Quote "A "living will" -- what a mockery that term! It is not about life at all. It is about hubris. Why?
Because when able and well a person can hardly imagine that he or she would want to continue living in a state of agony or non-responsiveness, or inability to control any muscles. Or G-d forbid, lessened intellectual function.
Yet once that happens ... a person's mind changes. You find life -- even in pain, without muscle control -- as a mere observer of one's own thoughts, all senses dead or impaired -- still incredibly precious. Incredibly valuable, welcome and desired. Why is that? Perhaps to have that one purposeful thought or re-thought that makes a life on balance a eternal treasury -- for just the hope of that.
It happened to me -- my mindset changed. I was the same as many with regard to my wishes if ever greviously impaired -- yet once in that state (and thankfully for not too long either) I discovered it was stil a great treasure to live, even in pain, unable to control my muscles, to communicate.
Living wills -- written in that natural human emotion of fear of the unknown are like a death sentence your once-bold and proud, yet ignorant self writes upon your own self later. They are not a good thing and they are over- promoted in the winds of the hour.
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I have mine sitting here...waiting to be signed. Reading all of that certainly makes me wonder what to do. It is not an easy decision...I guess I think it would be easier on my family - but then I look at what is going on with her mom and dad.
There is no winning in this situation
Look at Terri -- she continues! Just water and some food, she'll live.
A living will that says anything less than that in every circumstance possible you'd wish to live -- that's the only will I'd sign. Because once there -- silenced, yet conscious -- you may come to wish that'd you live. None knows their mind beforehand.