Are you for or against the life support system?

Question

Please give three resons why or why not.

Answer 1

That's not a question you can answer in the abstract. I'm against the useless prolongation of a person's life. This is not the same as saying I am in favor of euthanasia. Euthanasia is the active taking of life to abrogate suffering - I oppose that. I think if a reasonable physician can be reasonably certain that a person will not get well again, then the maintaining of life is akin to torture - and the person should be let go. I feel the same way about the issue even if the person we talk about is myself or a family member, or close friend.
Reasons:
-Prolonging life where it is hopeless simply pospones the inevitable.
-Resources taken from the health care system would be better used on a person with a chance of survival.
-Retarding death when there is no hope simply prolongs the suffering of the sick person and/or their families.

Answer 2

I am for it because:
1. they have a Spirit and it's not just the body you're keeping with you
2. there are many, many cases of them coming back to full health, or close to it
3. it gives you a chance to mourn and be sure there's nothing left to do
4. and sometimes the person is concious and is aware of what's going on around them despite what the doctor's say, so why take their lives?

Otherwise,
sometimes it's the best thing to do is to let them go.
My cousin was handicapped but could get along well enough on his own that he could get around town and work and everything. He got up really early every morning to ride the bus into town and this one particular morning it was really dark and misty outside and while he crossed a normally busy street he got hit by an 18 year old girl who didn't see him. He was kept on life support for 5 days before they let him go. It was so extremely hard! But there were many spiritual and sacred experiences that happened between him and the family so that's how they knew to let him go, otherwise they might've kept it on him a lot longer. The docs said he'd be a vegetable if they kept him alive, and then that would be for selfish reasons to keep him here. He'd be happier on the other side and out of pain and misery.

Answer 3

I am against the life support system when it can be determined that the person attached to it has no brain activity.

Why? If one cannot breathe on his own, he cannot live on his own and enjoy the quality of life as a normal person would. This method can be very costly to the family who is unsure of what to do when medical conclusions cannot be drawn 100%. The life support system provides artificial life, which is not, in the pure sense, sustaining.

We had to make that decision on my newborn, who was born with too few white blood cells to fight an infection he'd contracted while his "too early birth" was halted when my water bag seeped out. I was hospitalized for a month and he was delivered by C-section. He was given blood transfusions, transfusion of white blood cells from his father, etc. After awhile, it was determined their was no brain activity. He wasn't even a month old. How could he enjoy life strapped to a hospital bed with brain damage?

Answer 4

Yes and No - there is DEFNITELY not one answer.

My cousin got his left leg and arm blown off by a car bomb in Iraq. He was saved only because of the incredible life support system on the cargo/hospital planes as he was shipped from Germany to the US and all around. Thank God for it.

However, in the case of someone who has no brain activity and the only thing working is their heart and lungs, I believe they do not need life support. I believe they are suffering - if they cannot talk or think, they should be given the choice of death if they want it.

Answer 5

Well, death by uthenasia is an option. Dr. Kavorkian (aka dr death) has practiced it, but hes going to see the light soon. I do support it, unless one wants to stop the pain and pull the plug. If there is a chance of living, its should be put in place. Im not sure though, there are too many pluses and minuses.

Answer 6

I presume you mean various medical devices used when someone is very sick.

And the use of those devices is a personal choice.

So really, a more interesting question is -- would I want to be kept alive through these artificial methods? Yes, but ONLY if the prognosis for a recovery was pretty good. I wouldn't want to be kept alive for years like this. If I'm not likely to get better, let me die.

Answer 7

I am for a living will. This way the question is answered by the person being supported. If they want life support and extreme measures taken to keep them alive so be it. If not, the same.

Answer 8

I assume you're talking about medical life support. I support it.

Three reasons.

My grandson was born not breathing and unresponsive (he got a 0 on the apgar score upon delivery, if you know what that means). However, he was placed on life support, and within hours, was completely well. No one knew if he'd make it or not, or if he'd be brain damaged. No one expected him to recover so quickly, or so fully. Had we been convinced to 'let him go' he wouldn't be in first grade today. My three reasons are me, my daughter, and my grandson.

Answer 9

I myself would not want to be on life support for more then a month. If I am not going to be coming out of the coma then I would rather have my organs donated to someone who could still live a "normal" healthy life. I wouldn't want my loved ones to have the burden of watching me waste away and making the choice to keep me on it or not.

Answer 10

This is a difficult one because some fight that when it's your time to go it's your time to go. Then again if it's your time to go then you will go regardless of life support or not.

But why keep someone alive in a vegetable state just because you don't want to let go. But then again what if they come out of that state.

I think I agree with lifesupport if it is used while in emergency surgery like for heart surgery - - if you are put on life support during emergency surgery until your body can substain itself then yeah. But if you are put on a machine to live for years on because your body has failed then just let them go!!