In regards to her experiences in the hospital with her beloved, Soren, Velma wrote in a comment thread in Making Light:
Soren's not lived with his parents, who are in Seattle, since some time in the mid-80s. He's lived with me for seven years; we've been procrastinating about getting married for seven and a half years or more (we knew that we wanted to share our lives within six weeks of our first date).
Guess who are his health proxies, by law?
That little detail has caused one other doctor not to tell me (in the hospital with him) as much information as he's told Soren's mother.
His parents can -- and will -- send a letter to the hospital ceding as many of the rights as they can to me; they understand our relationship, and love me. But they can't give me complete control.
If you're not married, research health proxy forms, please. And get your blood pressure checked.