Just put an end my misery if... - Page 5

I have many friends from the ages teens to senior citizens who are on feeding tubes, TPN or other means of artificial nutrition. These friends would give anything to be able to eat normally but are happy and successful in their own ways. They have gastroparesis as I do. I also have a colostomy, severe arthritis, CIVD, and other things, but I plan to keep on going. When it gets to the point that I can no longer care for myself and a burden on others, then it is time. I do not want to be resucitated in that case.

To the OP, I took your post as I thought you meant it......not blanket statements but for all those we see day in and day out that we take care of. Not complaining while giving care but knowing we personally do not want to live that way.

Last week we had 3 pts pass that had only been made DNR's within 10 hours of thier passing. None of them would have survived no matter what we did.....it would have just been pure hell for all involved.

That is cool. I am considering having DNRN tattooed on my arm.

I'm a new nurse recently diagnosed with MS at the age of 31. Personally I'm appalled that someone would choose to be 'put out of their misery' rather than live with a disease I was just diagnosed with.

Wow.

As long as the patient is able to make their own decisions, then by all means they should choose treatments that they want.My issue comes in to play when the patient has no idea who they are and family members choose to keep perusing treatments that are painful to keep someone alive that has no quality of life.

Yes, the issues are called ENABLEMENT. Someone is feeding their butt.

I come from a line of very large people, and most if not all have emotional issues that caused their weight gain. Most also were too stubborn to get counseling and the mental crisis help they needed as well.

I don't hate on fat people or nurses, because I have watched their struggles since I was a small child. However, there is a thing called personal responsibility, and that really goes into play when every anyone is overweight.


And to the OP. Great post! I have always said if I can't function exactly the way that I do right now, do NOT let me stay on this earth because I will come back and haunt someone.

I dont think the OP was referring to someone just diagnosed. I think they were referring to someone who has had MS for a long time, has seriously deteriorated, and can no longer do anything for themselves.
Look, I get the rose-colored glasses of a new nurse. I was there just a few years ago myself. But experience will open your eyes to reality...or maybe not. I used to think that way when I was a tween and my grandmother, one of my favorite people in the world, had her 3rd fight against breast CA and was clearly going to lose. I was too young to see how much pain she was in. I was too immature to see how tired she was. And there was no way I could understand that she HAD been fighting, and there was just nothing more. I fought with my mom, I was resentful of everyone, because A)they wouldnt let me go see her, and B) I felt she let herself die.
Now...oh gee...I've been the nurse holding a patient's hand, stroking their hair, as all they can do is moan in pain while tears squeeze out of their tightly shut eyes. I've been that nurse who has to dodge patients swinging their IV pole at me because they don't know who I am and are terrified. I've been the nurse digging the nails of a demented old lady out of my arm because she doesn't understand that I am only doing as her family members insisted on by inserting an IV. And if I could only count the amount of times I've had patients who just gave me one of those desperate, pleading looks, because it was all they could do; I was there to turn and position because they had no motor control whatsoever, nothing more than a fully functioning mind in a broken shell.
I admire that you feel this way, really I do. And I think it is awesome that your diagnosis has not dampened your spirits and you are raring for the fight. But sometimes, seeing all this pain and suffering, often with the same depressing end result...well it can definitely do things to you.

Now, I'm going to start investigating how to get that DNR tattoo done since a family member applying a pillow to my face if ever I'm in a hopeless or zero quality of life condition is probably going to be illegal for a long, long time!