Dear Dr. Gott: My husband and I have been trying to organise our affairs. An attorney drew up our wills. Is it necessary to retain an attorney to create a living will and health care proxy?

Where can we obtain the forms? I have already checked with two of my physicians, and they do not have forms for advanced directives.

Dear reader: Most attorneys have the necessary forms on file for people who need them.

Work with your lawyer, who can also advise you about filling them out correctly.

If you do not wish to do this, check with your local hospital.

These facilities often have the necessary forms and may offer assistance with filling them out.

Because each state has different laws, I don't believe there is one form that will work in all states.

However, there is a Web site (www.ehow.com) that offers tips to people who want to go through the effort of writing their own. (The Web site offers tips on many different topics.)

I don't recommend this option, however, because it may require extensive research and the advice of an attorney.

Living wills and health care proxies are important documents that tell your physician and hospital how to handle your care should you become incapacitated or terminally ill.

These forms can also assign a power of attorney or health care agent who can make decisions for you should you not be able to make them yourself.

All adults should have one to help protect themselves and their families from unwanted or unnecessary medical attention.

Dear Dr. Gott: I'm a 78-year-old female on the frail side due to osteoporosis and mitral valve prolapse.

I recently had a routine chest X-ray and was advised to have a PET scan because of a spot on my left lung. I had the scan and was diagnosed with a pulmonary nodule.

I was informed that it could be an inflammatory process, but a malignancy could not be ruled out.

There is no evidence it has spread to my chest, abdomen or pelvis. I'm not considering a biopsy because I won't have chemo.

Dear reader: I strongly urge you to have further testing, including a biopsy. This will at least tell you and your doctors whether the nodule is benign and harmless (such as scar tissue) or malignant.

Whether or not to have chemotherapy is your choice. However, this isn't a decision you can make without knowing whether you have cancer.

Go ahead with the biopsy and, depending on the results, you may wish to speak to an oncologist.

He or she can tell you about possible treatment options. This is not to say you must have treatment, but it will at least allow you to make an informed decision.

If the biopsy shows the nodule is harmless, you probably won't need more than regular check-ups with a pulmonologist, who will monitor the lesion to see whether it has increased in size or developed any abnormal characteristics Let me know how things turn out.

Doctor Gott is a retired physician and the author of the book "Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Diet," available at most chain and independent bookstores, and the recently published "Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Cookbook." Write directly to Dr. Gott c/o United Media, 200 Madison Ave., 4th fl., New York, NY 10016.