The 800-pound gorilla in the room is simple enough: 90% of your healthcare expenses will likely be incurred in the last six months of your life. As one nurse posted on another forum, how many times do you want to be resuscitated when it's obvious you will never breathe, eat or move again without mechanical assistance?

In this respect, living wills are a boon. I never, ever want to wind up in a Terry Schiavo situation, with different relatives bickering and dickering over what my "real" intentions are. As several posters have pointed out, a living will spells out your intent and saves everyone involved a lot of guesswork and freaking out.

And that living will can say whatever you like. If you want every option for keeping you around to be used, you can spell it out. It's hardly a one-way ticket to euthanasia.