living will

liv·ing will (lvng)

n.

A will in which the signer requests not to be kept alive by medical life-support systems in the event of a terminal illness.

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living will

Etymology: AS, libben + willa, wish

1 an advance declaration by a patient that, if determined to be hopelessly and terminally ill, the patient does not want to be connected to life support equipment. See also durable power of attorney for health care.

2 a written agreement between a patient and physician to withhold heroic measures if the patient's condition is found to be irreversible. See also advance directive.

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will,

n a legal document detailing one's wishes in the disposal of one's body and property and the care of one's minor children and dependents.

will, living,

n a document that details one's wishes regarding the degree and amount of health care desired if one becomes mentally incapacitated.

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living will

Right to die An advance medical directive in which a mentally-competent adult formally expresses his/her preferences regarding medical treatment, in the event of future incapacitation or incompetence to make medical decisions. Cf Advance directive, DNR, Health care proxy. Cf Durable powers of attorney, Euthanasia.

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Patient discussion about living will.

Q. do we need the esophagus to live? If we were to take our esophagus away would we still live?

A. Principally, yes. Feeding can be done through a hole in the stomach (PEG). Life is possible this way, although one may argue about the quality of life in this situation.

Q. How long can an alcoholic expect to live? My nephew who was an alcoholic died in his early age of 35. My uncle who was also an alcoholic died in his age of 48. How long can an alcoholic expect to live?

A. I am sorry. My dad who is an alcoholic too always advice me from his experience that an alcoholic will die younger than they would if they were not using alcohol. There are two sides to this: physiological and psychological. The destructive effect that alcohol has on the human body when used to excess may shorten expected lifespan. This list is long, from brain damage to liver failure.
The psychological side is the likelihood that goofy behavior caused by the use of alcohol may kill them. The list here is endless. Driving while drunk, getting in violent confrontations, taking idiotic risks, using power tools while blitzed. One way or another, the odds are good that this person will die much earlier than if they were not drinking.

Q. how long do u live with lupus? why do we get lupus? why was i hit with it along with all my other medical problems? i dont understand why..

A. well i've had it now for 1 yr and i'm still going