Get a Living Will? Not so fast...
A lot of people are saying that the lesson to learn from the whole Terri Schiavo situation is "get a Living Will". I know that when I was going through the process to prepare for my gallbladder surgery, I was asked if I had one. When I said I didn't, they handed me a packet with a living will* form.
However, BlogsforTerri and Times Against Humanity warn against living wills and explain why they are not a good idea. Instead, they encourage people to use an alternative, such as a Will to Live.
*The night before the surgery, I filled out the form (although it wasn't notarized or anything, so it probably wasn't legal). I crossed out the part about withholding nutrition and hydration and I wrote the following in the comments: "I do not want to be starved or dehydrated to death. If there is any hope for me at all, please give me a chance!"
At first I didn't realize there was an alternative to a "living will" and worried that the living will wouldn't be descriptive enough. So, thanks for posting this one, instead. I'm printing it out, right now! :-)