Let’s face it, thinking about our own mortality is not pleasant. Unfortunately, it is something that must be faced and should be thought about carefully before the need arises.  There are many difficult decisions to be made regarding your wishes for medical intervention and treatment; your choice of a healthcare proxy if you become incapable of deciding for yourself; a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) order or other end-of-life care; and funeral arrangements. Too often these decisions get thrust upon loved ones unexpectedly and at the very worse time when decisions of life and death must be made quickly and if you have not shared your wishes with them, they may not know what you want them to decide.

As a pediatric nurse, I saw parents struggle with decisions for their sick or injured children every day. Children are completely dependent upon their parents to choose what is best for them. Adults, however, must make their own decisions and then make those decisions clear by discussing them with their loved ones and by putting them into writing so there is no doubt what is desired. This can save a great deal of heartache for your loved ones.

I know firsthand what that heartache is like and learned how important it is to put your decisions in writing when my beloved Nona, my mom’s mother, was hospitalized after being knocked off her front porch by her screen door when a sudden gust of wind blew it into her. She was injured and unconscious and having trouble breathing on her own when she was admitted to the intensive care unit. The doctors asked us for permission to put her on a ventilator. My grandmother had told me and a few other relatives that she did not want extraordinary measures used to save her, such as a ventilator or CPR. However, she never put her wishes into writing and did not specify under what type of circumstances did she want these interventions or not want them. Because she did not have a written advanced medical directive, and because she had not chosen one person to speak for her as her healthcare proxy or agent, there was some disagreement and doubt as to what the right decisions for her care should be. My mom and my aunts chose what they felt was in her best interest but they did so wondering if they were making the decisions she would have made for herself. If only she had an advanced medical directive, they may have been comforted knowing they were carrying out her wishes.

My beautiful Nona as a young woman (with my Papa)

Making advanced medical directives, a living will, and choosing a healthcare agent or proxy just got easier than ever before with the launch of a new system designed to make your wishes known and easily accessible if or when they are ever needed. The MyDirectives System is “the very first HIPAA compliant web-based system for creating & storing advance medical directives and is endorsed by Baylor, the 5th largest health care system in the US. Individuals can create and update their documents at any time. Without an advance medical directive family members and health care providers are left with difficult choices, but storing medical wishes and emergency info online means you’ll get to have the final say.”

At MyDirectives.com, you are guided through filling out your information and choices for treatment in case of an unexpected illness or accident or a terminal illness. You can also choose someone to make choices for you in case you become incapacitated (healthcare proxy) and you can share your wishes for funeral arrangements in the event of your death. This removes a heavy burden from your loved ones who won’t have to guess at what you would want during that difficult time.

MyDirectives is also completely free for you to use. There is no charge to create your directives and no fee to change them anytime you wish. Gone is the excuse of, “I can’t afford to hire an attorney to draw up these documents for me.” Now you can create these legally-binding documents yourself for free.

Do yourself and your loved ones a huge favor and take some time to visit MyDirectives and talk with your family about your decisions for your advanced medical directives. This will give all of you some peace of mind if/when the day comes that they are needed.

Disclosure: This promotional sponsored post was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own.