The Dangers of 80 Percent
03 Feb 2007
Would you like to be connected to tubes for months to sustain life when doctors know there’s no hope of your survival? Or have family members feud because none are aware of your wishes when faced with your imminent death. If you’ve left such an important decision to chance then there’s a good chance this could happen. A study shows that 80 percent of North Americans haven’t signed a Living Will.
I can understand it if you’re one of the 80 percent who because of religious, moral or ethical reasons, want fate to decide your final outcome it’s your right to do so. But if that’s not the case, overlooking a living will is a terrible risk. And it places a huge burden on your doctor, hospital and family.
Most people don’t have a living will because of the "manana principle". The one that says "I’ll do it tomorrow", and tomorrow never happens. And some can’t face up to the fact that sooner or later they’re going to die.
Others fear that doctors might pull the plug too soon if they sign a living will. But this is a huge myth. The reverse situation is true. Doctors who have no instruction about a patient’s wishes often go to the other extreme, using futile measures to extend life to the last agonizing breath.
One of my patients recently said to me, "What’s the point of having a living will when it’s not a legal, binding document?" It’s a good question, because some family members may disagree with your wishes. But believe me, it’s far, far safer to have your wishes in writing than no living will. I’ve seen too many people die badly to worry about that possibility.
The Living Will should leave no doubt as to what you want done at the end of life. It does not require many pages to get your message across. As Albert Einstein remarked, "It should be simple but not too simple." For example, just telling your family you do not want heroic measures taken is not enough.
The Gifford-Jones Living Will leaves no question about what you want on your final days. That you I have no desire to be treated by a physician dedicated to getting the last breath out of you. And that you want sufficient painkillers even though this may hasten death.
It further states that you have no desire to be left immobilized staring at the ceiling for months, maybe years, unable to feed yourself or even scratch your nose while waiting for the heart to stop.
I’m being partly facetious when my LW states I’d prefer a veterinarian, rather than a doctor, to look after me in my final days. One who would treat my suffering with the same cool logic he bestows on animals. Barbaro, the 2006 Kentucky Derby winner was just euthanized when it could no longer stand due to an inflammation of the legs. I’ve never understood the reasoning, that humans should be allowed to suffer because their brains are slightly more developed than animals’.
I admit I haven’t yet approached a veterinarian to act on my behalf. But, just to get my point across, I’ll quickly add one to my LW if I’m ever suffering from a chronic illness.
Since Canada and most U.S. states have legislation that forbids doctors to end a patient’s suffering, the Living Will is as far as you can go. But the Gifford-Jones Living Will does stress that if eliminating heroic measures still fails to end life then all intravenous feeding must be stopped. I’d rather starve to death than exist as a human vegetable.
Don’t make the mistake of filing away a Living Will that no one knows about. Or that’s been signed and no one has been informed where it’s located. Be sure you provide a copy to your doctor, family members, minister, or whoever else accepts your wishes. And be certain you have a doctor who shares your own philosophy.
The Gifford-Jones Living Will can be obtained by sending $10.00 and a self-addressed stamped envelope to Dr. Gifford-Jones, 1 First Canadian Medical Centre, P.O. Box 109, Toronto, Ontario, M5X 1A4.
