Injured Indiana hunter chooses to end life support

[KamaAina]

http://news.yahoo.com/injured-indiana-hunter-chooses-end-life-support-181336165.html

The Indiana man was enjoying that time while hunting for deer Saturday when he fell 16 feet from a tree and suffered a severe spinal injury that paralyzed him from the shoulders down. Doctors thought he might never breathe on his own again.

Confronted with that prognosis, Bowers' family made an unusual request of doctors at Fort Wayne's Lutheran Hospital: Could Bowers be brought out of sedation and told of his condition so he could decide for himself whether he wanted to live or die?

Patients often change their minds after they've had time to meet with spiritual advisers and family, said Art Caplan, director of the medical ethics program at New York University's Langone Medical Center in New York City....

Shultz said her family had an idea what her brother would want because he had previously talked with his wife, Abbey, whom he married Aug. 3, about never wanting to spend his life in a wheelchair.

Unsurprisingly, it takes people who sustain paralyzing spinal cord injuries to adjust. Months. Maybe years. But most often, they do. I am FB friends with a ventilator-dependent quadriplegic who went to Harvard. (Her mom went with her and served as her personal care assistant!) She must be horrified that Mr. Bowers didn't allow himself that time. So will his baby, once s/he is born and finds out about this.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Nonetheless, the choice is HIS.

Especially since he had already expressed his opinion prior to this devastating event.

My heart goes out to his family...

[X_Digger]

2. I don't begrudge him his choice, even if I think he might change his mind later. n/t

[Gravitycollapse]

3. I'm not particularly concerned with shaming the man after he's dead.

He made a very clear decision that was his right to make and it sounds as though he was very clear on his intent right to the very end.

[KamaAina]

10. Nor am I.

I'm shaming the people who took him out of sedation, told him he would be a vent-dependent quad, then asked if he wanted to stay on life support.

[Scuba]

11. Why?

[theHandpuppet]

12. I have the same question, myself

[KamaAina]

15. It feels to me like he was rushed into it

Many newly injured quads, understandably, feel like they can't or don't want to go on. Most get over it -- with time, which he never had.

[Scuba]

16. So you would recommend he must live as a quad for a couple decades before deciding?

I must have missed the part about him being rushed. Did they give him a deadline to decide?

[Sheldon Cooper]

19. Yes, because that's exactly what he said.

[Scuba]

20. Source? The article cited makes no mention of him being given a deadline.

[Sheldon Cooper]

24. And kamaina's post made no mention of requiring him to live for decades in this

condition before allowing him to decide. See how that works?

[KamaAina]

21. More like a few months to a year.

Again, I know people who have faced this. All prefer living as quads to the alternative.

[Scuba]

22. How many dead ones have you asked? Seems it's his choice and he should be allowed to make it.

[Sheldon Cooper]

25. What EXACTLY is the problem?

The guy was permitted to make his choice. No one stopped him. What the fuck is wrong with perhaps waiting more than one goddamn day to wake him up to tell him this?

[Sheldon Cooper]

18. Agreed.

He may have needed some more time to come out of the immediate injury, and get a full assessment of his abilities at that point. He may have still chosen to end life support, but I can't help but think they really rushed him into this. Jesus, it was barely 24 hours later, and they had to wake him up to ask him.

I knew a guy who broke his neck diving into a swimming pool, and he did not want to live as a vent-dependent quad. This was over 20 years ago, and I don't think he was given the chance to opt out. So he bit through his vent tube, which left him with permanent brain damage from being without oxygen. At that point they finally agreed to remove him from life support and he passed peacefully a short time later.

I do not think I would want to live this way, but I think it may take a bit more than one day to let everything sink in.

[Lars39]

23. What other window of opportunity would he have had to make this decision?

What other choices do those that don't get over it have to end their life at a later date, without burdening those who helped with a possible murder charge?

[get the red out]

27. I think he was given a golden moment

I wish there was some way to choose euthanasia in this country. He was fortunate that he could choose to be taken off a machine; some people are in bad shape and would choose death and they cannot. That is a very sad thing IMO. It scares me terribly when I think of something happening and I would choose death, but would not be permitted to do so.

[FSogol]

13. "Shaming" is a term that gets thrown around too much here.

Last edited Wed Nov 6, 2013, 10:01 AM - Edit history (1)

Everyone who disagrees with you on minor points of some issue isn't trying to shame someone.

[Eleanors38]

14. HO! Baby, you're tellin' me! Really accomplishes a lot.

[Go Vols]

30. +1

[haele]

4. His choice on the type of future he would be willing to face.

A hard choice that I wouldn't wish on anyone.

Some people aren't mentally or emotionally equipped to live that sort of life, with almost no mobility and totally dependent on others. Others are able to find creative or productive outlets that enable them to accept the assistance to survive and flourish. Your friend can still find purpose and joy, even though she is physically trapped for the rest of her life.

If fear of death is not an issue, and your primary talents in life are based on physical activity rather than mental, choosing not to be an imposition on loved ones for the rest of your life might be a more logical choice, no matter how much sorrow or regret it will cause to loved ones.

As old and experienced in life as I am, and as much others depend on me, I know I would be hard pressed to continue facing a similar physical condition.

Haele

[haikugal]

5. I'm glad he was given a choice.

I feel for his family and I'm proud of them as well.

[joeybee12]

6. His life, his decision...godspeed and good thoughts to those he left behind...nt

[msanthrope]

7. His choice. I'm glad he was able to make it with dignity. nt

[nomorenomore08]

8. Hell, I would probably choose the same for myself. Sorry if you don't like it.

[BuddhaGirl]

9. A courageous decision

And it was his alone, to make.

Rest in peace, Mr. Bowers.

[Brickbat]

17. Maybe he didn't want to go to Harvard.

Maybe he wanted to live life the way he wanted to, and when he found he was unable to, didn't want to live.

The article says there is a new push for patient autonomy -- here's hoping it puts some balance in our draconian health-care system.

[get the red out]

26. I can only hope I would be given this choice

And I would make the same choice as he IMMEDIATELY.

[LeftishBrit]

28. Sad story, but it should be his choice.

I think I would make the same decision, if it were a question of being a prisoner in my own body and unable even to communicate independently.

And if people make the other decision, this should also be respected, and people given all the facilities that they need to fulfil their wishes and needs.

This is an extreme situation. Most people with disabilities, even those classed as quads, do not have such total disabilities; and those who do, often have some impairment of consciousness so that they are not fully aware of their situation. This is more like having locked-in syndrome; and I'm afraid I wouldn't want to continue life in that situation either.

Until very recently, a person with the sort of injuries described here, would have had a life expectancy measured in days rather than years. Our increased ability to save lives has brought its own dilemmas. There are some situations where just because one can, does not always mean that one should. People should have the right to make their own informed decisions about their own lives and bodies.

[Quantess]

29. I would not be interested in living as a quadriplegic.

I would also opt out of the deal.

[LeftyMom]

31. I suspect your friend's success story is what he was afraid of.

Who wants to live a successful life at the price of a loved one having to sacrifice theirs to live as your servant?

[Barack_America]

32. There are also financial considerations.

I suspect I would have made the same decision.

[arthritisR_US]

33. It's his choice to make, I pass no judgement on

him. He only deserves the love, respect and support of his family and that is the same parameters that should be used to tell his child when they reach the age of majority.