Death And Dying: Diagnosis Of Terminal Illness

Death and Dying Name Institution Death and Dying Patients diagnosed with terminal illnesses make several decisions on different aspects of their lives in readiness for their demise. These include giving directive on their methods of treatment and building the legacy they wish to leave behind. This paper is a discussion of the instructions I would give on my advanced directive regarding my treatment if diagnosed with a terminal illness alongside the legacy I would love to leave behind. I would sign a living will, appoint a durable power of attorney and leave behind a legacy of courage and love. The kind of treatment I would want administered to me will be specified in my will. Terminal illnesses worsen as time progresses and I may become critically ill to a point I am unable to speak myself. The instructions I had given in my living will prior to critical illness will then be followed in the administration of my treatment (National Cancer Institute, 2013). I will specify that on dying, my heart, kidneys, and other body organs and tissues not affected by the illness be donated to patients requiring transplants of the same. In the case that my breathing or heartbeat stops, I will instruct that “Do Not Resuscitate” (DNR) orders for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) be administered. This is because I will be at the acceptance stage and I am calm because I have made peace with the idea of my soon demise (Hurst, 2018). The durable power of attorney will be assigned to my parents. The terminal illness may make me critically sick rendering me impossible of making decisions for myself. Perception and anticipation of death is an altogether complex process psychologically and emotionally. Denial, which is the first stage of the death process, will bar me from dealing head on with the idea of my approaching death (Hurst, 2018). Denial may further cause me to believe that I could possibly beat the odds and survive the illness thus making me fail to cooperate in the signing of legal documents that specify the treatment I would want for myself. In both of these instances, I need to appoint someone who will make decisions on my behalf regarding the type of treatment I would want administered to me (National Cancer Institute, 2013). I believe more than anyone else, my...