"One situation I can think of taught me the importance of having a Living Will. One of my patients was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia and while he was in the hospital, it was discovered that he had lung cancer. His condition deteriorated quickly and he became unresponsive. His children did not agree on the extent of care they wanted him to receive and, for a while, it left us unable to proceed with certain treatments. I now encourage everyone to discuss their wishes with loved ones and to put those wishes in writing because anyone can suffer an emergency situation at any given time. Having provisions in place takes such a burden off of loved ones who often don't know what to do."

"One of the most difficult situations I can remember was a young woman whose mother had been admitted to hospice care. She and her mother had not spoken for several years and it wasn't until someone notified her that the daughter knew her mother was terminally ill. It made me appreciate those I care for and also made me think about relationships I had with people that I felt like needed to be mended."