Right to Die Discussion

You underline the other major reason to look into a Living Will, jayman: for the people you leave behind.

Imagine the hell a loved one has to go through, wondering whether they're doing (or not doing) what someone would want, if they've had a critical incident occur, and they can't communicate (and may never be able to again.) It has to be torture for the person making the decisions.

Having some sort of statement about what you want done can make this significantly easier on family members Even sitting down for a half-hour and talking about how you feel about such a situation,a nd what you want done, could be a godsend to your loved ones.

Heck (as you point out), just writing down what you want done with the disposal of your body is a great relief to your family.

(I\'d like to be stuffed and mounted on the hood of my Prius... but I think it may lower the resale value.)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco\";p=\"75027)</div>

I'm probably going to piss you off with my stance, but here goes.

What I see here is not some serious injury that can be recovered from. I know that if I were to be injured in a car or motorcycle accident, that I would most definitely want every means possible utilized to allow me to heal.

However, this case is about a person who has been left all but brain dead. She will never recover, and never be able to function again as anything more than a massive conumer of medical time and resources. She is in effect, a burden on her husband, family, hospital, and even society if any part of her massive medical bills are being covered by the taxpayers.

Personally, I would NEVER want to be a burden on others - ESPECIALLY in a manner such as this. The worst part of this case, is that we only have the husbands "word" on her wishes, and it can be (and has been) construed in such a manner that the husband is only looking out for his own best interest. I'm sorry, but this whole Schiavo case is in NOBODIES best interest. Obviously the woman's parents care deeply for their daughter. IMO, it is blinding them to the whole picture. She cannot be fixed, healed, cured, or otherwise be brought back to normal health. As ugly as it sounds, it's time to pull the plug. IMO it's more humane to let her die, than it is to force her to "live" in this manner.

This whole case has prompted me into having a living will created. My wishes will be carried out, and the courts and government will not have the right to butt into what is a private family matter.

 

It's not just the husband's word. All of her friends testified that she would not want to live like this. That's why the courts have consistently ruled that the food tube should be removed. If those are her wishes, then they should be adhered to.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Wolfman\";p=\"75365)</div>

Wolfy: a remarkably sensible and mature way to think. Bravo.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Wolfman\";p=\"75365)</div>

The "logical" thing to do can really stir up that hornet's nest. Again, this is why it's so d*** important to have your wishes IN WRITING before it happens to you God Forbid.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Wolfman\";p=\"75365)</div>

Don't be too sure about that though. You will have to do a bit of research to make sure the State cannot intercede.

Actually, here in Manitoba the Manitoba Health authority has made it VERY clear what can and cannot be done. Please take a peek at the following it may help how you word your Living Will:

http://www.gov.mb.ca/health/livingwill.html

The legal bit about the Manitoba interpretation of the Living Will:

http://web2.gov.mb.ca/laws/statutes/ccsm/h027e.php

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bookrats\";p=\"75257)</div>

Jeff:

Wow, I never even *thought* of getting stuffed! I know of folks who have their dearly-departed cat or dog stuffed, so that IS an option.

I'm thinking that I could be set up in a frightening pose - with fanglike teeth - to scare off potential burglars. GGRRRRRrrrrrrrr SNORT!

Ok I'm just being silly. Trying to keep this otherwise depressing topic lighthearted. You know, trying to laugh at myself and all that.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco\";p=\"75394)</div>

I'm probably going to piss you off with my stance, but here goes.

What I see here is not some serious injury that can be recovered from. I know that if I were to be injured in a car or motorcycle accident, that I would most definitely want every means possible utilized to allow me to heal.

However, this case is about a person who has been left all but brain dead. She will never recover, and never be able to function again as anything more than a massive conumer of medical time and resources. She is in effect, a burden on her husband, family, hospital, and even society if any part of her massive medical bills are being covered by the taxpayers.

Personally, I would NEVER want to be a burden on others - ESPECIALLY in a manner such as this. The worst part of this case, is that we only have the husbands "word" on her wishes, and it can be (and has been) construed in such a manner that the husband is only looking out for his own best interest. I'm sorry, but this whole Schiavo case is in NOBODIES best interest. Obviously the woman's parents care deeply for their daughter. IMO, it is blinding them to the whole picture. She cannot be fixed, healed, cured, or otherwise be brought back to normal health. As ugly as it sounds, it's time to pull the plug. IMO it's more humane to let her die, than it is to force her to "live" in this manner.

This whole case has prompted me into having a living will created. My wishes will be carried out, and the courts and government will not have the right to butt into what is a private family matter.[/b][/quote]

What about that would piss me off? It parallels my feelings exactly. Perhaps you misunderstood something I wrote or I wasn't clear enough.

I absolutely thing this case is a terrible shame. The family that 'can't let go' is a very difficult situation, but I see it frequently in the ER. Fortunately usually there is someone willing to take charge and that is able to discuss things in a rational practical manner.

Hopefully the positive of this will be that people will make out living wills and have discussions with thier loved ones about their wishes.[/b][/quote]


Hmmm, I had interpreted your post as one on the side of the woman's parents. I wouldn't be the first time I totally missed the broad side of the barn.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jayman\";p=\"75404)</div>

Jeff:

Wow, I never even *thought* of getting stuffed! I know of folks who have their dearly-departed cat or dog stuffed, so that IS an option.

I'm thinking that I could be set up in a frightening pose - with fanglike teeth - to scare off potential burglars. GGRRRRRrrrrrrrr SNORT!

Ok I'm just being silly. Trying to keep this otherwise depressing topic lighthearted. You know, trying to laugh at myself and all that.
[/b][/quote]

In the spirit of that post...

Maybe you can say you want the "troll treatment". After your body is stuffed you have it shipped to various parts of the world and have it photographed in front of local monuments... The Body in front of the pyramids, the Hollywood sign, the Statue of Liberty...

it sounds promising...

 

I like it!

"Jay in front of the Giza Pyramid"

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jayman\";p=\"75421)</div>

How about standing in the background on the set of your favorite TV show?

 

:lolup:

Wow! I could be my own distributed network! (Well, with 0 bandwidth.)

:mrgreen:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jayman\";p=\"75396)</div>

Wolfy: a remarkably sensible and mature way to think. Bravo.[/b][/quote]

I absolutely agree. We use life insurance to provide relief if we're no longer able to support our dependents.

Shouldn't we do the same thing with a living will, to relieve emotional and/or financial suffering from our families, due to our dying (or process of dying)?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Wolfman\";p=\"75365)</div>

That may be the silver lining out of this whole hornet's nest in Florida. Hopefully more people will (a) think seriously about what they want, and (B) get it down in writing.

Kudos to you both.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(pjo1966\";p=\"75388)</div>

Thank you for writing this. This point seems to be missing from just about every single press report that has ever been made about this case.

This is not a case of the husband saying the wife would not have wanted to exist like this, ALL OF TERRI'S friends have said the same thing.

22 state courts have ruled on this case over the last 7 years, and all 22 ruled for the husband. Now you can add 4 Federal courts as well.

Congress, and Jeb and George should all be ashamed of themselves on this one. And Bill Frist calls himself a Doctor? Between this case and his recent suggestion that human tears can spread HIV, he should lose his license to practice medicine!

 

For those who want a DIY site for legal documents, check out www.legalzoom.com. I haven't used them yet, but they seem to have all the bases covered.

 

Please note that some living wills do not include a DNR (do not recessitate (sp)) clause which is equally important.
I should also point out, since we are on the subject, the importance of being an organ donor. Anatomical gifts are the gift of life. During a very difficult time for our family when a 38 year old cousin died, the only solice we had was knowing that she provided sight and other gifts to people grateful and deserving for a second chance. We will never know who these lucky people are, the accomplishments they will make or the postive impact upon their families or society. We do know that her life made a positive difference.
So sign the back of your drivers license or what ever is appropriate in your state or province.
Look at it this way; if the $26,000 we spent on multiple airbags doesn't work and we wind up in the ER and Doc Evan can't save us, you're not going to need those parts anyway. So let someone else use them for awhile. And, most likely, they'll buy a Prius too!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bill60546\";p=\"75538)</div>

:iagree :iagree

Well said, Bill.

 

Due to an odd outbreak of Common Sense, the Manitoba Government provided for Living Wills. The URL's I provided above go into this and they are very easy to understand.

Of course, you can specify what organs you wish to donate. I'm considered a Full Donor (Any/all needed organs, tissues, skin, bone, etc etc) and what isn't harvested a medical school receives a neat Jay statue.

 

I'm also an organ donor. In RI, you get it stamped on your license.

However, in the US, dead people have no legal rights. So the donor card is only guidance. Your heirs still have to give permission. And if your card says you're a donor, but your heirs say no, the answer is no.

So don't just sign the donor cards. Let your family know what you want.

 

Not in Manitoba. Once you complete your official Manitoba Health Living Will, stipulate what you want done, and give it to your family doc, it's engraved in stone. There have already been some cases where a relative disagreed with what a doctor was about to do - or had already done - and turned it into a court case.

The court ruled TFB: the decedent had the official Manitoba Health Living Will form completed, checked over by the family doctor, while in a sound mental state.

The only way to overturn the official Living Will here in Manitoba is if it can be proven the decedent or incapacitated person wasn't of Sound Mind, so it falls under the Canadian Mental Health Act.

And oh boy, *then* it becomes a can of worms!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco\";p=\"75027)</div>

The purpose of DNR is that if you die you are not to be brought back, not don't do things to keep me alive. DNR (Do Not Recussitate) means don't bring out the paddles if I flatline, not "If I'm seriously ill, don't do things to keep me alive."

That's the way I've always seen DNR.