I guess this is the right place to put this. I'm in my 20's and have a surgically treatable medical condition, without the surgery I'll die a very nasty painful death in 6 months to a year - but for very well thought out reasons, that I've been contemplating for 5 months already I have decided not to have the surgery. My main concern is that once I get truely sick I'll be forcibly taken to a hospital and treated against my will. I'm not crazy, and I'm not a poor decision maker. I'm not married, have no children, have no people who I'm close to or responsible for, or who are close to me I've talked to not less than 5 doctors and 2 therapists, and while they don't agree the therapists do, at least agree that my life and body and choices are my own.

Anyways, I've read a lot about terminal patients who have the right to refuse tube feeding and treatment, but although what I have can be deadly, it can also be treated, probably up to a week before I actually die but there's no telling when that will be. Does anyone know of a legal precedent? If I'm conscious and enter the hospital will I be able to call the police should anyone try to forcibly do anything to me and have them stopped and charged with assualt? Should I contact a lawyer now, before I'm really sick, what sort of document should I have drawn up?

In the US do I even have the right to refuse ALL medical treatment?

ebaines

Talk to an attorney to have a "living will" drawn up. Then you give the living will to your doctor and to the hospital staff if/when you go in. This document allows you to specify what treatments you will or will not accept. For example, you can include "do not resucitate," "no forced feeding," "no invasive surgery," etc. These days hospitals are used to this sort of thing - living wills are quite common, and hospitals like them because it relieves them of legal risk they would face for otherwise not reating you to the best of their ability. With a living will you can check in and get treatment for pain and suffering for example, but without any additional care that you don't want.

See: Advance health care directive - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

435Studio

While it is important to have these documents (living will, advance directive, etc.) in place it is equally important (and maybe even more so) to have someone identified as your health care proxy. That person can speak for you in the event you are not able to speak for your self.

You have to be very clear with that person and make sure they understand what you want. DON'T ASSUME ANYTHING. Make sure they will follow through and respect your wishes. It is best to pick a person who knows you well, but is not a relative. Often relatives can be pressured into going against your wishes at the last moment. Best of luck to you.

BTW...Is there a Hospice in your community? Their social workers are experts in navigating the options available to you at this point. Typically their services are offered free of charge even if you are not admitted to their service. They are a great resource......

Aoife_C

Im not from USA but I'm sure that there are the same basic principles regarding this issue, but I was wondering perhaps you could ask to sign a DNR? 'Do Not Resusiate' Which basically would mean that nobody can resusitate you in the case that your heart or whatever would give out. I hope that helped even a little bit. I'm sorry that you found yourself in this position, I cant imagine what your going through...