Good questions you asking mister. Death is not something we think about...

I deal with death everyday. I walk into people houses and make decisions if we should try to resucitate or not and when to terminate our efforts. I see old and young, rich and poor, traumatic and medical reasons for death. Now that gives me pleanty of time to witness the family reaction. Sometimes it is as cold as ice, sometimes they are rejoycing in the next room becasue they know they got something coming, sometimes I have to set up baricades made out of POs because I know they will storm the body, sometimes they cry, sometimes they tell me such a bizzare thing I wonder if they are human, you can never tell...

Being young and healty doesn't mean anything. Having some kind of will always helps. Organization of personal records is also a must. Keep everything updated. ONce a year or after major change make corrections to your file. You have no idea how many times family brings us papers 10 years old and expects us to honor them. Funeral preparation for younger crowd maybe over the top. I believe in certain things and shopping around for a coffin is like inviting death to your house. But most important are burial money. That's always a serious financial hit on the family. You don't have to call it burial money but have something set for the dark hour. Words such as "I may not be here forever" are good words to remind people that stuff happens. You may go sight seeing in NYC and next thing you know you are on the bottom of Hudson river. Enjoy every moment you have with your loved ones and if you have something to tell them go ahead. Tomorrow may be too late.

But here's the thing for people with chronic conditions or serious medical problems: DNR (do not resucitate)/advance directives... Cardiac arrest resusitation is never pretty. It is basicly a violation of the body with invasive procedures, electricity and medications hoping that standard panel of drugs and effort is going to hit the problem that caused the arrest. Chances of you recovering from one are less than slim and chances of you walking out are close to none. Do you want to be that guy on a respirator, in the coma being kept alive like a vegetable? Prepare your family for that and discuss the advanced directives with them. Express your wishes.

Being around death so much changed me a bit and made me a more realistic person. I know limitations of human body as well as the course of a disease. I know what a car will do to you when it hits you on a crosswalk at 60 miles per hour. I do belive in miracles but they are few and far between. WHne you are gone what's left is your family and your accomplishments (debt/success). The first one will survive. The second one depends on you.