A decent way of dying.
By marguicha
@marguicha (222844)
Chile
November 6, 2023 9:54am CST
Humberto and Dixie have had no life of their own due to the impending death of one of Humberto´s aunt who is now 103 year old.
The sons of the lady are waiting to get the money and don´t care for her. And there is a young woman that this lady sort of "adopted" many years ago who takes care of her.
But there is no more money and the doctor in charge want to keep her alive with lots of expensive antibiotics and fluids through IVs. Dixie goes twice to help out with the medical part as there is no money anymore for nurses.
All this has been going on for months. A Peruvian lady who is a direct niece of her came from her country to be able to sign papers. Here not everyone can do some legal signing if you are not next of kin. Her sons are not even in the country.
Humberto and Dixie think that at this moment, the doctor should stop giving her meds and give her only palliative meds to let her die in peace. She does not even recognize anyone any longer. Yesterday Dixie told me that they were about to talk with the lady in charge to see if they could change the doctor.
I told Dixie some weeks ago please to give me cyanide in a glass of Jack Daniels or the like if I was about to be in that state. It is not legal, of course. Not here, at least. But I would go if I could to a country where you can get assisted death in case of need.
Many times I feel that pets have more "rights" in these situations than human beings.
What do you think about this, friends?
19 people like this
11 responses
@DaddyEvil (137257)
• United States
6 Nov 23
I can put my wishes in a document here and not even Pretty could legally override it... But I'd have to sign a DNR (Do not resuscitate.) document before doctors have to stop trying to keep me alive if I'm braindead.
As long as I'm actually braindead, I don't see a problem... If I'm being eaten alive by cancer, I don't see a problem. If I can't read, carry on a conversation or do many other things I enjoy doing, I don't see a problem. BUT, if Pretty just wanted to get rid of me because I'm a nuisance in my old age, I do see a problem then... If my brother/sister/mother/father just want me out of the way so they could get the millions in insurance money, then I see a problem.
7 people like this
@marguicha (222844)
• Chile
6 Nov 23
The problem about eaten alive by cancer is that it can be very expensive. And in some types, it hurts a lot. I agree that the DNR paper can help in some situations but not in all of them. In this case, the caregiver who loves her has become a sort of slave to the lady who does not recognise her any longer. Maybe you should rewrite the insurance and have Pretty get it all. After all, she is the one who loves you, hates you and bothers you the most.
3 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137257)
• United States
6 Nov 23
@marguicha The insurance is already set up so Pretty gets most of it and my sister gets $10,000 to pay for the cremation... That will still leave my sister with around $9,000 to do whatever she wants with it.
3 people like this
@MarieCoyle (37227)
•
6 Nov 23
Many people who know they are in a terminal condition here in the US, can sign a DNR--Do not resuscitate. Basically that means no heroics and life-saving will be done. If the person is truly failing, they will only be given pain medications and oxygen. Usually not water either, because by the time they have reached the stage of DNR, they aren't awake anymore.
It's sad when there is absolutely no quality of life at all, and no hope for any. The poor woman has lived way past what most people ever will. That' a shame that the sons are waiting on her money, but I have to ask--if she has money, why is there no more money for nurses? Are the sons just not wanting to pay for the nurses? I do agree, she needs to pass in peace, no one wants to live like that.
3 people like this
@marguicha (222844)
• Chile
6 Nov 23
I am not sure but I think that the money is in her house and other assets that are not easy to sell. The sons will not pay for anything.
3 people like this
@MarieCoyle (37227)
•
7 Nov 23
@marguicha
It sounds like the sons are rather greedy. Shame on them.
2 people like this
@marguicha (222844)
• Chile
7 Nov 23
@MarieCoyle They are very greedy. The medical problem here is that the doctor is keeping her with strong antibiotics but there are no so called heroic measures.
1 person likes this
@rsa101 (38148)
• Philippines
7 Nov 23
I recall my mother having cancer and not responding to any treatment. My father had to swallow his pride and sign a document stating that if her heart stopped, the hospital would not revive her. I had no idea this had been agreed upon, possibly so that I would not be bothered or try to persuade them to keep her.
2 people like this
@rsa101 (38148)
• Philippines
8 Nov 23
@marguicha Only in extreme circumstances where there is no hope of recovery can this be justified.
2 people like this
@rsa101 (38148)
• Philippines
8 Nov 23
@marguicha That is correct; I believe my mother's case was more palliative in nature when they stopped continuing medications and instead gave her medication to manage the pain she was experiencing at the time.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (222844)
• Chile
7 Nov 23
I have learned that many times we forget the person and think more about ourselves when we want to keep them beyond reason.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (180452)
• United States
6 Nov 23
You can sign a medical directive to carry out your final wishes.
2 people like this
@snowy22315 (180452)
• United States
7 Nov 23
@marguicha It sounds like something that needs to be instituted.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (222844)
• Chile
7 Nov 23
@snowy22315 We even hace to get a special paper to be cremated here.
@wolfgirl569 (105945)
• Marion, Ohio
6 Nov 23
I agree that we should be able to decide
2 people like this
@marguicha (222844)
• Chile
7 Nov 23
I don´t understand why is it that if everyone thinks the same about this, it is so difficult to make a law about it.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (222844)
• Chile
7 Nov 23
@wolfgirl569 True. In my country 2 religions have a lot of power. To begin with, we have always had Catholicism. Now there are Protestants too which are mostly against it too.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (105945)
• Marion, Ohio
7 Nov 23
@marguicha Because most religions are against it is the only thing I can think of.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (222844)
• Chile
7 Nov 23
I hope so too. She does not recognize anyone now.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (222844)
• Chile
7 Nov 23
I will later call Dixie to ask her what did they decide. Now the thing is to get another doctor.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (222844)
• Chile
7 Nov 23
I know that it is legal in Switzerland. But we don´t have it here. And we will not have such a law here soon as the Catholic church is still too powerful here.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (222844)
• Chile
7 Nov 23
@LadyDuck I didn´t know that it could be accepted in Italy.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (471337)
• Switzerland
7 Nov 23
@marguicha Italy has evolved a lot after the Government imposed to the Church to stop sticking its nose in political matters.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (79714)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
6 Nov 23
I can say that somewhere inside of her that lady is suffering more than anyone can know and probably is ready to be with the Lord, I hope something can be done to help her. I remember when my late husband's mother was in the hospital with pleura a cancerous growth on the lining of the lungs. They had pumped her up with all the morphine they could and all I could think of was it would be a relief for her to pass on, Then out of all this nightmare I heard her ask I am dying what can I do? And I said the Lord's Prayer and by morning the Lord had taken her home,
2 people like this
@marguicha (222844)
• Chile
7 Nov 23
I am sure that sometimes the extra medicine has nothing to do with God´s will but with human pride. Doctors make sometimes a show of power instead of accepting.
1 person likes this
@aninditasen (16382)
• Raurkela, India
7 Nov 23
In India a person is kept on ventilation until their family members want to. The right to die is not legal too.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (222844)
• Chile
8 Nov 23
I don´t mean to kill, but not to maintain a body in an artificial way.
