by Candy Jules

Created on: March 01, 2008

Signing a DNR, is in no way any form of suicide. If a person's heart has stopped, legally they have died. There is the chance to try and bring them back, but not always.

I worked as a CNA for 36 years, so CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) was one of the things we had to train, and be certified in. I only had to perform CPR one time, and we lost him anyway. The man had cancer, and was not a DNR, so we had no choice. We had to try to resuscitate. It is a law in any medical facility.

I don't think some people have a clue what their loved one goes through when they try to resuscitate a person. Especially an older person. Ribs are broken, lungs are punctured, and if they are down for too long, there is most likely brain damage, if they aren't brain dead. And what's left of their life will be lived by artificial means. That's not life.

They would never try to resuscitate anyone if their heart is still beating. So suicide is in no way a part of it. The heart has to completely stop before resuscitation even starts. And like I said before, it is not always successful. The Patients heart may never start again.

CPR has been successful many times, and is nothing to shrug off, especially if there is a chance of a full recovery. There is however, an underlying problem as to why the heart stopped in the first place. So medical attention is vitally important, and needs to be done as soon as possible.

Don't ever feel guilty about signing a DNR, or having a loved one that needs to do it. There are worse things than death, and one is being resuscitated, and waking up with busted ribs, and on a respirator because your lung, or possibly both were punctured by the broken ribs.

My mother had a DNR, and I'll tell you why. She had osteoporosis so bad, that if they had to do chest compressions on her, they would have broken most of the bones in her little body. She knew all of this, so it was her decision to sign the DNR. When her little heart stopped, she went home to be with the Lord.

When the time is right, I will sign mine, or if I am in a state where I can't sign, or decide, my daughter has medical power of attorney. She knows what to do.

Suicide is deliberately taking your own life, your heart stopping on it's own has nothing to do with that. When it stops, time is up. If they get it going again, you've bought a little more time, but what shape are you in now?

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