Advanced Directive

[pcindy 8]

Hi Folks,

I just posted a new thread in the Story section about the fact that I'm having my VSG tomorrow. I wanted to post on the subject of advanced directives, as I haven't seen it addressed yet.

I am an ICU nurse, and cannot BEGIN to tell you all of the heinous, awful situations I have witnessed and participated in, because a patient failed to tell his/her relatives/friends what he/she wanted in the event of being incapacitated with a life-threatening illness. I have seen patients put through painful, wasteful, and pointless procedures for WEEKS, that served not to prolong their life, but their death. I have seen families ripped apart because they didn't know what mom wanted. I have seen brothers and sisters accusing each other of making dad suffer vs. killing dad. Agonized discussions about organ donorship. We nurses and doctors are human; we HATE prolonging suffering and death. We want to give our patients dignity and comfort.

Surgery is not without risk. No one thinks that they will be the 0.4% mortality. No one thinks that they will be the one to throw a clot, have a debilitating stroke, be consigned to a ventilator for life, etc...

I am going through with this surgery tomorrow. I am rolling the dice that I will not be the 0.4%. If I am, however, I want my husband to be as supported as possible by knowing he is carrying out MY wishes. My sister and her family will be on board too. They will be able to have one less agonizing decision to make and be spared a lifetime of guilt wondering if they should or shouldn't have done this or that. Your families deserve the same. Take care of yourselves, take care of your family. Make out a will and an advanced directive prior to surgery. Your hospital will provide you with one upon request for free. Fill it out, sign it, notarize it, bring it with you. Please. Thanks.

Edited June 28, 2010 by pcindy

[Papillon 7]

Thank you for bringing up a necessary subject that is hard to consider. I would much rather consider it now and save my family additional heartache.

I will send you healing thoughts for your surgery. I wish you all the best! :001_unsure:

[JudyM 2]

PCindy - You will be fine. We look forward to seeing you back on here post-surgery!

Bon courage, as they say here in France!

x

[MINI-Me 196]

No one likes to think about the "what-ifs", but it is a good gift to give your family in the unlikely event that we need our loved ones to make decisions for us. Thank you for your post.

[pcindy 8]

Merci, Judy!

My VSG was cancelled at the last minute (see thread in Stories section), but I'm really glad we got the Advanced Directive out of the way and in the bag. Even before the VSG was a gleam in our eye, we knew (just based on my work) that we should have them. At least that's one less worry when I get rescheduled. :thumbdown:

[lorden88 1]

Pcindy, you bring up a great point. I am having my VGS surgery through Kaiser and they required us to fill out and turn our AD prior to scheduling the surgery. I think this is there policy for all surgeries they perform. It was a great opportunity not only for me to express my wishes to my loved ones, but to also hear their wishes as well. Although I pointed that they needed to fill out an AD as well. But I think its great that I was able to let them all know that I wanted my organs donated and what I want done if I am on life-support

Thank you for your wisdom pcindy.

[SParkle 4]

A very good point as I am one that buries my head in the sand rather than deal with stuff like this.

Luckily I had no complications... but it did occur to me before the surgery what if.... but I didn't act upon those worries. I'm not good at all on dealing with the life/death issues, prefering to side track talk rather than turn into a blubbering wreck (this has got worse since losing my mother a year ago).

Maybe I should have done something. I do have a will. But nothing about what I want done if something went wrong.....

[TexasT 99]

I took both an Advance Directive and a Medical Power of Attorney with me to the hospital - just in case!

[pcindy 8]

Good going, guys! Sadly, when I look at the number of "views" to this post, I see that it is still a subject that people shy away from.

[cwalker 12]

I took my diective and medical power of attny with me too.

[mp8btpc 33]

Very, Very informative direction! I bet I can print one out online and take it to be notarized. I directed the staff and my mother that if something happened during my surgery in Mexico that if something came up to first try to get me stable then get me to San Diego asap but I guess once I was there I would need an AD. Wow, never thought about it and I came close to needing it.

[lil red raider 5]

I gave copies to the two people I choose to make the desicion and a copy will go to the hospital with me. I am 32 and never thought about it until I was asked at my EGD appointment.

I found the template online and had two witnesses. It gave me an eerie feeling but I knew it was what I had to do.