Let Me Do the Work for You
If the saga of Terri Schiavo has done nothing, it should prompt yon readers to create a living will and do it now.
I’ve searched the Internet far and wide, read the many offerings and pondered the fifty states that may have differing laws.
Below is a living will that I’ve used from
THIS SOURCE
I’ve adjusted the original somewhat to eliminate all references to removing food and water even if administered by artificial means.
Now use common sense. This fill-in-the-blank type of affair, which can easily be copied and pasted into a word processor, printed out and completed, is as generic as I could find. It may, as yon intelligent readers understand, be in violation of your own state law. Although I doubt it. Most of the information is simple and straightforward. AND, in the eventuality that the user DOES want to terminate artificial administration of food and water then the text should be changed.
In other words, read it, and change, via the miracle of cut and paste, whatever isn’t applicable to your wishes. It also wouldn’t hurt to get it notarized as this form only calls for witnesses.
However, and I’ll go out on a limb here, if Terri Schiavo had such a simple thing I’d argue no matter the state law, it’s better than nothing. The Wise I is no attorney, yon readers understand, and the wisest step of all would be to have your trusted lawyer draw a Living Will up for you. But today it’s a simple matter to at the very least have the below somewhere and ready to go.
Let me emphasize again that there is a bevy of information out there on the Internet. Below I’ve listed a few links to sites with Living Wills. Some are free, some charge a modest fee.
It’s the best this modest Grandma Blogger can do for yon readers.
PDF file
Parting Wishes.com
MyEasyForms.com
MakeYourWill.com
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DIRECTIVE TO PHYSICIANS AND FAMILY OR SURROGATE
Instructions for completing this document:
This is an important legal document known as an Advance Directive. It is designed to help you communicate your wishes about medical treatment at some time in the future when you are unable to make your wishes known because of illness or injury. These wishes are usually based on personal values. In particular, you may want to consider what burdens or hardships of treatment you would be willing to accept for a particular amount of benefit obtained if you were seriously ill.
You are encouraged to discuss your values and wishes with your family or chosen spokesperson, as well as your physician. Your physician, other health care provider, or medical institution may provide you with various resources to assist you in completing your advance directive. Brief definitions are listed below and may aid you in your discussions and advance planning. Initial the treatment choices that best reflect your personal preferences. Provide a copy of your directive to your physician, usual hospital, and family or spokesperson. Consider a periodic review of this document. By periodic review, you can best assure that the directive reflects your preferences.
You may also wish to complete a directive related to the donation of organs and tissues.
DIRECTIVE
I, ______________, recognize that the best health care is based upon a partnership of trust and communication with my physician. My physician and I will make health care decisions together as long as I am of sound mind and able to make my wishes known. If there comes a time that I am unable to make medical decisions about myself because of illness or injury, I direct that the following treatment preferences be honored:
If, in the judgment of my physician, I am suffering with a terminal condition from which I am expected to die within six months, even with available life-sustaining treatment provided in accordance with prevailing standards of medical care:
____ I request that all treatments other than those needed to keep me comfortable be discontinued or withheld and my physician allow me to die as gently as possible;
OR
____ I request that I be kept alive in this terminal condition using available life-sustaining treatment. (THIS SELECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO HOSPICE CARE.)
If, in the judgment of my physician, I am suffering with an irreversible condition so that I cannot care for myself or make decisions for myself and am expected to die without life-sustaining treatment provided in accordance with prevailing standards of care:
____ I request that all treatments other than those needed to keep me comfortable be discontinued or withheld and my physician allow me to die as gently as possible;
OR
____ I request that I be kept alive in this irreversible condition using available life-sustaining treatment. (THIS SELECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO HOSPICE CARE.)
Additional requests: (After discussion with your physician, you may wish to consider listing particular treatments in this space that you do or do not want in specific circumstances, such as artificial nutrition and fluids, intravenous antibiotics, etc. Be sure to state whether you do or do not want the particular treatment.)
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
After signing this directive, if my representative or I elect hospice care, I understand and agree that only those treatments needed to keep me comfortable would be provided and I would not be given available life-sustaining treatments except food and water in whatever form required.
If I do not have a Medical Power of Attorney, and I am unable to make my wishes known, I designate the following person(s) to make treatment decisions with my physician compatible with my personal values:
1._____________________
2._____________________
(If a Medical Power of Attorney has been executed, then an agent already has been named and you should not list additional names in this document.)
Signed__________________________________ Date______________________
City, County, State of Residence __________________________________
Two competent adult witnesses must sign below, acknowledging the signature of the declarant. The witness designated as Witness 1 may not be a person designated to make a treatment decision for the patient and may not be related to the patient by blood or marriage. This witness may not be entitled to any part of the estate and may not have a claim against the estate of the patient. This witness may not be the attending physician or an employee of the attending physician. If this witness is an employee of a health care facility in which the patient is being cared for, this witness may not be involved in providing direct patient care to the patient. This witness may not be an officer, director, partner, or business office employee of a health care facility in which the patient is being cared for or of any parent organization of the health care facility.
Witness 1________________________
Witness 2_________________________
Definitions:
"Artificial nutrition and hydration" means the provision of nutrients or fluids by a tube inserted in a vein, under the skin in the subcutaneous tissues, or in the stomach (gastrointestinal tract).
"Irreversible condition" means a condition, injury, or illness:
(1) that may be treated, but is never cured or eliminated;
(2) that leaves a person unable to care for or make decisions for the person's own self; and
(3) that, without life-sustaining treatment provided in accordance with the prevailing standard of medical care, is fatal.
Explanation: Many serious illnesses such as cancer, failure of major organs (kidney, heart, liver, or lung), and serious brain disease such as Alzheimer's dementia may be considered irreversible early on. There is no cure, but the patient may be kept alive for prolonged periods of time if the patient receives life-sustaining treatments. Late in the course of the same illness, the disease may be considered terminal when, even with treatment, the patient is expected to die. You may wish to consider which burdens of treatment you would be willing to accept in an effort to achieve a particular outcome. This is a very personal decision that you may wish to discuss with your physician, family, or other important persons in your life.
"Life-sustaining treatment" means treatment that, based on reasonable medical judgment, sustains the life of a patient and without which the patient will die. The term includes both life-sustaining medications and artificial life support such as mechanical breathing machines, kidney dialysis treatment, etc. The term does not include the administration of pain management medication, the performance of a medical procedure necessary to provide comfort care, or any other medical care provided to alleviate a patient's pain. "Terminal condition" means an incurable condition caused by injury, disease, or illness that according to reasonable medical judgment will produce death within six months, even with available life-sustaining treatment provided in accordance with the prevailing standard of medical care.
Explanation: Many serious illnesses may be considered irreversible early in the course of the illness, but they may not be considered terminal until the disease is fairly advanced. In thinking about terminal illness and its treatment, you again may wish to consider the relative benefits and burdens of treatment and discuss your wishes with your physician, family, or other important persons in your life.
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The Apprentice
Erin, a lovely porcelain doll of a woman, got fired this past week. As well she should have because go on, she just walked away from her team’s challenge. Rumor had it that she was catching the eye of Monsieur Trump. Who has an eye for the ladies so we hear.
The task this past week was to design and enact a home project for a Home Depot in-store demonstration. One team, the winners, came up with a box sort of thing. Hey, boxes can be made into anything although the team complained about it endlessly. The other team’s project was so nothing that I already forgot what it was. Home Depot’s complaint was that the “book smart” team’s project did not incorporate enough homeowner interaction in the demonstration.
Erin, pretty doll baby, got it into her head that Home Depot and such as construction projects are just out of her league. Plus she might break a nail.
What really got her fired was her smart mouth. Well what did you expect? She’s a lawyer!
This week the teams are going to design a new pizza for Dominos. Hmmmmm.
I’m do a “white” pizza for new and different. With shrimp. The cheese would not be mozzarella. Perhaps Colby Jack, perhaps white cheddar.
We shall see.
American Idol
Seems American Idol posted the wrong phone number for several contestants. Thus they had to re-do the entire show from this past week.
Yeah sure. I say the producers did an extrapolation of the dates when the final few contestants would begin to capture national attention. And they’ve deduced that they don’t like the date when the finale would occur. Or else they’re trying to extend the hoopla. Whatever the case, I truly do not believe this was a mistake as is claimed.
From AOL NEWS we have:
…when the show displayed the wrong call-in numbers for three of the contestants. Voters who called the numbers listed for Anwar Robinson, Mikalah Gordon, or Jessica Sierra would have inadvertently registered support instead for Anthony Fedorov, Carrie Underwood, or Scott Savol. As a result, the error is forcing the first revote in Idol history.
Until now I’ve been favoring Bo Bice and Nadia Turner. Now I must re-think. Some observations from my notes:
Bo Bice sang an awful song. “Time in a Bottle” by Jim Croce. This is not his genre.
Jessica Sierra on the other hand sang one of my favorite songs-“Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler. Of course my favor of the song makes me see this contestant in a new light and she did, goodness, she did a wonderful job.
According to my notes taken while the show was on, Mikalah Gordon was “awful”. I don’t know why I noted that but Ms. Gordon WAS eliminated as a result of that competition.
Nadia Turner, my former favorite, sported some sort of Mohawk hairdo that hey, I thought it was original, but weird. Alas, Nadia didn’t perform nearly as well as she had done in the past.
Constantine Maroulis performed “I Think I Love You” by the Partridge Family. And he did a great job with it. I look for him to make the final five.
Finally, the judges loved Nikko Smith. Smith had been voted off once before but was allowed another chance due to another contestant quitting. I still don’t like him, he’s too close to a gangsta rapper for my taste.
I’m keeping Bo Bice in my top three. I’m going to replace Nadia with Jessica Sierra. Now I will add Constantine Maroulis to the top three as I envision them now.
West Wing Personnas
A quick note. The TV show “West Wing” is a liberal show. Indeed, whoever writes for this show writes of an America they dream of in their ivory towers. I love the political interaction as depicted on the show but the plot lines, like everything liberal, would not work in the real world.
The series is getting interesting in that it is President Bartlett’s last year and a new election looms.
Right now let me point out that the projected Republican contender, Senator Vinnick, is a senator in real life. He is the liberals’ favorite Republican senator and now they will finally get their wish and perhaps get the guy elected.
Who is he?
John McCain, of course.
Check it out.
TV listings
Noting only the upcoming American Idol and Apprentice shows this week.
On Tuesday, 3/29, @ 9pm, on Fox American Idol has another segment for voting by the American public.
On Wednesday, 3/30 @ 9pm, Fox will feature American Idol, in a half hour show, one contestant will be eliminated from the voting for the prior Tuesday’s segment.
On Thursday, 3/31 @ 9 pm, NBC’s The Apprentice will have a new segment featuring…PIZZA!
An Intriguing Recipe
Came across this recipe in a cookbook my mother-in-law gave me. The cookbook is a compilation of recipes from the retirement community in which she lives. Just as soon as I saw the dish I knew I had to make it.
It’s called Butter Brickle and I’ve never heard of it before. But I figured with saltines and chocolate as part of the ingredients it had to be interesting.
So I made it but alas I have no pics. This is mostly because I burned the Butter Brickle but to my surprise it tasted very good in a scorched state. Next time I make it, and I will make it again, I will get a pic of an unburned dish.
Butter Brickle
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter-no substitute
12 oz. Chocolate bits
40 saltine crackers
¾ cup chopped walnuts-coarse
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cover large cookie sheet with a lip with foil. Line pan with 40 saltines on a single layer. On stove, melt butter and brown sugar. Bring to a full boil and cook three minutes, stirring constantly. Pour over crackers. Bake 5 minutes. Sprinkle chocolate bits on top. Leave until soft. Swirl over top and sprinkle with nuts. Refrigerate 4 hours. Break into pieces. Store in refrigerator.
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Speaking of Chocolate
Came across these rules of chocolate and thought it something every ersatz cook should have. Forthwith:
The Rules of Chocolate
If you get melted chocolate all over your hands,
you're eating it too slowly.
Chocolate covered raisins, cherries, orange slices
and strawberries all count as fruit,
so eat as many as you want.
The problem:
How to get two pounds of chocolate home
from the store in a hot car.
The solution: Eat it in the parking lot.
Diet tip: Eat a chocolate bar before each meal.
It'll take the edge off your appetite and you'll eat less.
If you can't eat all your chocolate, it will keep in
the freezer. But if you can't eat all your chocolate,
what's wrong with you?
If calories are an issue, store your chocolate on top
of the fridge. Calories are afraid of heights, and they
will jump out of the chocolate to protect themselves.
Money talks. Chocolate sings.
Chocolate has many preservatives.
Preservatives make you look younger.
Why is there no such organization as Chocoholics Anonymous?
Because no one wants to quit.
Put eat chocolate at the top of your list of things to do today. That way, at least you'll get one thing done.
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