It's not that you are refusing a procedure as much as you are choosing a procedure that the doctor thinks will cause you more harm. I'm not saying this means the lawyer is right or wrong, just that the analogy wasn't quite right.
As far as I can see, changing the plea midway through is more like an intervention. And further weakening the lawyer's position, it appears he flubbed the procedure in several ways while doing so.
I don't think that was intended as an analogy, but another example of when no matter how professional someone may be, we do not force their decisions upon the people being affected.
