re: Living Will - To Give Up or to be a Burden?

All anyone in the hospital wants is to know what to do in the event of catastrophe. Ie: lethal rhythm
Talk to your family about your wishes. Ask what their wishes are. As gruesome as it sounds, talk about death so that it isn't such a boogeyman.
As an RN in a level 1 trauma center, I've seen some horrible things made worse by the fact that people won't talk about it and aren't comfortable with it.
Know that there are certain situations that are brutal and no one wants to be in.
For instance, living will and hospice in place with father having progressively worsening mysethenia gravis. Can't breathe.
Pt. is 80 years old and because
the son can't or won't make a decision his father will live on a ventilator and tube feeding for what remains of his life. Compares his dad to Stephen Hawking, "I mean he lives in a wheelchair and still contributes to society"
Basically didn't want to feel like he was pulling the plug on dad
Or "killing his dad". But his dad had the dNR in place, his wishes were known.
I could go on, but understand what you want at the end of your life and communicate it. If you don't then you leave your loved ones to deal with the loss and pain and guilt over what you
Might have wanted mixed with their own guilt fears and wishes