​On April 7th at 11:40am, Lynn MacKenzie talked with Kelly Cordes of WJON in St. Cloud about Light the Legacy’s vision and our work toward ensuring all people in Central Minnesota over the age of 18 have a healthcare directive, as well as our upcoming events. Tune in to listen!

​What is your past experience in healthcare? (i.e. experience as a Nurse in the Cancer unit at SC Hosp., etc.)

I was a staff nurse on the cancer unit of St. Cloud Hospital from 1989-2017 and am now retired. When I was a cancer nurse, I often cared for cancer patients who had not written out a Healthcare Directive and were unable to speak for themselves. In these situations, if they hadn’t talked previously to their loved ones about their wishes at the end of life, their loved ones usually chose to have aggressive treatments done for them. I often wondered if these cancer patients really wanted all the aggressive treatments we were giving them.

You’ve trained as an Advance Care Planning Facilitator and volunteer with Light the Legacy at Whitney Senior Center – tell me about that.

In order to help persons who come to Whitney Center to fill out their Healthcare Directives, I received Advance Care Planning training from Light The Legacy. I have found it very rewarding to help people write down their wishes as they fill out their Healthcare Directives.

​What comes to mind when you think about the experience of a “good death”?  Often people will suggest that they would like to die in their sleep.  Others suggest they would like to die peacefully in their home surrounded by loved ones.  These are the ideals often suggested, but the reality for most of us is that we will die in a hospital or some other institutional setting.  Although 7 out of 10 people suggest that they would like to die at home, the reality is just the opposite.  Only 25-30% of people die at home while 70% die in a hospital or nursing home.  

As medical technology has evolved so have the myriad of treatments and technologies medical professionals can employ to keep people alive when our bodies and minds begin to fail.  The term “life-support” has become a common term in our language.  But when does “life support” begin to feel like it is no longer supporting life, and it is merely extending the dying process?  How do we decide when we need to stop using the mechanical devices such as ventilators and tube feedings to support life, and allow a loved one to die?

​As Bill and I contemplate what our ideal end of life situations would be, we realize that whatever we do is not just for us, but most importantly for our children and loved ones. I find myself reflecting on how life invariably moves quickly through stages of child, youth, adult, and elder…finding that the journey has gone way too fast. Remember the Seeger song with the line, “Wish I didn’t know now what I didn’t know then?” Seems that is coming to mind more and more often these days.

And it also seems like just yesterday when my three siblings and I sat in the Emergency Room with our unconscious mother as we contemplated whether to allow the surgeons to operate on her (it’s been over 19 years). They told us that the outcomes could be one where she wouldn’t recover or would be attached to machines to artificially sustain her life. While we all knew that she did not want to be kept alive if there wasn’t a chance to continue a functioning, meaningful life, her wishes were vague enough that we found ourselves in a grey zone where clear, precise steps were not available. We were on our own to weigh the what ifs and the consequences. And all the while we talked – over five hours – we never wavered from our love and support for each other as we debated, argued, shared our doubts, and cried. The ending is one left unsaid for the moment; my point in raising this story is to make sure that you – as a mother, father, child, or close relative or friend – have that conversation to help prepare for that moment when a loved one needs you to speak for them.

​A fall in February meant an ambulance ride to the hospital for my Mom with fear of a fractured hip. Thankfully, x-rays showed there was no fracture, but extreme pain warranted a hospital stay. After many tests, pokes and prods, a pacemaker was recommended. Low pulse rates often cause dizziness and even passing out. Was this the cause of my Mom’s fall? After discussion with my two brothers and Mom, we agreed to the pacemaker. Rehab at a local Nursing Home was recommended after surgery to manage pain and gain strength. Made sense. The day after being admitted into rehab, I was notified that Mom was in A-fib, which means her heart rates were irregular and fast. The next day, my brother Dean and I took Mom back to the hospital for a procedure call a TEE Cardioversion. Basically, the procedure shocks her heart back into rhythm. The next day, March 6th was Mom’s 95th birthday.