Terri Schiavo's Gift
By Vicki Rackner MD
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.
Copyright (c) 2005 Vicki Rackner, MD. All rights reserved.
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About the Author
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.