When is enough, enough? Answering this question becomes increasingly more important the older you get. Go to any healthcare facility and the person registering you will want a copy of your advanced directives and healthcare power of attorney. Do you have advanced directives? Healthcare power of attorney?
I don’t! I don’t have an excuse for not having a healthcare power of attorney; and by the time I finish this blog, I will. As for not having advanced directives, I have lots of excuses. While I have yet to put my directives on paper, my family is well aware of what I want and I trust that they will honor my wishes.
The simple answer is that I don’t want to be resuscitated. Parkinson’s is a degenerative disease and I’ve already lost too much of me. Do I sound selfish? People are quick to point out the fact that I’m blessed to have a wife, children and grandchildren and they should be all the reason I need to be resuscitated. In actuality, they are a good reason not to be resuscitated. Visiting me in a nursing home on Sundays would become quite a burden. Changing my diaper is even more repugnant. I’ve told Renee that if I have to start wearing diapers, then I should be allowed to breast feed again.
A good friend called me from the ICU at her local hospital. Her friend had a witnessed cardiac event and was resuscitated. She then had a second cardiac arrest and was resuscitated and placed on life support. My friend wanted to know what she should do. Number one on the list of what to do is listen to the doctors caring for your loved one. Not knowing the patient’s wishes, my answer was qualified. “If it’s me, let me go! No life support, no further resuscitation!! In her case, I told her to rely on the docs. They have the patient’s best interest in mind. The patient coded again and died. RIP!
Please make sure your loved ones know what you want for yourself. This is one place where being selfish is appropriate.
Here’s your joke for the day:
“Give it to me! Give it to me!” she yelled. “I’m so wet, give it to me now!” She could scream all she wanted, but I was keeping the umbrella.
