This appeared in our comic section yesterday and relates directly to my last visit with my Primary Care MD. I asked about getting a handicap sticker and we took care of that. The we talked about my end of life care document on file with the hospital. Dr. Gerstner suggested that it might be a good idea to make sure that ambulance personnel and other emergency medical personnel know my intentions. Since I'm 84 and have had two major heart attacks and by-pass surgery twice it seems appropriate to direct that nothing dramatic be done to continue life if there is another incident. In other words: Do Not Resuscitate. I am now wearing a bracelet which says: Comfort One. The information for such a status follows.
WILL
Suction the Airway
Administer Oxygen
Position for comfort
Splint
Control bleeding
Provide pad medication (Advanced Life Support only)
Provide emotional support
Contact hospice, home health agency or attending physician
Will NOT
Initiate CPR
Administer chest compression
Intubate
Initiate cardiac monitoring
Administer cardiac resuscitation drugs
Defibrillate
Prvide ventilatory assistance
And if someone has started such procedures they will be stopped.
As Gerstner says: Not that anything is going to happen soon, it is better to be prepared. See you in 6 months.
3 comments:
Why does our society think that this preparation is so wrong and families rebel against this idea? I think it is the responsible thing to do and something that everyone should do. It relieves the family of the burden of decisions and frees them to love and support the one dying, as well as to grieve.
This is a blessed gift you have done Uncle Curmudge. I admire you for doing it. I am sure your family is thankful as well.
I plan on doing the same thing for my kids.
Yes, we are thankful, for many reasons.
I wish my parents would do this. My mom's neck is so bad that a car accident would sever her spinal chord. She doesn't want to be a quadriplegic but has nothing like this in place.
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