If I give someone power of attorney, do I forfeit my own rights to make decisions?
Power of Attorney is an agent. The easiest way that I analogize a Power of Attorney is as the first mate on the ship of a captain. The person giving the Power of Attorney is the captain. It is their ship. They always have the supreme authority over those decisions, unless they lose their capacity. The agent under the Power of Attorney is the first mate, who is always supposed to act in the manner the captain has directed, so, "No," you don't lose the authority to make your own decisions.