Question:
Anywhere on the internet where I can get a living will?
I want a copy of a living will to be placed in my chart at time of surgery. Is there anywhere on the internet where I can copy a form? If not, how do I get one? — kathy S. (posted on June 26, 2000)
June 26, 2000
When I had my WLS pre-op testing, they offered me some paperwork called an
advance directive which was pretty much the same thing as a living will. It was my choice whether to
fill it out or not. Recently, I had a hernia repair surgery at a different
hospital, and they gave me the paperwork for a living will too. So, it must be pretty
standard. If they don't offer it to you, just ask for it, and I bet they
will have what you need.
— Lynn K.
June 26, 2000
Kathy, I've been reading your posts for a while now and i was just
wondering, if you ever look to anything but the negative?... My own surgery
is coming up soon, and if i dwelled on 1/2 the amount of negativity that
you do i'd be to ill to proceed... Do yourself a favor! Think about the
positives for a change. How much happier and healthier your going to be
after your WLS. I hope your days are truly blessed. Alma
— Alma H.
June 26, 2000
In answer to Alma H's post about the living
will, I dont think
that I am being negative in asking about this. Others on this website
have suggested it many times before. As far as me being negative is
concerned
about the surgery, I dont think it is so much me, but my family. If you
have read
my posts as you say you have, Alma, you will see that members of my family
have been
giving me a hard time about having the surgery and that I asked for advice
from other
members of this site for help in that matter. I do not go in to anything
"blind folded"
especially major surgery. I have done a lot of research on wls and when I
find something
that I question, I then ask others here what to make of it. I am sorry if
you think that
I am totally negative about surgery, Alma. Maybe you misinterpreted some of
the things that
I was saying in past postings. I know that it is getting close to your
surgery time and also
mine. I think it is only normal to wonder if I am doing the right thing and
getting nervous once
in a while when surgery is only 3 wks away. Maybe that might be a little of
what seems to be
irritating you about me. I am asking questions. Maybe you arent comfortable
hearing me do that
cause your own surgery is close, too. I don't mean to scare anyone by the
questions/concerns that
I ask on here. I just want to be well informed prior to surgery. I want to
make the decision that is
correct for me. After all, this IS major surgery we are talking about. No
offense meant. Hope none is
taken by what I have just said.
— kathy S.
June 26, 2000
Kathy,
I sincerely apologize, I'm sorry that i'm not as articulate as Ava Lee.
She is truly an Angel. I applaud her resonse and agree 150%. My response
to your post wasn't meant to attack. If I offened you, I'm sorry. I just
wanted to say that when you (I, we) have negative thoughts that they affect
our whole being. our minds as well as our bodies. We can't afford
"unhealthy" anything going into this procedure. Yes, wls is a
difficult choice to make and the burden of that choice lies solely on us
and it's a heavy one to carry. So when we put ourselves out there, we will
have to deal with outside input. which is what we want, but it's not always
what we want to hear. Be it from family, friends, or a website. Still the
choice is ours and ours alone. No one can force us to have wls and no one
can stop us from making a choice to LIVE. My response wasn't even in regard
to a living will. That is a mature
action, with a lot of thought behind it. I guess my reponse was about the
pressure the you (I,we) are all under due to the fact "that we are
making such an "EXTREME" decision. (to quote my MOm.
Also, I just wanted you to know that I to have done my research. I have had
a lot of questions, but I found most of my answers in the archives,(it's a
great resource)my PCP, and others who have had the RNY procedure. That I
made my husband take out extra insurance on me and that I have written
good-bye letters to my two boys explaining why WLS was the right choice for
me to make for them, that I wasn't being selfish, it wasn't all about me.
Kathy, I'd just like to say that I've always been told that " I was
the glass is alway half full , kind of a person". I will concede the
possibility that the glass could be half empty. Best of luck with your
family and prayers for understanding. Alma
— Alma H.
June 27, 2000
As far as thinking negative....I don't believe that is what you are doing.
Just covering all of your bases. Of course, we know that the risk are
almost improbable, but they are still there. I shiver at thinking what my
family will have to go through, should anything happen. However, the risk
are there. I have educated myself, and yet I still make the choice to have
surgery. So then, it is my obligation to be prepared, or to prepare my
family for any outcome. Bless you for loving your family enough to take
these steps!
— LaNora L.
June 27, 2000
I was lucky, there is a lawyer next door to my office so he did my Living Will. I felt that I wanted to make
those decisions and take that out of my family's hands. I also covered the
feeding tube issue. I know how hard it is to make the decision as to put an
animal to sleep so I didn't want my husband to have to make any decision
about what was right for me if I was brain dead. I also had put in the will
that I would donate any organs as long as there would not be any cost to my
family. Doing this did not give me a bad feeling, I flet like I was taking
care of business and it might be the last gift that I could have given my
family. Believe me, my husband did not see it that way. He didn't like
seeing me give it to the hospital. My surgery was very painful for him, but
it turned out to be uneventfull in the end.There is such a small percentage
of complications and deaths, chances are very slim that anything could go
wrong. Good luck and God bless.
— Debra M.
June 27, 2000
I received a Living Will Directive
when I was being checked in for surgery at the hospital. I have also seen
them in kit form in various office supply stores, such as OfficeMax.
— Jeanne W.
June 27, 2000
Hospitals are required by state law to provide advance directives or living wills to a patient free of charge
and can be signed in the hospital.
— Barbara K.
October 22, 2001
http://www.euthanasia.org/lwpdf.html
Downloadable in PDF form
— Cynthia C.
May 3, 2002
This can be a controversial issue,my personal opinion is that I would never
sign a living will. I've heard that
if you flat line, the doctor knows it similar to "Do Not
Recesitate(sp??)" so they don't even try to revive. I haven't done too
much research on it but, my grandpa had a living will and he coded the night when I
was there, and they didn't even try to revive him, and after they said he
was gone, I don't believe he was. The nurse said it was his reflexes but I
don't think so, he reached up and wrapped his arm around my grandma, gave
her a hug and kiss... but yet, he was already gone... So that is why all
faith is gone on the subject of a living
will...
— Sunny4x4chick
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