Virginia Ivy, a 71-year-old Memphis widow, mother and grandmother, has defied the odds by living for more than five years with heart failure and colon cancer.

A living will outlining her treatment wishes greets hospital staff when they open her medical chart. She has asked her eldest son to act in her behalf if someday she's unable to speak for herself.

In June, Ivy stopped chemotherapy. When her heart stops, she doesn't want anyone to restart it. When Ivy signed her will on Oct. 15, 1997, she says it brought "a tremendous sense of relief."

If her physician determines recovery is unlikely or death is imminent within six months or she has been in a coma for at least 60 days, then medical care serving only to prolong dying is to be withdrawn. She also knows those plans aren't final. She can change her mind and revamp the instructions.