If you are a young couple with young children, a good job, and a good life, you are not ready to think about the end of your lives. But you should give it some thought.
Terry Schiavo is a good example. She was only 26 years old when a heart attack put her in a coma that wouldn't go away. The fight in court over whether she would want to live or die showed that end-of-life issues don't have an age limit.
You have to talk about what's going on. The problem is that if something bad happens, your emotions could get the best of you and make you do something you might not have wanted.
Why it's important to have a will
That's exactly why every adult should have a Living Will. Karen Ann Quinlan, Nancy Cruzan, and Terry Schiavo, the most important cases on the subject, all involved women in their twenties.
If you can't talk to yourself, the Living Will says what you want to say.
It's called a "natural death declaration" in the law. It lets you say what you think is a terminal condition and what you think are measures that keep someone alive, like CPR, antibiotics, food and water.
Don't Keep the Living Will a Secret
Don't put your Living Will in a drawer once you've made it. Talk to your family, give copies to your doctors, friends, and attorney, and bring it with you when you go to the hospital. The document will be more effective and likely to be followed if more people have a copy.
You need to have this declaration. You hope you never have to use it, but it's good to know it's there. If something bad happens, families won't fight over it.
A durable power of attorney for health care should also be part of a Living Will. It tells a certain person who will make medical decisions for you if you can't.
