[reaganaut]

I can see now that we're going to have to be that explicit ... and that you do have to have a medical surrogate completely in tune with your wishes to fight for your and enforce your wishes

Also, redundancy is important. My mother has given me (I'm only living relative): full power of attorney, medical power of attorney, executorship of her estate, plus she has a living will AND a medical directive (similar to a DNR). Additionally, there are clauses in place should she and I die or be incapacitated together (say a car or plane crash) for my husband (soon to be lawyer) to take over, after him, she has designated a close family friend. Also, we she has informed us verbally of her wishes and we all discussed how we felt about being put in that situation. The moral is, YOU CAN NEVER BE TOO PREPARED. Especially when slimy lawyers and politicans are involved.

[STARWISE]

Holy moly .. that's incredible. Kudos to your mom .. she's probably one of 3-5% of people in this country who have taken it to the level she has. I never thought of backups either -- I just mailed my kids and my siblings my wishes. I don't think that would stand today's standards.

Especially when slimy lawyers and politicans are involved.

And docs and healthcare providers, too .. it's all too easy with a DNR to ignore the possibilities and inconvenience of care for extending life or opting for improvement.