Can you consider this as killing
 

Ive been out for a few days now, been on the hospital the entire weekend with almost no sleep, what a weekend.

My grandmother was rushed to the hospital on thursday and then her organs failed the next day. Basically whats been keeping her alive were these drugs and machines. Take any of them out and shes dead, but with em she can stay technically alive for a long while.

What my relatives decided on sunday was to remove the respirator and stop all of the drugs thats been keeping her alive then gave her a shot of morphine to die uhm.. peacefully.

Can you consider this as killing someone? Since she can live for a long time and its like you taking away something that is keeping someone alive. Also, shes not like suffering at all since shes just lying there peacefully while connected to the machines. Obviously it is legal though, but the thought just crossed my mind.

First off I'd like to extend my condolences to you, this must be a hard situation.

Personally, I don't consider it killing if they are alive on account of those machines and will never recover. These machines are delaying the inevitable.

My mom worked at a rehab hospital where many didn't make it, this is sadly a common scenario. She said that the morphine does make it truly peaceful for the person. She could never bring herself to actually do the procedure though.

I am sorry for your loss,

how ever I do not what happened could be thought of as killing but rather as way of ending the suffering.

Sorry to hear about this. :-(

I've got to agree with everyone else though. I'd rather mourn the loss of somebody close to me than wake up each day knowing they are suffering.

I guess the concept is sound, it does make sense in a way ... and i dont know or can tell if she is suffering there in bed too so

Its just, im thinking of what lead to such a decision coz at first when this idea was brought up everyone was saying nooooo thats not right, she should die naturally and have this 'natural death' or so they say. Then all of a sudden I went home to sleep for 2 hours then was woken up that they already took off the stuff and i should rush there coz shell literally die in a few minutes. It just seemed like peoples minds changed when they got too tired... from waiting there for her to die. They were tired as in one of em even got sent to the emergency room herself coz she had this diabetes related attack from all the stress. Its just interesting that sometimes its like peoples morals change... depending on circumstances. What youd say is wrong now becomes right the next day when you just cant... keep up doing what you think is right... its like what was said in the kingdom of heaven, like morality only when it is convenient... or something like that...

thanks for the reply everyone

Maybe im just too tired and not sure whats on my head or what im actually talking about.... But anyway, logically I obviously agree that it is very much efficient to do this; I would agree under the grounds of logic.

ADD.:

Ive never actually thought of what you can actually consider as living. If I would answer it now, I think i would give a textbook response as you simply biologically living, as long as your brain is active and can send and receive signals. Ok thats it i dont know what im talking about anymore...

Wow, I'm sorry for your situation.

By the text book definition yes this is. BUT all rules are made to be broken, I see it as better to let her rest in peace than to let her suffer.

I know that I would not want to be laying there helpless.