Life & death decisions.

Annual checkup day. My doctor discussing my 'do not reuscitate' order and I'm asking to remind me of the details and probabilities. Paraphrasing here : "Well, if your heart stopped while you were in hospital, of course they'd restart it. But if it happened at home, by the time we got you in, it would be a bit late. Not saying you couldn't possibly be brougfht back but you might not be in good shape. Even if it was a relatively good recovery most people wouldn't last more than about a month; so what d'you think?"

Of course I left the DNR in place.

Doesn't later life get a bit surreal !

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smiler2012 · 61-69

[@really ] i am retired from the health service and a d.n.r was a patients personal choice if something happened during the operation otherwise the anaesthetist and resus team will do the best too revive you

Really · 80-89, M

@smiler2012 Smiler, without punctuation your comment is very ambiguous and I'm not sure what it means. Anyway I suppose the protocols around resuscitation vary among countries, jurisdictions and even local hospitals. It's problematic trying to define 'what's best' in future situations we maybe can't even anticipate. If my heart has stopped, whatever happens to me will be decided by others with or without respect for my prior 'edicts': So be it.