During my ICU block at Tygerberg Hospital I had to see a 46-year-old young male that had undergone a Coronary Artery Bypass Graft x3 with right leg dissection from his cephalous vein. I also noted from the file that he was RDV+ with a CD4 count of less than 400. When I arrived at the patients’ bedside he was sleeping, and the nursing staff had told me that this patient was not very cooperative and refused treatment numerous times as he suffered severe depression due to his HIV status. During my subjective assessment I asked him if he has any other medical conditions and he said no. This was very contradicting as I knew he was RDV+ but I did not know how to ask him if he has it as I could see that he could not get it across to himself to tell he about this openly. Then I wanted to mobilise him as he was day 4 post-op and was not going on his own to the toilet. He refused to get out of bed and told me to just leave him alone because walking wont “prolong his life”. This came across to me as very shocking and I assured him that walking has many benefits. Then he finally got up and started mobilizing to the toilet and back to bed. When he got back to bed, he started crying and apologized and finally told me his RVD+ and has been on treatment for just over a year. He also told me that he feels as if his life is over because many people are afraid of him and does not want to associate themselves with him therefore he doesn’t feel the need to take his treatment as it is just prolonging his “miserable lonely life”. He however, is only taking his treatment because he is a single parent of a 16 year old daughter in grade 10. Thus, he feels he has to prolong his life and fight to live until she finishes school and can start working to be able to take care of herself.
This incident really got me wondering how one’s health status can affect your quality and meaning of life. This man is not living his life because he wants to but because he feels the need to for the sake of his loved one that he has taken responsibility upon. So, does this mean that if he did not have a daughter would he decide not to take his medication and give up on life itself? Although he has been suffering from severe depression and all the pain that comes along with being RVD+ despite being on treatment this man has decided to go through it because he is not worried about his own life but about the person he will be leaving behind if he does not fight through this.
There are so many people that does not have loved ones that are there for them to support them especially through difficult life changing obstacles and illnesses. This can be contradicted by their loved ones just not wanting them to suffer through all the pain where as it is just about a matter of time before the treatment won’t be enough anymore. Leading to many cases of euthanasia. Euthanasia can be seen from two perspectives, one from the patient themselves and another from the family members or generally their loved ones. The patient might not want to live anymore because of the pain and suffering but still stick through it because they do not want their family to go through the hurt of losing a loved one. However, the family might also feel that it would be selfish of them to want that person to prolong their time with treatment as it won’t be the same life that they were previously used to. In this case however, this man is not the same person as he was previously before becoming sick and confessed that sometimes he says things that he doesn’t mean because of his anger he has built inside himself.

Therefore, it can be concluded that euthanasia can be seen selfish from both perspectives the person wanting to undergo it because of the hurt they’ll leave behind with their loved ones. As well as the loved one’s side as they are wanting the patient to live a life that they won’t truly appreciate and live despite being alive but not being the same person, they once were before. Therefore, for this patient him being alive is not making him happy as he is very depressed but however, having to spend more time with his daughter and seeing her make it through school is what’s making him happy. Thus, being alive isn’t what brings him happiness it’s what’s around him that is.

.