A new perspective

Yesterday in clinical I spent the day in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).  I think I am going to get "DNR" tatooed across my chest.  The patient that I helped take care of was on a ventilator and was sedated.  He had been sedated for nine days.  He was in respiratory failure because he had pneumonia in addition to acute liver failure (his body couldn't process fluid very well and it overwhelmed his lungs).  The theory behind his treatment was that once he got over the pneumonia, he would be able to be taken off the ventilator.  My thoughts were...what if he couldn't be taken off the vent?  Did he say goodbye to his family before they intubated and sedated them?  What sort of mental repurcussions does being sedated for nine plus days have on a person?  This experience really made me reconsider what actions I want taken if I am ever sick or injured.