Dear friends,
“It’s always too early to plan for end-of-life care, until it’s too late.“ This statement has been on my mind since I last heard it a month ago from Dr. Geoff Galbraith who spoke at last month’s AmazingCARE luncheon in East Greenwich, Rhode Island.
Geoff spoke about his personal experience as a physician and as a patient with regard to having a medical surrogate who can speak up for us when we are physically unable to express our desires and wishes. He talked about why it’s important to choose a trusted family member/friend whose values are similar to ours and can be trusted to act according to our personal desires. He recounted stories about his patients who thought they had lots of time to plan only to be caught up in a medical emergency; and then sadly, there was no more time to do the kind of careful, deliberate planning we all would like to have.
On a personal note, I have had conversations with my two sons about what I’d like for myself at end of life. One has listened attentively and carefully. The other is in major denial that I will ever die. Sigh. It’s very difficult to deal with denial. But I’m determined to make my two sons understand and appreciate what I want now when we have the leisure time to talk about things that matter to me. I wish the same for you.
Best,
Cora
