| March 18, 2005 | What goes through my head when I'm doing my job at Yahoo! and I put up the headlines about Terri Schiavo... |
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A few months ago, my mom asked me to sign some official papers saying that I am her health care proxy if she is ever unable to speak for herself in the hospital. She told me she doesn't want "to be kept alive by machines" if something happens and her health is compromised. This document is helpful because it means my mom and I spoke about this topic, and that I "understand her wishes." I agree with her that this is what I would also want for myself in such a circumstance. However, I also think it's easy to say that you believe in this as an idea or a concept; I can't fathom how difficult it must be to make these decisions when something tragic actually happens. For instance, if my mom was ever in a coma and on life support systems from an accident, would I be able to tell the doctors to unplug her from the machines? Further complicating the issue, the younger brother of one of my friends was in a coma after an accident a few months back. Several of the doctors at the time said that his prognosis for recovery was very slim. Months later, he has slowly been making progress -- though he still requires a ton of hospital care and rehabilitation. I feel so terrible for all of these families involved in these rough cases. I also feel terrible for Terri Schiavo who will be remembered by like this rather than by who she was in the photos that were taken of her before the brain damaging incident occurred. Further complicating my feelings on Terri Schiavo, is that in the pre-1990 pretty photos of her -- she had been struggling with an eating disorder that some doctors say caused the very chemical imbalance that gave her this brain damage in the first place. So, was she ever really "OK"? And honestly, are any of us ever? posted by Jess Barron @ 12:41 PM 
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