Let us know. Don’t make us guess.

Extremis depicts a "range of challenges involved in decision-making for patients in extremis." Caption adapted from The Lancet Respiratory Medicine

If you are still undecided about sharing your final wishes, Netflix documentaries ‘Extremis’ and ‘End Game’ provide compelling reasons to have the conversations and document your wishes well ahead of time. The experiences of the individuals, their families, and the medical teams, who have generously shared their most personal moments, can be quite confronting. Surely not as confronting, though, as those we care about would find having to make life-changing/life-ending decisions without knowing our wishes.  

Your end-of-life wishes don’t just involve your final exit strategy, but should include whether you want to be buried or cremated (there may be other options depending on where you are located), what you want to be buried or cremated in (I am currently leaning towards a willow or wicker casket but might I might change my mind to a coffin or shroud, or any available alternatives), and where you want your final resting place to be. While you’re at it, you might as well have your input into how you want your life to be celebrated, either before or after you go. It’s your chance to have the last word.

As an End-of-Life Doula, I can help you get started. Send me a message.

Documentary exploring the end-of-life support system provided by doctors, nurses, and hospice professionals.