A little Advanced Directive

You have made all these decisions to keep yourself healthy.

You are making investments in your future health why not for that of others since you can.

Advance Directive

DNR

Power of Attorney

Do you have yours?

No? Do you think you are invincible? 

Yes? Can I know your secret?

The rest of us want to know. :)

Life situation:

Head on collision, Sunday morning, on the way home from church. Drunk driver, random time, she is dead at scene. You can hear people talking, you can't move your fingers. Why aren't your eyes opening? There's a tube in your throat and the sound of breathing in your ear. Crying. Prayers. Who is that? 

On the other side of you, in a coma, is your family trying to make decisions on what you would want. 

Would you want CPR multiple times? Ribs broken? But everything they can do to keep you alive? Do you want to be fed through your IV and kept alive on a breathing machine? Do you only want to be comfortable with pain medication and pass peacefully without the connection to machines?

These are choices you can make now for yourself. These choices are yours right now if you fill a piece of paper out. Yours, to decide exactly what you want so everyone is clear on your desires.

These important documents 

-Provide the healthcare team with each person's personal choices for their care once they are at end of life care and can't verbalize their wish.

-Needed despite how young you are (provided you are 18)- a motor vehicle accident, a stroke, a school shooting, a foreign attack...can happen at any time. Have you thought about what you would like done?

-Differ state-to-state, so if you have moved since you filled out your last one, it is wise to pick one up from your current state.

The advance directive does not go into affect until the doctor has proved you are at the end. You will have excellent care until they have deemed that there is no hope.

They won't quit until there is nothing left to do but keep you alive with machines and nutrition. Then your advanced choices come in to play.

If you have a DNR, it is effective as soon as you sign it. Making sure the DNR is on hospital records and in the hands of loved ones is important.

You can also choose who you want to make decisions for you, called your power of attorney.

If you are healthy and you have insurance you should have these documents filled out. 

Why have insurance, when you're healthy, if you don't think there is a chance you don't control every event in your life and something, something just might happen to you, healthy you.

These documents can only be filled out by YOU.

You can revoke or make new ones at any time as long as you are of sound mind (so make sure you know where your copies are)

The witness has to be someone you don't know... Someone that can't benefit from your death in any way.

These are Oklahoma rules. Your doctor or any hospital should be able to supply you with these documents and be able to answer your questions.

You have the power. 

It can be taken away in a blink. 

Have you prepared and invested in this part of your future health?

Be informed and prepared. Tragedy is never easy but there are things that can make if better. We have plans for disasters...this is just another one.

Now onto the next health topic....

Avocado, roasted beets, chipotle aioli, whole wheat sourdough, vegan grilled cheese is following.