The Paper in Hand or the Words From Your Lips?

This content has been archived. It may no longer be relevant

Medical Directives, Durable Power of Attorney, Health Care Proxies are all important documents to have readily available when you or your loved one is working through the health care system.   These documents are equally important for non traditional families in order to establish communication between health care service providers as well as securing  visiting rights  for their partners and loved ones.

I was recently told of a story of a women who had enlisted her sister as her health care surrogate.  The health care surrogate did not agree with her sisters life style, denied her access to all her friends, instructed the staff to dress her  only in the clothes she had purchased for her only because the surrogate did not approve of her life style.   This cliff note version of this story is one of the saddest stories that I have ever been told in regards to heath care directives.

Imagine spending your life with someone only to be denied access to them because of someone’s bigotry? 

 

In my book, advocacy does not mean control, rather it means to stand up for your loved one in the manner in which they want to be represented

As ‘The Little One’ and Imuddle through the legal jargon in order to get him the best care plan possible,  these documents are critical to have in place.  I bring this topic up today to remind all of us for the need to have ‘all our ducks in a row’ because you just never know when you are going to need your medical directives, health care proxies and living wills.

However, it just makes sense that when a patient is of sound mind and body, a simple verbal permission by the patient should be sufficient to ensure communication between the patient’s advocate and the health care staff.  That is not always the case, which is way having the legal documentation in place is critical at these times.  Dealing with a critical  illness is difficult enough, having to worry ones advanced directives just makes it even worse.

 I am so proud of ‘The Little One’ as he fights to rid this disease from his body.   His determination to see this through is admirable; I am not sure that I would have the same strength and courage that he has demonstrated these past four weeks.     With just seven more treatments to go of radiation and one more treatment of chemotherapy, we are in the home stretch of this first and hopefully last round of cancer treatments.  There is indication that the tumor has shrunk, yet we will not know the results of the treatments until 30 days past the completion of the radiation and chemotherapy.

We will make it through these next 10 days and point to Wednesday October 5th…When ‘The Little One’ returns to our northern home