I'm Dead - Time to Turn Off the Lights

I recently read a story about a boy that was on life support and at the exact time his mother had the life support machines turned off, he began breathing on his own and woke up. This sparked thoughts about what I would want done if I were critically ill. My husband and I have a living will. We signed papers that say that the surviving partner can make the decision if we should live or die. Wow - I guess the burden of that decision didn't really sink in at that time...but now we both have the obligation to decide if the other should live or die given the right circumstances. Doesn't that creep you out a little bit? How do you make that kind of decision? What if that boy's parents had decided to turn off the machines a day earlier - and he had not lived? What if, what if, what if...

I read a definition from someone - no idea who anymore - where they stated something that I liked very much. The discussion was on how long to leave a person on life support before making the decision to turn it off. It went something like this:

If ever in that position, the healthy spouse needs to stay with the one in a coma, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. When the healthy one is tired of sitting there, they can assume the coma spouse is tired of sitting there, too, and it's time to pull the plug.

What do you think? I kind of like that idea. Sit with me until you are tired. When you are done, I am done and let me go. Very simple, very nice. No guilt - all very easy and tidy...or is it?