It's almost heroic in a way, or at least beautiful in a tragic sense because it's such a natural way to go. A lot of medical staff wear medallions expressing that they do not want to be resuscitated in case their heart stops. You can fill out a DNR form to make it official too, though the system doesn't always go with your wishes. Paramedics are required to do CPR upon arrival, so the DNR doesn't always count. So, you might be like "What the hell? Why wouldn't you want to receive CPR??"
The thing about CPR is that television lies. It's that simple. In movies you see somebody flatline and then they get CPR for like 5 minutes and the are brought back and an hour later they are good as new and ready to go.
What? No? It's not like that? Maybe you should check out this link.
It's not. CPR involves a strong pressure, and if done correctly, you usually end up with broken ribs. Imagine it this way. Oh my, you've flatlined for ____ reason, 911 is called, the paramedics arrive and haul you into the ambulance. Then they do CPR and give you an IV to transfer meds to you (you know, like painkillers for those broken ribs, the punctured lung, and the damaged heart) until you make it to the hospital and they can hook you up to the real deal of medical machinery and life support if you're that far gone. 'Cause you know, your final moments should be like that.
But don't get me wrong, I'm not saying CPR and life support are total BS and everybody has died and you shouldn't do it. It's totally your choice. CPR works, if you're young and fit why shouldn't it? But let's say you're not young, you're well past your prime, and you aren't so fit anymore. How well do you think you would stand up against broken ribs and punctured lungs? Don't exaggerate either, Hercules.
Would your grandmother hold up to heavy CPR compressions, intubation, or defribillation? I don't know, but I'd rather let them go if it is their time to go. My own mother has explicitly told me that she does not want to be on life support and would rather it be unplugged if that situation ever came around. She said to me, "pray that I get better, whether or not that means I live or die is up to God. If I am meant to live I will not need to be on the machine" I'd rather not think that that will ever happen, but if it does I will respect her wishes.
You know, people in hospices tend to live longer than people who have the same illness receiving every treatment possible. Guess who's also happier? Hospice patients. Guess who died with all their family and friends around them? Hospice patients. You know they don't like to let you see the patient in hospitals. The doctors... they just try so hard to bring people back. It's not even their fault, they live under a system that requires them to do just that. Bringing up the DNR order topic to a patient's family probably comes off as an insult, something completely incomprehensible.
I'm not trying to be the morbid person here, I just think going gently is better than being crushed, cut open, and hooked up, and possibly dying anyway.
So you can bet that I will eventually fill out that DNR order, and maybe even follow some people who've gotten it inked.
Hopefully now, you see where I'm coming from. You don't have to agree, you don't have to like it, but understanding is never a bad thing.
At some point you just need to come to the realization that everybody around you has a story of their own, everybody has their own unique set of scars that you know nothing about.
And with that I'll conclude my post.
Hasta luego!
<3
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