The health care proxy tells who is allowed to make medical decisions for me if I become unable to do so. While it is unlikely to need the form for a Thyroidectomy, A- everyone should have a medical proxy, and B - it is a good idea to have it in place when having a major surgery.
The form allowed me to pick a primary and an alternative (should the primary be unable to fulfill their duty). So, I picked my wife as the primary and my adult daughter as the alternative.
There was an area on the form where I can indicate my desires should I be incompacitated, such as, when to stop a feeding tube or artificial breathing. The form also included an area for organ and tissue donation where I can decide what I want done.
The form needed to be signed by two witnesses (who were not the primary not alternative). Then I made several copies of the form. I gave each proxy a copy, put another copy with my important papers, and will give a fourth copy to the hospital when I check in.
You can get a copy of the form here:
https://www.health.ny.gov/publications/1430.pdf
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