Blog post 9_Health-Care Directive

end of life directive
In my twenties, it may be good to start considering about the end of life directives because we do not know when we are going to die, but I do not have time to spare to think about death right now. However, I had thought about it a while ago when I got my license; an organ donation declaration of intention column provided on the back side of the Japanese driver's license. When I first got my license, I remember it took me days and days to decide which one to circle. There were three options. First, I will give my organs for transplantation after either case of brain death or death by heart arrest. Second, I will give my organs for transplantation only after death by heart arrest. Third, I will not donate my organs. I don't remember exactly how long it took me to choose which one to circle, but I chose the second option. My grandpa died on March of pancreatic cancer. ADVANCE HEALTH-CARE DIRECTIVE reminded me of an organ donation declaration of intention column on the back of my license and when my grandpa was making an end of life decisions. My grandpa seemed he already knew what he wanted to do with his life and how he wanted to end it, but it is so hard to think he decided these in such a short time. The X-ray which grandpa had done showed that his cancer had spread widely. As a matter of fact, it is advancing very rapidly, and the doctor told us that it was pancreatic cancer. Considering his age, he had anticancer drugs treatment instead of having an operation. The doctor said that it is not a matter of years, but is a matter of months. It was stressful watching the physical changes at last stages of life as it was for my grandpa.

Page 5 in the HAWAII ADVANCE HEALTH-CARE DIRECTIVE, question 6 is about the choice to prolong life or choice not to prolong life.
If I were to choose one, I would choose not to prolong my life, but if I could choose not to or to give life-prolonging treatment for a family member, I definitely would think about it. However, more and more I think about life-prolonging treatment, I feel it is humans egoism to keep dying alive.