Quality of Life

[Spiderman]

There IS LIFE after quadriplegia...of this I am quite certain.

Working my way through Boston Univ. I headed the West Campus' Boston Center for Independent Living.

My employees ( the quads) and I had a hell of a good time.

Ya never know until you're there, folks.

Yeah great times.

Having someone spoon feed you, empty your urostomy bag and shove a gloved hand up your ass to dig out the shit.

What a hoot!

Few Quads are entirely dependent on others, Spider

Without the use of arms and legs one would have to be dependent on others.

Depends on the degree of damage to the spine. Every SPI is differnet

I saw people after they were stabilized and yes, those folks found a modus vivendi they could accept

.

It is a personal decision. I for one cannot believe I could find a way to live with being a quadriplegic.

None of us can really know how we'll react in that situation.

I think I know myself well enough.

And do remember that you'll need help to kill yourself when you finally recover from the original trauma well enough to understand your situation.

Very few SPI folks kill themselves, amigo.

One can refuse to eat or drink. The real question is would anyone force you to have a feeding tube installed after all it's not like you could stop them.

 

[Vox]

That's the whole point -

Choice.

it was hastened. made in shock. too soon.

I don't know because I wasn't there, didn't know him.

Even if I had known him, I still would not have known enough to have an opinion.

His body and his life belonged to him and him alone. He made the decision, it was his choice and I don't have the right to judge that.

I repeat, becasue you did not hear - it was made too soon. decisions as crucial as those should not be made in a shock state. and it was. without enough information avaliable.
Early predictions( without even a surgery performed) in the situations like that usually are correct in less than 20% of the cases.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

it was hastened. made in shock. too soon.

I don't know because I wasn't there, didn't know him.

Even if I had known him, I still would not have known enough to have an opinion.

His body and his life belonged to him and him alone. He made the decision, it was his choice and I don't have the right to judge that.

I repeat, becasue you did not hear - it was made too soon. decisions as crucial as those should not be made in a shock state. and it was. without enough information avaliable.
Early predictions( without even a surgery performed) in the situations like that usually are correct in less than 20% of the cases.

Sorry. You must have missed where I wrote,

I don't know because I wasn't there, didn't know him.

Even if I had known him, I still would not have known enough to have an opinion.

His body and his life belonged to him and him alone. He made the decision, it was his choice and I don't have the right to judge that.

There is not way to know that his decision "was made too soon" or "without enough information [sic] avaliable". However I am interested to know what you based this on:

Early predictions( without even a surgery performed) in the situations like that usually are correct in less than 20% of the cases.

I'm not familiar with any studies that would prove that number or what surgery you are referring to.

BUT, it is generally accepted that whatever return of function and/or sensation that a CNS injured person has at 18 months post injury is all they can ever expect to have.

Whether or not that's true, we each own our own body and we each have the right to decide whether or not to live with such a terrible handicap as his.

If you would have no problem with being totally and completely dependent on others for EVERYTHING, that's your business. That he was unwilling to live that way was his business.

Edited to add: The article states that he had made this decision some time before the accident and discussed with with his wife. Does that count?

 

[Vox]

I don't know because I wasn't there, didn't know him.

Even if I had known him, I still would not have known enough to have an opinion.

His body and his life belonged to him and him alone. He made the decision, it was his choice and I don't have the right to judge that.

I repeat, becasue you did not hear - it was made too soon. decisions as crucial as those should not be made in a shock state. and it was. without enough information avaliable.
Early predictions( without even a surgery performed) in the situations like that usually are correct in less than 20% of the cases.

Sorry. You must have missed where I wrote,

I don't know because I wasn't there, didn't know him.

Even if I had known him, I still would not have known enough to have an opinion.

His body and his life belonged to him and him alone. He made the decision, it was his choice and I don't have the right to judge that.

There is not way to know that his decision "was made too soon" or "without enough information [sic] avaliable". However I am interested to know what you based this on:

Early predictions( without even a surgery performed) in the situations like that usually are correct in less than 20% of the cases.

I'm not familiar with any studies that would prove that number or what surgery you are referring to.

BUT, it is generally accepted that whatever return of function and/or sensation that a CNS injured person has at 18 months post injury is all they can ever expect to have.

Whether or not that's true, we each own our own body and we each have the right to decide whether or not to live with such a terrible handicap as his.

If you would have no problem with being totally and completely dependent on others for EVERYTHING, that's your business. That he was unwilling to live that way was his business.

Edited to add: The article states that he had made this decision some time before the accident and discussed with with his wife. Does that count?

repeating the third time - the decision was made TOO SOON

 

[whitehall]

Is the left going to play smoke and mirrors with the concept of withdrawing life support vs assisted suicide? They are not the same regardless of the low information left's effort to make it seem so. Assisted suicide is murder.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

I repeat, becasue you did not hear - it was made too soon. decisions as crucial as those should not be made in a shock state. and it was. without enough information avaliable.
Early predictions( without even a surgery performed) in the situations like that usually are correct in less than 20% of the cases.

Sorry. You must have missed where I wrote,



There is not way to know that his decision "was made too soon" or "without enough information [sic] avaliable". However I am interested to know what you based this on:

Early predictions( without even a surgery performed) in the situations like that usually are correct in less than 20% of the cases.

I'm not familiar with any studies that would prove that number or what surgery you are referring to.

BUT, it is generally accepted that whatever return of function and/or sensation that a CNS injured person has at 18 months post injury is all they can ever expect to have.

Whether or not that's true, we each own our own body and we each have the right to decide whether or not to live with such a terrible handicap as his.

If you would have no problem with being totally and completely dependent on others for EVERYTHING, that's your business. That he was unwilling to live that way was his business.

Edited to add: The article states that he had made this decision some time before the accident and discussed with with his wife. Does that count?

repeating the third time - the decision was made TOO SOON

Not for him.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

Is the left going to play smoke and mirrors with the concept of withdrawing life support vs assisted suicide? They are not the same regardless of the low information left's effort to make it seem so. Assisted suicide is murder.

Are you saying that this is another freedom the right wants to take away from people?

Are you saying people do not and should not own their own body?

Are you saying that you should not have the authority, the final say in your own treatment?

If you should find yourself in the same horror as the OP, who should decide your fate?

 

[Vox]

Sorry. You must have missed where I wrote,



There is not way to know that his decision "was made too soon" or "without enough information [sic] avaliable". However I am interested to know what you based this on:



I'm not familiar with any studies that would prove that number or what surgery you are referring to.

BUT, it is generally accepted that whatever return of function and/or sensation that a CNS injured person has at 18 months post injury is all they can ever expect to have.

Whether or not that's true, we each own our own body and we each have the right to decide whether or not to live with such a terrible handicap as his.

If you would have no problem with being totally and completely dependent on others for EVERYTHING, that's your business. That he was unwilling to live that way was his business.

Edited to add: The article states that he had made this decision some time before the accident and discussed with with his wife. Does that count?

repeating the third time - the decision was made TOO SOON

Not for him.

exactly for him and for his family. his mind was not clear and his decision was not sound, as it is never in shock.
Just too soon.
Which is a pity.
Because he could have made the seem decision after at least trying if something might work.
Young spinal patients are very far from 100% determination at the moment of trauma. There have been so many almost miraculous developments, which prove that there are reserves we do not know about.
That is why it is a pity he did not try.
R.I.P.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

repeating the third time - the decision was made TOO SOON

Not for him.

exactly for him and for his family. his mind was not clear and his decision was not sound, as it is never in shock.
Just too soon.
Which is a pity.
Because he could have made the seem decision after at least trying if something might work.
Young spinal patients are very far from 100% determination at the moment of trauma. There have been so many almost miraculous developments, which prove that there are reserves we do not know about.
That is why it is a pity he did not try.
R.I.P.

As I stated and as the article stated, he had made his wishes known quite some tie before the accident.

I understand that you're all about taking rights away from people but the bottom line is and always will be -

It was his choice and his alone.

Just as the choice and decision about YOUR life is yours alone.

 

[Casjah]

I am saddened by the percentage of people who think that their own opinions on a matter should be the same measurement that others use for their lives.

This particular question has always annoyed me, but I think it applies to all those who believe that others shouldn't have control over their own bodies: "Who do YOU think you are?"

Why are you qualified to tell someone else when, how, and why they should live? And furthermore, why do you pretend to care? None of you knew this guy. He was the one who faced the horror of being wheelchair bound knowing that his family would be financially devastated trying to manage his care. I doubt many fully comprehend what it takes to care for someone in that condition. Choosing to live would hardly be a blessing for his wife and kids.

Also, for those who claim to be so brave and would face such a life with no complaints, I say: yeah right. So easy to say from the comfort of your couch. ever faced a horrific injury? a long term disease? no..? well then you don't have the slightest clue what you're talking about. If you want to live in that condition and furthermore condemn those around you to be chained to your side for the coming years and saddled with medical bills, that's your prerogative. Meanwhile, other people are entitled to their own decisions, as well.

 

[Asclepias]

I would definitely lean towards ending it but no one knows how they would handle it. My uncle had the same thing happen to him and he decided to live on. It was pretty rough on him and he was able to live at home but a nurse had to be hired to take care of him. He later told me he wished he had not made the decision to stay due to the financial strain. He lived 5 more years before passing on due to a heart attack.