Why I’m Now Considering An Advance Directive At 29
I curled into a ball, trembling like a leaf. I’ve never been this terrified of anything in my life. I won’t go into the details of my trauma, but I’ve discovered that if I find myself in a state where I’ve lost my wits or am in a vegetative state, I don’t want to be around. Morbid as this may sound, I am OK with my loved ones pulling my plug. I’ve told my family and friends quite a few times if I ever got seriously hurt to pull the plug and cremate me. I’m not even sure why this has come up more than once but they know how I feel. Knowing that I could end up in either of those states, I want to ensure they follow through with this.
I’ve made it 29 years without thinking I’d need a living will until I was at least in my 60s. I’m sure most other 20-something year olds haven’t given this much thought either. I haven’t completed skated away from the idea of what should happen if I’m nearing death though. I’ve setup life insurance and added beneficiaries to all of my accounts. It’s the what should happen if I almost die but didn’t case I haven’t spend much time preparing for.
I figured I’d eventually need one after my dad had a stroke a few years ago. No one knew what he wanted or what we should even do but, I knew I would respect my mother’s wishes. She’s an extension of my father. The thought of a life directive was far away for me because he was in his 60s and I was in my 20s.
Even though 60 is still far away, I’ve realized there’s nothing worse that being in a situation you absolutely could’ve prepared for and didn’t. Life can go in any direction it wants to take you. I wouldn’t want to suffer from the consequences of my own lack of preparation. Imagine you go out with your friends and have a bit too many. You come home fall asleep on your back, and vomit while you’re asleep. You don’t have the ability to turn over, so you end up choking while sleeping. Because you were unconscious for too long, you now suffer severe brain damage. Not a far fetched idea if you’re in your 20s and enjoy having a bit too many drinks with your friends.
That’s where the advance directive comes in and why I’m now considering one. Not because of that particular scenario but because many other things that may be deemed as harmless that can easily go awry. It’s better to be prepared and underwhelmed than unprepared and overwhelmed.
Advance directives give instructions about future medical care should you become unable to make decisions because you are unconscious or too ill to communicate. Unlike the living will, an advance directive isn’t limited to terminal illness and you’ll be absolutely certain that your wishes are carried out. If you’re in your 20s and have a advance directive or are considering one, I’d love to know what helped with your decision or is stopping you?
