I have to say that I'm really disheartened by how we assault, batter, and torture these sick, defenseless people in the ICU. It's wrong, and I think if more people saw what a code is really like, or saw someone dying with a tube sticking out of every orifice, they might not be so quick to say that they want everything possible done for them, especially when the effort is obviously futile. It's depressing to be here and keep seeing this same drama play out day after day (or night after night, as the case may be). Many times we can convince families to make the patient CMO, and in that case, I feel like I've actually done something to help the patient. Crazy reversal of roles, isn't it? To only feel like I'm doing a good job as a physician when I help people die more humanely?
I'll tell you that when it comes to be my turn, I'm going to barricade myself in so that someone in my family can't get cold feet and go against my wishes. I've also made my sister my health care proxy instead of my parents, because my mom has explicitly said she wouldn't respect my wishes. Nice.