Living Will

It is so important to fill out a living will and keep a copy with you.
When Michael went to the doctor on March 23, 2010, he was immediately whisked to the hospital. We were told that he needed 1-2 days of IV antibiotics and some oxygen. Two days later he was intubated and put into a coma to allow his damaged lungs to heal. No one can ever imagine their loved one unconscious, on a ventilator with a feeding tube.
A living will indicates the measures which doctors can use to preserve your life. Michael filled one out in 2002 when he first got Leukemia.
Long before Michael and I married, we discussed living wills. I had worked in ICUs and CCUs in Michigan. I told Michael that I did not want to be kept alive intubated with a feeding tube. I had seen too many people clinging precariously to life with extreme measures. One such person was my brother. I told Michael, if G-d forbid, something terrible happens to me and there is no hope, just "pull the plug". Michael had a totally different perspective. He told me that he did want to be on life support, because the doctors would make him better, so right he is.
Part of the Living Will indicates directions for burial. Do yourself a favor and decide burial issues long before you will need them. Find a mortuary, cemetery, Jewish burial customs include, a plain pine box and the need for a Shomer. If you have a mortuary in mind they can easily help you when the time comes, because no one can handle making funeral arrangements during this time of great sadness.