Life and Death Decisions

Back in March I posted a reflection on the Terri Shiavo case. Now my own family is facing some of those very issues. My aunt was taken to the hospital on Sunday due to heavy and labored breathing. While there she was thought to have had a heart attack, followed a few hours later by another. My cousin was with her the first moment she arrived, and my mother and I arrived on Monday evening. She is in the ICU and a ventilator is breathing for her. They have her sedated so that she won't pull the tubes out and get fiesty (as she is quite!) My cousin made the decision to wait, rather than removed the ventilator which was breathing 100% for her mother, and the doctors are not sure why she is not breathing. My mom and I went home and she called Wednesday to say that her mother was not on 100% oxygen, but 95% and that was a good sign. The doctors still didn't seem hopeful. Then they called last night to tell us that she had to receive a blood transfusion, as she is bleeding internally somewhere - yet they don't know where. Things don't look good. My cousin is holding on for all she can, and trying to keep her twin sister 'in' on things - but she doesn't understand much, except that her mother is "dying" - as her sister is mentally retarded and low functioning.

So what does one do? That was the quesiton I was asking before, and now the question is alive in my life. My aunt had not will, living will, or proxy - although quite ironically she called my mother on Saturday to tell her she was starting her will, and that my mother was going to be 'second' should her oldest daughter die before her. That was never finished. Her oldest daughter shared that her mother had told her she never wanted to be kept alive solely on machines. She hears that, but doesn't want to act too quickly. So, we all will stand with her as she cares for her mother, and we prayer for her, her mother and those that are caring for her in the hospital. I ask for your prayers too.