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wittynickname · 08-20-2009, 09:27 PM

I love listening to Jon Stewart work people. If you can watch tonight's Daily Show, do it: He's talking to the "death panel" woman right now, and listening to her talk exasperates me.

I have family who dealt with these issues. My grandmother did not want to be kept alive by artificial means. She had a living will and a directive card stating as much. She was adamantly against taking blood transfusions, etc.

While in advanced stages of cancer, she was unable to answer these questions for herself. If it had gone to next of kin, my uncle, her wishes would've been compromised, because he was insistent on keeping her alive by any means necessary--though it would've compromised her wishes and her faith. Had she not had a legal document--the medical directive/living will--her wishes wouldn't have been carried out.

You can have that living will say anything. You can tell doctors to keep you alive by any means possible. The point of a directive is to ensure that family doesn't emotionally decide something that would compromise the faith/beliefs/decisions of someone who may not be able to answer for him or herself.

It isn't about getting rid of grandma because she's of advanced age. It's about encouraging people to know what they want, to make those decisions at a time when they're level-headed, of sound mind, etc, so that when an emergency arises, doctors aren't left trying to deal with family who may be arguing, estranged, of different beliefs, etc.

There are plenty of issues with the bill as it stands--but that part I fully, 100% support.

08-20-2009, 09:27 PM	#53
wittynickname wittyusertitle Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Exp:	I love listening to Jon Stewart work people. If you can watch tonight's Daily Show, do it: He's talking to the "death panel" woman right now, and listening to her talk exasperates me. I have family who dealt with these issues. My grandmother did not want to be kept alive by artificial means. She had a living will and a directive card stating as much. She was adamantly against taking blood transfusions, etc. While in advanced stages of cancer, she was unable to answer these questions for herself. If it had gone to next of kin, my uncle, her wishes would've been compromised, because he was insistent on keeping her alive by any means necessary--though it would've compromised her wishes and her faith. Had she not had a legal document--the medical directive/living will--her wishes wouldn't have been carried out. You can have that living will say anything. You can tell doctors to keep you alive by any means possible. The point of a directive is to ensure that family doesn't emotionally decide something that would compromise the faith/beliefs/decisions of someone who may not be able to answer for him or herself. It isn't about getting rid of grandma because she's of advanced age. It's about encouraging people to know what they want, to make those decisions at a time when they're level-headed, of sound mind, etc, so that when an emergency arises, doctors aren't left trying to deal with family who may be arguing, estranged, of different beliefs, etc. There are plenty of issues with the bill as it stands--but that part I fully, 100% support.