have you made your wishes known?

[mamajoan]

I don't really want to post about the Schiavo case, but something that kenboy wrote has made me curious, and hence, a poll.

[Poll #458544]

Comments

[azurelunatic]

My parents, on the other hand, have discussed it with me, and I don't know if they've got their wishes in writing, but they've discussed it with both of us children loud enough so that we know that they both would rather be dead than vegetative. They've got a well-deserved horror of such things. The most recent such conversation involved the current state of my father's mother, and how my father would prefer to check out before he got to such a state, and I reminded him that any voluntary checking out he did would really depend on whether he rememebered that he could... The thought that he could get into a state where he couldn't remember that he'd wish to check out, and still be vaguely functional, spooked him badly.

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

Yeah, after I wrote the quiz I realized I should have added "have your parents made their wishes clear to you," oh well.

The thought that he could get into a state where he couldn't remember that he'd wish to check out, and still be vaguely functional, spooked him badly.

My grandmother has passed through that state, unfortunately, and is now almost to the point where she isn't even "vaguely functional" any more. And since she didn't make her wishes known before she started to decline, her kids are in the position of trying to decide on her behalf. It's not pretty.

[azurelunatic]

My grandmother is attempting to make her wishes clear. However, "She's got depression badly," is the consensus from Guide Dog Aunt. Myself, I think Grandma's being realistic. Somewhat. In her slightly hazy grasp of reality.

[shmuel.livejournal.com]

I don't see any need. I don't have a significant other; if I did, I could see this coming up. As it stands, my family would certainly follow Orthodox Jewish law on such matters -- which would include keeping a feeding tube going in the event of a persistent vegetative state -- which is precisely what I'd want.