An old family friend never encountered a surgery she didn't want. She's utterly wrecked her body having all these surgeries done on her – she can barely walk anymore – and she still wants more. She didn't start doing this until she went on Medicare though ... telling, right?

My dad was hospitalized several times for various reasons. One of his roommates, an old man, was only alive because he was on life support – he was completely comatose. His wife was cheerful enough. My mother (always the cynic) murmured to me that if she had to pay for that care herself she'd pull the plug.

I've worked in a couple of nursing homes and I saw residents who never moved or even blinked – they just lay in bed, staring straight ahead, being fed by a tube. I've often thought I'd rather be dead than live like that. I really think Mr. Freedman is onto something here.