case of Ms. Schiavo

[dradamsapple]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "Cindy C." <cindysphynx at c...> 
wrote:
> 

> 
> Cindy -- who thinks heroic measures would *hurt,* and who would be 
OK
> if dh pulled the plug 'cause we all gotta go sometime and being in a
> vegetative state for 13 years isn't really living


Hmm,

Cindy, you bring up an interesting point.
Heroic measures.  Do we all know exactly what 'heroic measure' mean?
Unfortunaley, I found out when my father was ill.
 
Yes, we all think of heroic meausures as someone who is brain dead, 
being kept alive, and fed, and finally having the strength to let 
them go.  But did you know that if you/your loved one does not 
want 'heroic measures' performed, and you/they are are choking on a 
piece of toast, that THEY will not save you? That if you refuse to 
eat the food (as was the case with my father), that they will 
eventually stop feeding you?   This is what was explained to my 
mother and me when my father was in a nursing home.  'Heroic 
Measures' is a term that is so clearly misundertstood, that it was a 
complete shock to me when they told me this.  The fact that I have 
worked nearly half my life in a hospital and thought I was up on 
things, and wasn't aware of this, well, you could have knocked me 
over with a feather. Apparently, one has to make all of their 
intentions absolutely, clear, and in writing.  And it all so 
confusing.  

It is so unfortunate that we research buying cars, houses, appliances 
etc. in such great detail  and yet when it comes to our/loved ones' 
health, we are completely ignorant.  We, unfortunately, trust the 
medical profession (as a medical professional myself, I can speak 
from experience) so much that when it comes to something like this, 
you are so emotionally invested that you can't think clearly, and by 
then, it's too late to do the research.  

I don't mean to scare you all, but this is the way it is.  
I urge all of you with older/elderly parents to find out Health Care 
Proxys (aka Living Wills), and also how to protect their assets and 
savings by getting information on estate planning.  Estate planning 
does NOT require you to be a millionare, but is necessary to protect 
the assets one has built up (even if it's only a few thousand $)

 It is so overwhelming.  It's an awful, awful thing to think about, a 
loved one, or ourselves passing, but we need to be informed so that 
we can make somewhat reasonable choices when the time comes.


Anna . . .(on a lighter note, Grady Little, manager of the Boston Red 
Sox, has been let go)