I’m trying to put together an advance medical directive to outline which treatments and life support options I want applied or withheld in the event I become unable to make those decisions myself at the time of the illness or injury. I’m finding it difficult to anticipate all the possible conditions that could occur, and I’m certainly not acquainted with all the various treatments available and their ramifications.
I’d find it helpful to know what others have decided for themselves, and I’d be particularly interested in the reasoning that went into those decisions.
TheLadyLion and I have to address that sometime when we write up wills and othe junk. Niether of us wants to be on a resperator if there is little chance of recovery but we haven’t looked at it in depth. I don’t think you can anticpate every possible situation so it may be best to state wishes in a more general manner and give authorization to spouse or next of kin to remove life support. The only specific thing I’m stating is that I wante my body donated to science fiction.
Mine simply states that if the possibility of full recovery is quite small, pull the plug. Brain dead? Pull the plug. I also discussed it with my doctor, parents, and sister (she’s my next of kin). I have a living will here at home, in my glove box, filed in my medical chart and filed with my attorney. Mom/Dad and Sis also have a copy.
My body is already science fiction, so whatever non-mutant parts are viable for others they can have them.
It all hinges on either pain or higher brain function. If I’m in severe, unrelenting pain with no hope of recovering, we’re moving to Oregon (or the equivilent). In coma, if I have higher brain function, do whatever it takes. If I’m in a “persistent vegetative state”, for god’s sake don’t feed me. At least I’ll die thin.
I think the best thing to do is be very general in your personal views. Say that you don’t want to sit on life support when there is little to no chance at recovery, if you’re brain dead, That you don’t want any drastic/extreme measures to be taken saving your life if you will most likely be severely mentally disabled have a diminished quality of life. Then make a general statement on what you consider to be diminished quality of life.
After several generalized statements, allow the final decision to be made – based off your convictions – by the Chief Surgeon (Or whatever the HEAD Doctor is called) in the hospital you’re being treated in. Let him make the decision for you. He/She would be best at making that call, IMO.
If you let a family member make the decision, they might make their personal views and emotions effect their decision.
“I know mom would not want to be on that machine for three weeks, and the doctor doesn’t think there’s much of a chance, BUT she might wake up tomorrow. I just can’t pull the plug!! :(”
Give the doctor the authority, IMO. He’ll have an objective, outside and unemotional opinion. He probably knows better than a family member what your chances are.
And a family member might hear a doctor say there is little chance. But they’ll want to believe differently and might not make the decision you’d want.
So, anyway. I would be general and let the doctor make the call.
If it were me, I’d put in something about not inserting a PEG tube (a feeding tube that goes under the skin of the abdomen and directly into the stomach) if I have dementia.
If my mind is far enough gone that I can no longer safely swallow food, let me get an aspiration pneumonia and die (treat me with adequate sedation and pain relief, but no anti-biotics). I’ve seen many elderly people with severe dementia kept alive with PEGs by their family (out of the best of intentions, of course) and I don’t want it for myself.