Addressing the Costs of Life . . . and Death

Expenses surrounding death certainly can go crazy or be reasonable.

I recently spent some time at Physicians Regional in the Coronary Care Unit.    There was an elderly woman who never moved, never opened her eyes, during the 20 hours or so that I was there.  I had heard "d.n.r." uttered between a lead nurse and others in the hallway, but I rarely recall a moment when the patient wasn't being attended by one medical staff member or another.  There were ample visitors, and I could tell that they were saying good-bye to a dearly beloved.  However, the one thought that came to me time and time again was that, if that woman could talk, she'd probably ask to quit everything and let her go. 


Being the thrifty person that I am, I often think of the incredible expenses incurred in the last days of life and beyond.  Therefore, I was very interested in an article in today's News Sentinel by Joyce Richman which referenced a piece entitled How Doctors Die.  Bottom line:  doctors, knowing what they know, don't spend nearly as much time, energy and MONEY on keeping themselves on this side of "the river"  when things get bad.

So far I have not been involved in any superfluous efforts to keep a loved one alive.  My dad had advanced dementia when the "old man's friend," pneumonia, visited yet one more time and took him away.  My mother was diagnosed with full-blown cancer on a Thursday, went into a coma on Friday and died the next Tuesday.  Even her veins cooperated in her rapid demise:  they became too thin to hold an i.v., so her "treatment" consisted of morphine being dripped down her throat in case she was feeling pain. No fluids, no nourishment.

When I was admitted to the medical center this past week, one of the questions asked was "do you have a living will?" uh, hmm, no.  This comes as an embarrassment to me as I used to lecture on preparing for death, and I had not done exactly what I was telling others to do.  Actually, I would not choose a living will but would opt for the more streamlined and easily downloadable Advance Care Plan, developed by the State of Tennessee.  Of course, it's free, as opposed to a living will I could purchase at costs starting at $40.  An additional benefit is that the Advance Care Plan does not require a notary, but it does require a witness who is not going to be making health care decisions.  

Before I blog again, I promise to have an advance care plan completed, signed and witnessed.

Here are some good coupons

$1.00 off when you buy any ONE box of POST Shredded Wheat Cereal

$1.10 off when you buy any ONE Tyson® Grilled & Ready® refrigerated product

$9.00 off Buy 3 Get 1 FREE Aspirin Dispenser

$1.00 off (1) GARNIER FRUCTIS Shampoo, Treatment

COUPON NETWORK

Baby

$1.10 off when you buy any FIVE Gerber® Lil' Entrées

85¢ off when you buy any SIX Gerber® Organic Pouches


Beverages

65¢ off when you buy any TWO Packages of DOLE® Fruit Smoothie Shakers

$1.50 off when you buy any TWO SAMBAZON® ORGANIC JUICES

60¢ off when you buy any TWO DOLE® Juice cans (46 oz. or 6 oz. 6-packs)


Breakfast

$1.00 off when you buy any ONE box of POST Shredded Wheat Cereal


Cereal

$1.10 off when you buy any TWO 16oz. Gerber® Cereals


Condiments & Sauces

65¢ off when you buy any ONE Knorr® Homestyle Stock


Health & Nutrition

85¢ off when you buy any ONE Dramamine® Motion Sickness Relief Product

$1.50 off when you buy any ONE Dramamine® For Kids Motion Sickness Relief Product


Meats & Seafood

$1.10 off when you buy any ONE Tyson® Grilled & Ready® refrigerated product


Personal Care

$1.85 off when you buy any ONE 1.5L Listerine® Zero Mouthwash


Pets

80¢ off when you buy any three 3oz cans of Purina ONE® canned cat food



COUPONS.COM


Beverages

$1.00 off on One (1) 64oz. Ocean Spray Blueberry


Entertainment

$3.00 off I Don't Know How She Does It dvd


Foods

$0.50 off any FRENCH'S French Fried Onions

$1.00 off ONE DIGIORNO Pizza Dipping Strips

$1.00 off any size bag of Pretzel Crisps

$1.00 off any 1 package of Pepperidge Farm Jingos


Health Care

$2.00 off one (1) Similac Prenatal Vitamin

$1.00 off TUMS Freshers Twin Pack

$1.10 off Joint Juice Ready-to-Drink

$5.00 off Bottle of Joint Juice Easy Shot

$9.00 off Buy 3 Get 1 FREE Aspirin Dispenser


Household

Buy TWO Glade Jar Candles, get one FREE

$1.00 off Glade Décor Scents holder

$1.00 off 2 Glade Carpet Odor Eliminator products

$1.00 off 2 Glade Sense & Spray refills

$1.00 off Glade PlugIns Oil refills

$1.00 off 2 Glade Automatic Spray refills

$2.00 off Glade Sense & Spray starter kit

$1.00 off Reynolds Wrap Foil

$1.00 off Glade PlugIns Scented Oil warmer


Personal Care

$1.00 off any Mitchum or Mitchum for Women product

$1.00 off Off any Debrox Earwax Removal Product

$1.50 off Simple cleansers and moisturizers

$1.00 off ONE (1) MAYBELLINE NAIL Product

$2.50 off 2 Simple cleansers and moisturizers

$2.00 off any Simple moisturizer

$1.00 off (1) GARNIER FRUCTIS Shampoo, Treatment

$2.00 off Revlon ColorStay Whipped™ Crème Makeup



SMART SOURCE


Food

Save 50¢ off any ( 2 ) Peter Rabbit Organics Pouches

Save 55¢ on any two Duncan Hines® Comstock® or Wilderness® Fillings & Toppings



REDPLUM

SAVE $0.75 on ANY L’Oréal® Paris Studio Line styling product

SAVE $2.00 on ANY shade of L’Oréal® Paris Preference

SAVE $1.00 on any ONE (1) Garnier Moisturizer

SAVE $1.00 On any SIX (6) Meow Mix® Single Cat Food Cups or ONE (1) Meow Mix® Cat Food Variety Pack



SavingStar Grocery eCoupons

New Coupons!
Buy any 2 Marie's® Salad Dressings, Save $1.25. Expires 8/18/2012.



Cellfire Coupons
Pays On: New loyalty card load
Your Tracking Link: http://partners.mysavings.com/z/5860/CD1881/

Latest Coupon Cycle!
The offers below are available from 7-1 to 7-31 and they expire on 8/15. These offers are valid at Kroger and Kroger subsidiaries, Carrs, Genuardi's, Randall's, Tom Thumb, Shop 'n Save, Foodtown, and Harps.

Nature Valley® Save $.50
Save $0.50 when you buy TWO BOXES any Nature Valley® Granola Bars (5 count or larger) OR Nature Valley® Granola Thins.

Total® Cereal Save $.75
Save $0.75 when you buy any ONE BOX Total® cereal: Whole Grain Total®, Total® Raisin Bran.

Fiber One® Bars Save $.40
Save $0.40 when you buy ONE BOX any flavor Fiber One® Chewy Bars, Fiber One® 90 Calorie Chewy Bars or Fiber One® 90 Calorie Brownies.

Reeses® Puffs® Save $.50
Save $0.50 when you buy ONE BOX Reese's® Puffs® cereal.

Honey Nut Cheerios® Save $.50
Save $0.50 when you buy ONE BOX Honey Nut Cheerios® cereal.

Bisquick® Save $.50
Save $0.50 when you buy ONE 20 OZ. OR LARGER Original Bisquick® OR Bisquick Heart Smart® Baking Mix, OR 10.6 OZ. Bisquick® Shake 'n Pour® Pancake Mix.

LÄRABAR® Save $.75
Save $0.75 when you buy THREE any flavor/variety LÄRABAR®, ÜBER® OR JOCALAT® bars.

Cascadian Farm® Save $.75
Save $0.75 when you buy any flavor/variety Cascadian Farm® product.

Yoplait® Greek yogurt Save $.50
Save $0.50 when you buy TWO CUPS any flavor Yoplait® Greek yogurt.

Fiber One® 90Cal Bar Save $.50
Save $0.50 when you buy ONE BOX any flavor Fiber One® 90 Calorie Brownies.

GM Fruit Snacks Save $.50
Save $0.50 when you buy TWO BOXES any flavor/variety Ocean Spray® Fruit Flavored Snacks, Mott's® Fruit Flavored Snacks OR Sunkist® Fruit Flavored Snacks.

NV Protein Bars Save $.50
Save $0.50 when you buy ONE BOX any 5 count or larger Nature Valley® Protein Chewy Bars.

Yoplait® Cups Save $.40
Save $0.40 when you buy SIX CUPS any variety Yoplait® Yogurt (Includes Original, Light, Thick & Creamy, Whips!®, OR Lactose Free).