I'm 70. I have decided to have my first tattoo at 75 Across my upper chest just out of sight when I wear an open neck shirt: "Do NOT resuscitate".

CPR brought me back after a few minutes before, and I seem to think I function reasonably well still. Then again, I have also left instructions that I'm to be unplugged if I'm in a persistent vegitative state or brain dead.

now?

Actually coding outside the hospital has a chance of 6% of survival. Coding inside the hospital has a chance of about 30%, and even then depending on how long you were lost for, you could have substantial brain damage.

My family knows my wishes. Only attempt if my mother believes I have a good chance 30% or more of surviving with minimal damage. Anything beyond that don't try. If I end up with substantial brain damage then take me off life support.

I trust my family to follow through simply because I've seen my mother make these decisions before for her loved ones, and I've watched other family suffer for months unresponsive on life support.

Yes. I have too much shit I wanna do and I'm not about to let being dead get in the way of that.

Only if I'm dead.

I'll think about it when I get there. You never know, I may like staying dead

When my number is up, it's up.
I don't want to stick around if I can't do everything for myself.

If survival means no quality of life, of living dependent upon machines and/or diminished mental capacity, I'd just as soon be done. But if I can be truly saved, and can live with a reasonably high quality of life I'd prefer to stick around for as long as possible.

Do I look that bad?

Timely question. I do not wish to be resuscitated. I have had a living will for about 20 years now which
states my choice for no chemo, no sustained life support and no resuscitation. My wife had one too. She died two years ago and the doctor said that while a living will is not a legal document, it is a medical directive.

No, I have made it quite clear that when momma nature calls on me, to let me follow her. An interesting statistic I recently learned was that only 17% of our population dies at home or within their normal environment. I view senior homes as something like a horror movie. You are being kept alive only to further deteriorate. Death is not escapable ergo it is not to be feared , rather embraced when it knocks on the door.
Sort of like those that wish to be embalmed. Wow no way do I return mother nature the body she gave me after such an abomination of the unit itself.

Absolutely, catagorically, definately and without question NO. I have a DNR (do not resusicate) form and everyone around me knows that. A close friend's husband had an accident (he was in late stages of Parkinsons) and was helicoptered to a hospital in a nearby city. It was a Catholic Hospital and they performed surgery and started a coma so he could heal. When she arrived she called a lawyer and forced the hospital to remove the coma meds and breathing tube. He slowly died over a period of several days. Here is a letter I wrote and was published in 3 of our local papers. Click on the NPR link at the bottom for a horror story. [sanjuanjournal.com]

Been there, done that, didn't get a t-shirt.

I have DNR and paperwork stating my preferences for end of life care. Family members have been told that if I can't survive on my own and/or if my issues are not going to resolve, just let me go. I'm also an organ donor - if I'm leaving behind viable organs that can help someone else, I'm all for it.

Well, not right now. I'm having coffee.
Maybe later.
Kind of a strange first date though.

Not if I'm going to be a vegetable

I am totally against it. Of course, if you drown or something it is OK to give you CPR. Keeping you alive at all costs. NO.

I’d say yes, but just so I could tell people that heaven didn’t happen...

Daily

This is the narrative our religion based culture and conventional medicine dictates. It places life above quality of life. I can't see how this subject can have any legs so long as the right wing, reactionary theists are in control. We won't be given a choice.

I’ve pretty much done everything I’ve wanted to do and seen everything I’ve wanted to see. It’s seems awfully self centered when I think of family and friends though. I hate that feeling.

I was in the hospital with septic shock recently. Just two weeks after being released after being admitted with pneumonia. I don’t remember being admitted either time nor do I remember the ambulance ride and going through the ER to ICU. But the Septic Shock almost killed me.

I remember the look on my wife’s face as I gasped for air on that fourth day and that’s a look I don’t ever want to see again. After the alert was called she was basically pushed out the door. The look on her face after they got her and brought her back in is the face I want to remember. However, it’s the other look that haunts me.

I’ve done everything I ever wanted to do and seen everything I’ve ever wanted to see. My friends and family however want me to stick afound. And I never realized just how much until I was hospitalized. Nine days this last time with seven of those being in ICU and the three days before, my son spent every night with me so my wife could go home and rest. My best friend lives in New Orleans and he came down here to Austin to spend a few days with me. On more than one occasion the nurse had to tell everyone who isn’t immediate family to leave. We had gotten too loud for ICU.

I’ve never been hospitalized before. Hell, I’ve never really been sick. I work eight hours on my City job and take care of my disabled wife, who’s had eleven surgeries in the past fifteen years. She has degenerative disc disease and has already had three fusions. There’s no cure so more surgeries will bein her future. My main job is to take care of her. I never thought I’d say this, but that look on her face. Bring my ass back no matter what.

I’m laughing at myself now because I get irritated at people who feel it necessary to write a short story when it was a simple yes or no question to begin with! ????

My body has been left to medical science, resuscitated or not !

All my family and close friends know that I'm DNR.