Being Mortal and Advanced Directives

• How did the documentary influence your thinking about the ‘final days’?
• Do you or your loved ones have an advance directive?  Why or why not?
• Have you ever discussed your thoughts about your own mortality with those you love?  Why or why not?

This documentary was extraordinarily well-directed and produced. It made me start to think about how life is short and unexpected. I may be healthy right now but there is no telling what the future may hold for me. I have a rare chronic lung disease called Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia and because of this, I have thought about what may happen. My parents both have an advance directive. They have one because they believe it is important for our family to be on the same page if something were to happen. I am a part of a family of 6, so opinions and points of view vary between all of us. I can see how making medical decisions may become a problem.

I have discussed my own mortality with my parents. I was especially curious when I was younger and trying to grasp the concept of my disease. I remember my parents explaining to me that even though this is a rare disease they have trust in the medical professionals. My disease is similar to Cystic Fibrosis but has a better life expectancy. This information helped me feel safe. I have not recently talked about death with them because everything is going right with my health right now. After watching this documentary, I am going to ask them their thoughts about this topic.