Terri Schiavo's Gift
by Vicki Rackner
Published on this site: April 12th, 2005 - See
more articles from this month...
Terri Schiavo and her family have given us a gift. They remind
us that planning for your death is your final act of love.
For the past few weeks, we have witnessed painful lessons we would
prefer to ignore. Death is a part of life. Tragic medical events
befall even young people, often at unexpected times. And difficult
decisions accompany the final days of life.
When you enter the medical system, your job as a patient
is to make choices. The process, called informed consent,
involves weighing the risks and benefits of one intervention
and comparing it with alternatives. While these are called
medical choices, they are really personal choices, reflecting
your values, preferences and spiritual beliefs. That’s
why, according to US law, medical ethics and common decency,
you as the patient are the one who chooses.
You always have the option of choosing no treatment at all. Our
law states that a competent adult has the right to refuse treatment
even if it means that he or she will die without it.
One day you may not be in a position to make choices for yourself.
The medical and legal systems have provided mechanisms to guide
the decisions you would make for yourself - if you could.
This is a good time to complete and sign two important legal documents:
your *advanced directive,* sometimes called a *living will,* and
a durable power-of-attorney. The advanced directive outlines your
wishes for medical treatment. Give your doctor a copy and take it
with you should you enter the hospital. Let your family know where
this document is. You can also assign a durable power- of- attorney
form that identifies the person who will make the choices for you,
if you become unable to make them yourself.
The papers summarize important conversations you need to
have with your doctor and with those you love. Give those
who will make choices as clear a roadmap as possible. You
will be asked to make choices for others you love, like your
parents. This is a good time to approach them with this delicate
conversation. Say, *Mom and Dad, I’m so happy that you’re
in good health. It’s painful to even consider your final
days. I love you and want to make sure your wishes are honored,
even if you can’t state them yourself. If you cannot
speak for yourself, who would you like to speak for you? What
would you want if you were in Terri Schiavo’s condition?*
If you find yourself in a position of making choices for someone
you love, remember this. Your job is not to make the choice you
think is best. Your job is to make the choice you think your loved
one would make for himself or herself.
You can honor Terri Schiavo’s life and legacy by planning
for your own death. Hopefully you will die in peace and comfort,
surrounded by those you love. By communicating your end-of-life
wishes in advance, you offer a gift to those you leave behind. And
in deciding how to die, may you get a renewed vision of how you
want to live.
Get the tools to live a healthier live and bounce back fromillness
more quickly in Dr. Vicki's teleclass series "The Healthy Way
to be Sick." For more information visit: http://www.medicalbridges.com/registration.html
Vicki Rackner, MD, president of Medical Bridges, is a board-
certified surgeon who left the operating room to help employees
become active participants in their health care. She is a
consultant, speaker and author of the *Personal Health Journal*,and
author/editor of *Chicken Soup for the Healthy Heart Soul*.
Dr. Rackner can be reached at http://www.MedicalBridges.com
or (425) 451-3777
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