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by Anonymous on February 12th, 2007

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What are your thoughts on refusing medical treatment?

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Answers. 7 helpful answers below.

  • by Journo on February 12th, 2007

    Journo

    It totally depends on what stage of illness a person has reached. There are some who are terminally ill and extended treatment, surgery, drugs etc will only drag them into lives of dependence, pain, isolation and depression. If nature were allowed to simply run it's course' many of these people would never have been 'treated' into this hopeless stage of their illness.

    In a healthier person, unless one has serious doubts about the type of treatment or drugs used, then it is best to let the experts do the advising and allow them to get on with tried and tested methods .

    I do however face one more dilemma - my mother-in-law has just had serious abdominal surgery but as a Jehovah's Witness definitely did not want blood. Even though I disagree with every fibre of my being about the refusal of blood, I would fight the authorities to the highest courts to allow her to have her wishes fulfilled. On the contrary, I would hope that my witness inlaws would (and I'm sure they would) fight for my right to have a transfusion.

    It is all so subjective!!!!

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  • by JAMMco... its complicated... on February 15th, 2007

    JAMMco... its complicated...

    I believe it is up to the person to refuse medical treatment. You cannot force treatment on someone who does not want it. This is pushing your will onto someone else and violates your freedoms. This calls into question whether someone else can make decisions for you because they think you're wrong.

    The only time a person should make a decision for you is if you designate them your Patient Advocate to act on your behalf if you are unable to act on your own. Even many of those spell out clearly your view on many issues and the Advocate needs only to make sure it is met and answer anything that may fall outside what is spelled out.

    Usually this is someone that agrees with your stand and will defend you while you are unconscious.

    I would pursue every legal option to sue a doctor and hospital and any staff that assisted if they violated my decision to refuse medical treatment.

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  • by Redhawk on February 15th, 2007

    Redhawk

    I think it's a very personal choice. Ultimately I believe that God has a hand in when we are going to die...we may not know the full picture/plan for our lives...Even if it's not an active choice on HIS part, He knows the exact WHEN.

    I guess for me, it would depend a lot on the risks, the side effects, and ultimately the quality of life I would experience and at what costs...both physical and financial. I wouldn't want to be a burden to my family at all!

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  • by Firebrand on February 15th, 2007

    Firebrand

    I do not agree with refusing any medical treatment unless it is too late to give any kind of relief or quality of life whatsoever.

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  • by nevets - badgicide on February 12th, 2007

    nevets - badgicide

    I think it would be stupud to refuse treatment, but I also think we should have the right to refuse medical treatment.

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  • by Anon E. Maus on February 16th, 2007

    Anon E. Maus

    In America every adult has the right to accept or refuse any particular medical treatment. A Cancer patient may refuse cheotherapy for personal reasons.
    The main thing is that the right to make such a decision must be respected and protected if we wish to have those choices ourselves, even if we don't agree with them.
    Otherwise one day we may find someone forcing a treatment we don't want on us!

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  • by rgypsy on February 22nd, 2007

    rgypsy

    i think that if a person cannot be helped with whatever it is they have, and no further treatment will help, they have the right to choose how the rest of their life will be and the right to refuse treatment.

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