How To Approach Medical Decisions
While forms like advance healthcare directives and DNRs are important to complete, they are asking you to think on a future state in theory. Making decisions in the moment for yourself or someone else is very different and even more important. How do you decide how much treatment is too much, or not enough? What should you expect after a surgery or procedure? Will you be able to do the things you love? What does the doctor mean by the word treatment, anyway?
There are many trade-offs to be made with nearly every medical decision; it’s important to think through details and to weigh options, and to take care to link them to your own values and priorities. There is nothing generic about these decisions, and making them well goes beyond what can occur in a typical medical appointment.
Work with a Mettle Health palliative care specialist to go over the questions to ask yourself, your clinical team, and your loved ones to ensure that you have the information you need to make the best choices for your present or future self. This will help you thrive and avoid regret, and it will also help the people who care for you.