In this episode Dr. Wyatt thanks her supporter Cathy Zheutlin who is a film producer currently making a documentary called “Living While Dying.” If you would like to support this podcast go to Patreon.com/eolu where you can make a donation of $1 or $2 per month to help defray the expenses of the podcast. Your name will be mentioned on the podcast as a thank you!
Dr. Wyatt discusses Advance Directives from a doctor’s point of view and relates stories about situations involving “the good, the bad, and the ugly” of this legal paperwork. The discussion includes:
- AD’s are legal forms best applied to long-term situations and can be helpful to prevent or terminate life-supporting care that is actually prolonging suffering and the dying process
- we may wish that having AD’s in place will give us some measure of control over the circumstances of our death, but this is often not the case – there are many scenarios in which wishes cannot be carried out
- AD’s are no substitute for having conversations with loved ones about our end-of-life wishes
- be sure to communicate your wishes with everyone who might have a stake or concern about your dying process – make sure everyone hears the same message
- update your loved ones whenever your wishes change
- face your own fears of dying and of being kept alive in order to be extremely clear about your wishes – revisit these thoughts frequently
- recognize that in the end circumstances may be out of everyone’s control and your wishes may not be followed. Find peace with that scenario and help alleviate any guilt your loved ones might carry if your wishes are not met.
Tune in next week for another episode of EOLU! Sign up for the End-of-Life University Interview series – 2 new interviews each month about all aspects of death and dying. Register here to be notified when the next interview is available.
Until next week:
Face Your Fears. BE Ready. Love Your Life.
