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It is important to tread lightly when discussing 'end of life' issues. What the medical profession considers 'end of life' protocol might not necessarily be our definition. My husband, who has had PD for the past 24 years, was *extremely* reluctant to establish a living will. It was only when our attorney and I explained that he would have to incur brain damage that was so severe that he could no longer breath on his own (and there was no hope that he ever would) that he agreed to the will. I am his DPOA and know that he wants everything done in the event that he falls ill and requires hospitalization. That means that I will *not* designate a 'no code' status for him (something that multiple doctors approached me about last year when he was hospitalized). What I want to make very clear in this post is that a living will is *not* the same as designating that someone is a 'not code' or DNR (Do not resuscitate). In effect, many patients come in to the hospital with a living will and it has precious little effect on how they are treated. Medical professionals may still ask if the patient is a DNR even if they are alert and oriented and have come in to the hospital with a mild case of pneumonia. One look at neurologically impaired patients often brings that query from the medical staff - they automatically assume that this debilitated individual may not desire to be kept alive in the event of a cardiac arrest. So.....the discussion about 'end of life issues' really boils down to.....do you want to be resuscitated or not? That really is the question. Incidentally, since my husband and I are devote Catholics, we looked to our faith for guidance in this area (as a nurse I am especially committed to adhering to Church doctrine). Catholic doctrine is very clear - it is not necessary to accept extraordinary means (IVs, tube feeding, antibiotics - to say nothing of surgery) in the event of terminal illness. Hope that this helps. ----------- God bless Mary Ann Ryan (CG Jamie 24/64) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn