To anyone reading this: please create a legal living will or medical directives. I don't care how old you are or how you feel, do it. A. had none of that and now that she is totally debilitated her father, with whom she has had almost no contact in the past 10 years, came to town long enough to grab power of attorney from her while she is too sick to argue. He then left a "by any means necessary" directive with the doctors before leaving again. (He was here all of 12 hours, what a peach.) So now she will linger, hooked up, intubated and miserable. She asked last night if she can refuse treatment and the nurse told her they would sedate her and treat her against her wishes because she had signed over the power of attorney (something she can't even remember doing she is so out of it). My friend is going to try to talk the dad into reversing the order so that A. can go to a hospice and die more peacefully but it may be too late for that.

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