Do Not Resuscitate Orders, ID Bracelets & Experiences

Perhaps.

I was told to keep a DNR on the refrigerator because EMTs are trained to look there. Mine basically says if I'm dead, DNR. Charming.

That’s great information to have. Thanks for sharing it.

@hellopam, that's better than mine. 2 inches across. a red line diagonally across it with just DNR in the middle. i've got to get a bigger one. i think i'll just make my own.

@isadora2021, i don't know anymore. i keep reading here that they don't count while in surgery. i thought that was the whole point of having one. IDK anymore. we need to check this out more legally i believe. it'd be best to know for sure.

@dcain01. The doctor actually chose to DO something against an adult’s patient’s express wishes. That’s what interests me about DNR.

The patient says there are days when being alive is not worth it.

I do believe that many doctors place quantity ahead of quality against patient’s express wishes.

I have a great relationship with my oncologist treating me for stage 4 appendix cancer and he knows how important quality is to me over quantity.

He has no right to override my wishes and I trust him not to.

I have since learned from further research that there is mixed opinion on DNR status during surgery. It seems that there are many factors involved. Best bet is to talk with your doctor. Talking with the surgeon pre-surgery is another matter.

@danny5 I’ve done a bit of research. Interesting and in accordance with my expectations.

It seems that a DNR which is properly documented (that needs to be emphasised!) is legally binding on medical professionals and they can face legal consequences if they ignore it.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/8866-do-not-resuscitate-orders
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8996286/
A DNR is not binding on people who aren’t medical professionals.

@isadora2021, thank you for finding these and posting them. it is very imperative that everyone here read both articles. do not hesitate to read them both. Daniel

I completely believe that the entire medical system is geared toward quantity of life rather than quality of life. Medical professionals rarely have to defend against making decisions that produce a poor life quality, and do have to defend (expensively) against decisions that can be interpreted as shortening someone's life.

This unfortunately can make prioritizing quality over quantity an act of moral courage. And most of us are not known for our moral courage. I fail to see why the average medical professional should be any different from the rest of us in that regard.

In addition, I'm sure it's true that when face to face with a specific situation rather than an abstract circumstances, people change their minds. I'm staring down the eventual barrel of Alzheimer's. Is what I want now going to be different than what I want when I'm past the MCI stage? Beats me.

Until quite recently from a historical and cultural perspective, we all just died of stuff. And choosing when or whether to die was not something most of us had to struggle with, including people in the medical profession. In the meantime, we're stuck at the point when society is figuring this out, it's hard, and the wrong answer happens more than it should.

I like the hospice suggestion. Also having a good personal relationship with your key medical professionals (so they know you as a human rather than a cluster of symptoms), and going on record wherever you can about your preferences.