How do you prepare for your own death? That’s something I’ve thought about; I frequently think about my death. I consider what will happen after I die, what I want to happen, and how it will impact my family. I have spoken to various family members nonchalantly about my wishes to be cremated and an organ donor but before this assignment I had never sat down with my family and talked about what I want in a serious manner. There is no reason as to why I haven’t discussed it with family, perhaps death seemed too far away, but I do believe it’s important for everyone to discuss their advance care directives with someone- regardless of age.
At 21 when you say, “I don’t want resuscitation” people often think you’re joking, but I wasn’t and I wanted …show more content…
My boyfriend and brother said they would still give me CPR if the chances of healthy life were high. I understood that my boyfriend had said this because at a young age he had lost many friends and my brother because he didn’t like the thought of my death. My mother was surprised that as my only genetic parent I did not choose her to be my spokesperson, which I had anticipated as she was a single mother. I really played into my definition of our family dynamic by naming my stepdad as my spokesperson; my parental unit consists of my stepdad, mother, and mum’s parents (my grandparents) all of whom raised me. But the reason I chose my stepdad was because my mother always told me, “I would never be able to live if I lost you or your brother” and the qualities to look for in a spokesperson is someone that can “communicate clearly with my health team, make difficult decisions during stressful times” (INSERT REFERENCE). I wanted to alleviate any guilt associated with decision-making for my mum, which I explained to her, as this is something I’ve seen in the hospital as a student and I’ve read about in literature about chronically ill children. I’ve also watched my mum’s best friend struggle to cope with the loss of her young son; I thought by eliminating the burden of making …show more content…
During the conversation I showed my grandmother the print-out from Speak Up and she said that she and my grandfather don’t have a will; she said that they had written out some wishes (about cremation and organ donation) on a piece of paper in their fire-proof safe. My mother also confided that she had written her wishes and had it signed by a family friend who is a Commissioner of Oaths. I also found out that my stepdad refuses to write a will because, as a firefighter, the topic of death is too close to reality. This conversation helped me develop empathy towards my family members and their feelings related to
At 21 when you say, “I don’t want resuscitation” people often think you’re joking, but I wasn’t and I wanted …show more content…
My boyfriend and brother said they would still give me CPR if the chances of healthy life were high. I understood that my boyfriend had said this because at a young age he had lost many friends and my brother because he didn’t like the thought of my death. My mother was surprised that as my only genetic parent I did not choose her to be my spokesperson, which I had anticipated as she was a single mother. I really played into my definition of our family dynamic by naming my stepdad as my spokesperson; my parental unit consists of my stepdad, mother, and mum’s parents (my grandparents) all of whom raised me. But the reason I chose my stepdad was because my mother always told me, “I would never be able to live if I lost you or your brother” and the qualities to look for in a spokesperson is someone that can “communicate clearly with my health team, make difficult decisions during stressful times” (INSERT REFERENCE). I wanted to alleviate any guilt associated with decision-making for my mum, which I explained to her, as this is something I’ve seen in the hospital as a student and I’ve read about in literature about chronically ill children. I’ve also watched my mum’s best friend struggle to cope with the loss of her young son; I thought by eliminating the burden of making …show more content…
During the conversation I showed my grandmother the print-out from Speak Up and she said that she and my grandfather don’t have a will; she said that they had written out some wishes (about cremation and organ donation) on a piece of paper in their fire-proof safe. My mother also confided that she had written her wishes and had it signed by a family friend who is a Commissioner of Oaths. I also found out that my stepdad refuses to write a will because, as a firefighter, the topic of death is too close to reality. This conversation helped me develop empathy towards my family members and their feelings related to