When my mother was placed on life support, my brother and I were told we had 10 days to decide — either discontinue life support or place Mom in a nursing home. She could not just stay at the hospital.
It isn't an easy decision to make. Mom had a living will essentially stating if there was no hope for recovery, she wanted us to pull the plug. The tough part is determining whether there is hope. Brother and I finally had a heart-to-heart talk with the head physician of the hospital ICU. While other doctors gave us mumbo-jumbo or no explanation at all, this doctor was direct. He explained Mom's condition in a way anyone could understand, and while he didn't advocate one choice or the other, he detailed thoroughly the consequences of each.
I hope Melissa Rivers has the same type of good counsel. She's going to need all the help she can get
My wife’s friend told me a cute story about her mother’s passing.
Her 89 year old mother was failing fast and the only thing keeping her going was dialysis. Talking with the family she said she was ready to go so they took her off dialysis and moved her to hospice.
Mom said of course she wanted pastor Tim to do the funeral. Daughter called the church, they said pastor Tim was on vacation with his family in Ca for the next three weeks. Daughter thought about lying to mom but in the end she told her pastor Tim was gone for the next 3 weeks. But pastor Dave can do it.
Mom says, that’s nice, he has such a nice family. Pastor Dave huh? Ok, I’ll wait.
Now the docs told them she probably had 2 days to a week tops. But the daughter told her Ok mom, we’ll wait. Week goes by, mom’s still here. Two weeks, going strong. end of third week she’s starting to fade. Tim gets back into town and they rush him to the hospital. She’s pretty out of it by now but he sits with her and talks and reads some Bible verses. After he leaves, daughter holds moms hand and asks her if she knows Tim is back. Yes dear, I know she says.
In an hour she goes into a coma. Next morning she passed away. And pastor Tim did the funeral.
Docs in the hospital are all shaking their heads wondering how she held on for three weeks.