I'm still not sure what to say, I've always felt it was the patients right to choose. No matter what a family member or an insurance company might want.

Sadly this isn't always the case, no matter what kind of advanced directive you might have in place there is always a way around it.

Before I got sick I didn't even want CPR done to save me! (I'm a nurse and have seen my fair share of not so successful CPR recipients, it's not always like the movies) While they were trying to figure out what was wrong with me they brought up the ventilator question. It brought me to my knees. More than anything else I never, never, wanted to be placed on a vent. I couldn't even begin to imagine, I put off the decision in the hopes that we would figure things out before I ever got to that point. Now I know I might just need that vent for a bit to get me through a crisis. I know I will have to make some serious choices to update my AD......

It's heart wrenching to watch a loved one struggle for every breath until they finally pass away, even with medication to relieve some of the suffering. But no matter how difficult it's THEIR right, who are we to go against their wishes.

Rachel