be completely lost. The effort needed to breath is often described as a ‘slow drowning’. This drowning is such that exhaustion will soon result, as one gives up the effort, and sinks to their death.
If, in these last desperate stages, sophisticated medical facilities are available, it is full active ventilation that is likely to be employed. Active ventilation involves the person being sedated and an endotracheal tube positioned in the throat which prevents any possibility of communication. A muscle relaxant is administered and the machine takes over the breathing process. While the ventilator can prolong ‘breathing’ indefinitely, this is not always enough to maintain life. With a ventilator, one’s last conscious worldly experience may be the insertion of intravenous lines, rectal and urinary evacuation tubes, and the essential endotracheal tube. As the muscle relaxants flow and you stop breathing, the machine takes over.
If you are lucky, you may emerge some days later on a path to recovery. However, many people (estimated at around 60 percent of those receiving active ventilation) will not survive.