Reply to a comment  Reply to this comment  BarbaraH writes:  in
response to greatday:  (This comment was removed by the site
staff.)  You're reading way too much into one word. That's not
at all what I meant. I repeat: I nowhere said (or even indicated
or hinted) everyone should use machines for as long as possible.
I'm simply answering the other extreme that some people have
that machines should not be used at all.  If "living on
machines" were never an option, my dad would have died too soon,
I would never have made the acquaintance of Mr. Lubin, others
lives would have ended when they could no longer breathe on
their own.  As Mr. Lubin said in response to you above, quality
of life is a factor, prognosis is a factor, personal preferences
are a factor. A good friend had a horrible disease called Von
Hippel-Lindau disease and had no interest at all in any kind of
life support. I never tried to talk him into it. It was his
choice and I respect that.  One definition of "but" at is
"otherwise." Not passive-agre