Enjoy today, it is all we've got.

Amen to that... life is so damn short, and most of us don't take full advantage of every day. We get into our daily routine, and it's only when we have a wake-up call like this that we take the time to reflect on what is truly important in life.

 

you know this makes me think...how much time have you spent talking with your family about just how far to push it if you do end up in a bad way. In my job, we often end up in a situtation where where we can keep people alive but their quality of life is debateable. The decision is left to the family who very often says 'do everything to keep them alive.' there is a big difference to me in being alive and living. It sounds semantic, but it's not. Please, as uncomfortable as it is, discuss just how far you want technology to take you with your family. Ease the decisions for them. As for me, I am a total donor, and my family knows not to artificially prolong my life. This is most common for anyone working in intensive care. Where it becomes the most critical is when there is brain injury as the gray area in life/living becomes larger. It seems like every time we try to describe recovery potential, somone's friend (trying to be helpful) tells them a story of their cousin's sister's boyfriend who was in a coma for 6 months and is perfectly fine now. It does happen, but it's rare, and even more rare that they have no permanent damage, especially if there is anoxic injury. Sorry to get on a soapbox, but sometimes the I feel guilty for keeping people 'alive' when in my heart I know they wouldn't want to live that way. Don't get me wrong, I still do everything in my power to keep them going. I just take the guilt with me. It's my mission to try and get the word out to the public to investigate the degrees of living before it becomes entangled in the immediate situation (ie.trauma) and decide what is best for yourself.