The Flog Me Document

Anxious to keep the Schiavo case alive, fundamentalists have begun to beat a new drum: the evils of living wills. You see, a living will is "inherently biased against a pro-life Christian understanding of values." Now, I am not sure what that could possibly mean. But I am quite sure that this anti-living will nonsense is going to amuse confuse caregivers and family members.

Here's a sample from the Florida Baptist Witness:

'I direct my health care provider(s) and health care surrogate(s) to make health care decisions consistent with my general desire for the use of medical treatment that would preserve my life, as well as for the use of medical treatment that can cure, improve, or reduce or prevent deterioration in any physical or mental condition.

'Food and water are not medical treatment, but basic necessities. I direct my health care provider(s) and health care agent to provide me with food and fluids orally, intravenously, by tube, or by other means to the full extent necessary both to preserve my life and to assure me the optimal health possible.

'I direct that medication to alleviate my pain be provided, as long as the medication is not used in order to cause my death.

'I direct that the following be provided:

* the administration of medication;
* cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR); and
* the performance of all other medical procedures, techniques, and technologies, including surgery %u2013 all to the full extent necessary to correct, reverse, or alleviate life-threatening or health-impairing conditions, or complications arising from those conditions.

'I also direct that I be provided basic nursing care and procedures to provide comfort care.

'I reject, however, any treatments that use an unborn or newborn child, or any tissue or organ of an unborn or newborn child, who has been subject to an induced abortion. This rejection does not apply to the use of tissues or organs obtained in the course of the removal of an ectopic pregnancy.

'I also reject any treatments that use an organ or tissue of another person obtained in a manner that causes, contributes to, or hastens that person's death.

'The instructions in this document are intended to be followed even if suicide is alleged to be attempted at some point after it is signed.

'I request and direct that medical treatment and care be provided to me to preserve my life without discrimination based on my age or physical or mental disability or the 'quality' of my life. I reject any action or omission that is intended to cause or hasten death.

'I direct my health care provider(s) and health care agent to follow the above policy, even if I am judged to be incompetent.%u201D"

The truly scary thing is that there is so much conservative money flowing into bioethics right now that this document and many more like it will no doubt be much more widely adopted than 'traditional' living wills. So, maybe we should say, God help the poor clinicians who have to try to figure out how to explain to family members that a feeding tube is in fact medicine and that it is not appropriate to use one in Mr. Jones' case.