living longer, fuller and healthier lives than any other time in history. Diseases that once ravaged whole populations have all but been eradicated and the suffering of millions has been eased through the advances made in the medical sciences in just the past

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>