Carol's Health Care Directive
May 1, 2004 Version
This document is an addendum to my Health Care Power
of Attorney and is intended to illustrate, not replace, that
document. Should I become unable to clearly communicate, either
verbally, through writing or some form of gestures, etc., my wishes for
my health care, this is the general idea of what I would want done:
Summary:
Please take these instructions as my attempt to
communicate my general wishes. If what I have put in writing is
contradictory with what my health care agent(s) as identified in my
Health Care Power of Attorney believes I wish, then what he/she
instructs has priority. I also wish for the medical staff to take
into account the context of when these events (i.e. heart stops)
occur. If a family member has expressed a desire to be with me
when I die and is in the hospital, consider resusitating me long enough
for that family member to return. Because I am young and healthy
(basically!), I wish to have care continued unless multiple things have
gone wrong such that I'm not expected to live for more than a few
weeks, or that the quality of that life might be pretty miserable and
not bringing me back would be a kindness.
Nutrition: Please continue any and all forms nutrition,
i.e. tube feeding, IV liquids, TPN (IV feeding) regardless of other
conditions UNLESS I have become comatose, am not expected to regain
conciousness and the only thing keeping me alive are the
feedings. At that point, please discuss when to discontinue
nutritional/liquid support with my husband. At that point, I am
mostly concerned about staying comfortable.
Palliative Care: Please
continue any and all forms of care intended to make me more
comfortable, such as pain control medication, medication to help
control mental health concerns (i.e. anxiety, depression, psychosis),
sleeping aids, massage, bathing, etc.
Intubation/Respirator or Other
Ventilatory Support: Please put me on a respirator or any
other forms of breathing support if needed to help me recover from a
short-term set-back. For example, I am expected to survive at
least a few weeks or longer and am expected to come off the ventilator
at some point but need respiratory support in order to recover from a
condition requiring ventilatory support. OR I may not be expected
to come off the ventilator but may regain conciousness enough to be
able to communicate with family members before dying.
Cardiac/Breathing Resusitation: Please
resusitate me if my heart stops/I stop breathing UNLESS multiple
problems are occuring simultaneously and I am not expected to survive
for more than a few weeks.
For example, I am DNR/DNI if one or more the
following problems exists:
1) Major brain damage resulting in paralysis
and inability to communicate, such as due to a stroke
2) Transplant failed and my own bone marrow
has not recovered, plus nothing can be done to result in a working bone
marrow (i.e. another transplant)
3) Major organ failure or damage to
organ(s) that will ultimately be fatal short term (i.e. less than a
month)
4) AML has returned and cannot be treated for
some reason (i.e. refractory, I am too weak to survive chemotherapy)
5) Process of resusitating will result in
brain damage or other damage that will result in my quality of life
being severely diminished, i.e. in a coma, in severe pain, unable to
communicate with family members
========================
===========================