If it's "humane" to put dogs out of their misery...

[K@]

Ma in law was given the last rites, last Thursday week. Been at the hospital and care home, all week, hence my vanishing.

She's still kinda with us, though...

No food. Precious little drink, via a sponge thing. No medication, other than Morphine.

Tough old bird. But, she's ready. She said as much.

Pity we can't help her out, evil as that might seem, to some.

[Lisa]

i don't think its evil.

the fact that my nan died in fear (only free from pain because of extensive pain relief) in a hospital. instead of at a time and place of her choosing sits, very uneasy with me, and I hope that when my time comes things will have changed.

i understand the need for tight regulations and guidelines to make sure that such a thing isn't abused, and there will always be that issue.
but lets be honest there are already cases of that (mercy killings) happening anyway..

so why not regulate it, educate people and allow there to be a choice if it is appropriate.

[K@]

As luck would have it, the old dear went, at 02:30, this morning.

Dunno whether to be happy, or sad, to be honest...

[Tâf]

My Mum went quickly, but in a place that she hated as it is a known place where people are placed when they are terminal. Being told she had months, then weeks, then days, then hours... all in the same day, made her really scared.

But all they had to offer was more and more morphine until she was incoherent. Not the best way to end your life.

[El]

I've long held the belief that it's cruel to prolong a person's life that there is no hope for. I saw my mum with agonising mouth ulcers and terrible trots that give her a really really sore bottom. She was very frightened due to frequent bed changes in the hospital and not knowing the people around her. It wasn't neglect at all, just the results of her medication.  The nursing staff were superb.
Given the time again,  I would have taken her home.
In contrast, my old boy Caesar began to suffer one morning . A phone call to the vets meant that he was held lovingly as he drifted to sleep forever with only us around him. It seems a bit back to front to me. 

[K@]

The care home staff were brilliant, I have to say. Angels, every one of them. Jane's ma said she wished she'd gone in earlier.


If I get anything terminal, I think I'll be tempted to just jump off something incredibly high and have done with it.

[El]

Me too. My 95 yr old lovely uncle died a few weeks ago. He didn't know anybody for the last few years and was frightened.  His care in the home was adequate but very regimented  . He was too frail to live at home but frightened in the care home. The last five years with cancer. Deaf as a post and mostly blind.  It was pitiful.
Sister in law died at Christmas with multiple cancers. She was 57. I saw her with drains out of her gut into a bucket. Sore below due to bladder problems and no one available to help her shower.
She had hysterectomy,  part of her bowel removed, then her breast, lost her hair and then the *****ing cancer came back and was terminal. She went through hell with her "treatment " and told me on many occasions that they should not have woke her up after her second major op.
She felt a burden on her family  (she wasnt) . Two years of sorrow and pain until  she passed away .
If I get cancer, I don't want to know. If I find out, I do not want prolonging.  I won't do that to my family or myself.

[Lisa]

My father isn't well. Not said anything as we are waiting for details, but we know its not good.

He's suffered enough already, even if it's self inflicted in a way.
gonna be a crap few months.
not telling the kids until this year of school /uni is done.. And then it'll depend on the prognosis we get next week.

They aren't blind though, he is clearly extremely unwell.
I know if he had full capacity he wouldn't want to live like this.
but there is nothing we can do.

[K@]

The helplessness doesn't help... 

Good luck, darlin'.

[fred]

add another vote for humane.  I watched my father from diagnosis to the end.  The end was inevitable.  If he had chosen so I would have been duty bound to help him onwards