Tuesday, March 22, 2005

Thoughts About/As a Result of the Shiavo Case

I have been watching and listening to the coverage (ad nauseum) of the Terry Schiavo case in Florida. I'm sure you know the one: the woman that has been in a vegetative state for ten or 15 years, she is in the middle of a big legal battle. Her husband wants to let her die (by pulling her feeding and water tube), her parents want to keep her alive. I'm of two minds on this one. On one hand I say let her go. Just let her die. On the other hand I'm afraid that if this is done a precedent will be set and I'd rather not think about what might happen after that. Hearing all this racket about Shiavo has shown me the importance of getting Power of Attorney and making sure you have a Living Will that lets doctors and all those around know excatly what you want to have done to you if you become incapacitated. My parents have both of these documents. I know excatly what they want done. My parents each of power of attorney over each other and I have power attorney if something should happen to them. They have written out, signed, documented, lawyer stamped living will. Basically, if they are incapacitated and if keeping them alive with machines is the only way they will live then the machines will be turned off. My parents have their funeral arrangements made, they will be cremated and buried in New York. This might seem ghastly to some and maybe a little morbid, but in fact it makes me feel better about the whole thing. I know what they want and it will be taken care of. I'm an only child, I don't have any brothers or sisters so I will have to take care of all this stuff on my own. I do have other family (aunts and uncles and cousins) but they'll only be able to so much. I don't believe in euthanasia, I don't believe in (and obsolutely can't stomach) suicide. I believe that when the Lord wants me he'll come get me. In His own good time.

2 comments:

rebekah said...

my mom has her funeral arrangments all sewn up; namely, there arent any. cremation and we'll stick the ashes somewhere.

i dont like to think about it.

jillymae said...

i believe that if the woman has been kept alive physically with tubes for ten years, it's about time to let her go. i'm sure she just wants to go home. her spirit may already be there, i don't know the answer to that one. i do know that i've really thought about the living will thing lately and having a DNR (do not resussitate) order in it. i agree with you, loof, when it's my time to go, the good Lord will call me home. and i certainly don't want a bunch of tubes and machines keeping me from going home.