Gayla and Jeff Peterson are busy with two young children and a publishing business. They're certainly not ready to think of their lives ending.

But their attorney encouraged them to think about just that last December, and create a living will when they went to update their regular will.

Case in point - Terry Schiavo. She was just 26-years old when cardiac arrest put her in a persistent vegetative state. The court battle over whether she'd want to live or die drove home the message that end of life issues know no age boundaries.

Gayla says they'd talked about the issue with each other and their parents, and their parents agreed they'd do as Gayla and Jeff said, but she says you can never be sure. She says, if something should happen emotions could take over and lead to something different being done if it wasn't in writing.

That's exactly why attorney Richard Harmon says a living will is something every adult should have. He says the definitive cases on the issue - Karen Ann Quinlan, Nancy Cruzan and Terry Schiavo - all involved women in their twenties.

"If you're not able to talk for yourself, the living will speaks for you," he said.

Legally, Harmon says, it's called a natural death declaration. It allows you to define what you consider a terminal condition and what you consider to be life-sustaining measures - for example, CPR, antibiotics, dialysis, and food and water.

Once you create your living will, Harmon says don't put it in a drawer. Talk to family members, give copies to all your doctors, and take it with you on hospital visits. The more people who have them, Harmon says, the more effective it will be and the more it will be honored.

They're conversations Gayla and Jeff have had - just in case. Jeff says he hopes they never need it, but it's good to know it's there and, if something should happen, it won't be a struggle between their families.

In addition to a living will, Harmon also recommends a durable power of attorney for health care. It designates a specific person to make medical decisions for you if you can't make them yourself.

An attorney can personalize these documents for you, but you'll also find forms to create them yourself. Click one of the following links for suggested forms.

www.stormontvail.org/patient/livingwill

www.stfrancistopeka.org/patients_families/healthcaredirectives.pdf

You'll also find more links to information on living wills at:
www.mindspring.com/~scottr/will.html