Religious Beliefs - Martyrdom or Suicide?

I know about it a bit from my nursing classes - respecting one's beliefs and I have read about it in the news - refusing treatment due to religious beliefs. But a few nights ago I experienced it.

I had a 46 year old patient in the ER who came in with some vague symptoms of weakness. She did not look very good - her eyes and skin had a yellowish tinge and almost looked pale. Her history was cirrhosis of the liver caused by alcoholism. Her lab results told the story - a hemoglobin of 2.7 (normal in a female is 12-14 and normally we would transfuse when below 8) This is probably the lowest I have seen in my 19 years of nursing. Anything lower than this is very close to incompatible with life. Transfusion of several units of blood though can easily reverse the symptoms.

The problem with this patient was that she was a Jehovah's Witness and was refusing any blood transfusions. She was an adult so she had the right to make her own decisions and I as a caregiver had to respect her wishes. The doctor and I tried to communicate that this decision would lead to her very imminent death yet she still refused. She kept asking for something that could be done to build up her blood without a transfusion - but did not seem to grasp that there was no other option at this point. I have tried to think about what she would be feeling. It's easy to choose to refuse a treatment when healthy - but when death is staring you in the face and can be easily prevented - how does one refuse the help that is there? And she was only two years older than me.

I began to think about whether it was worth dying because of one's religious beliefs. I am sure this is a discussion that takes place in many circles. I wondered if this was the same as if I was given the choice to give up my Christian beliefs and live or stick to them and die. But in thinking more about it - this would fit more into the definition of martyrdom - "to publicly persist in your beliefs in the face of threats of death and to actually submit to being killed in testimony of your beliefs." Refusing a blood transfusion for religious reasons is not being killed for your beliefs by someone else. In a way, it is a form of suicide - defined as "the act of causing one's own death." Somehow martyrdom seems more acceptable and honorable than suicide.

At this point, I am not sure what the answer is - but I am leaning towards me dying for my being a Christian being a whole lot different than dying for a religious belief which denies treatment for a medical condition. I have to admit though, that I did admire her courage and determination. I certainly hope I will have the same courage if martyrdom ever confronted me.