Life or death choice by proxy

It's Monday.

Yeah, I figured that out all on my own...or was it the distant echoes screams as students returned to class after a weekend where they "forgot" to do their homework and employees returning to their daily grind...in an office, a factory or elsewhere.

The other day, I got this phone call. Not unusual so far. On the other end is this guy I know, and he's getting ready for upcoming surgery. So, he's talking about this and that and Greek and Latin and out of left field he tells me that he put my name down at the hospital as his health care proxy.

What?

With no prior discussion, I was not ready for this. Apparently, neither is he. I went through the basics...this isn't my first time up as the HCP. We discussed tubes, machines, amputation (my family has a history of them), and I gave him input from where I am and what I've seen. The pros and cons of each type of feeding tube, various other things. He doesn't seem to quite grasp the fact that this proxy thing is serious business.

Well, wouldn't you just know it? He wants almost everything if it'll keep him alive (lose 100 pounds, that might be a good start). As long as he has brain function, they can tube and cut as much as they want. So I asked, what if he has a debilitating stroke? He was silent, didn't know what to say and figured it was time to change the topic and began talking about how he needs a map of France so's to know where all the cities and towns are that he reads about.

His surgical procedure is today, and I have jumped each time the phone has decisioned to ring.

Being that it's October and he's an Aquarius, this really sucks. Got rid of both parents in October (different years, different causes) and they were both under the Aquarius sign birthed....this makes me nervous.

Oh well, it'll be whatever it is and I'll deal with it accordingly. Hook him up as needed to machinery, slice off parts if gangrene sets in.

Last night, he commented about what to do with his possessions if he doesn't live. I asked who has a key to his place. He fell silent and then changed the optic. Sometimes it seems he isn't too sure what's going on around him. He better get through his surgery with no complications, I can't deal with the stress.

Any others here ever been a health care proxy and had to act upon it? Were there at least talkings about it before? In my past encounters with this there were in depth discussions.