How would you like to die?

How would you like to die?

When I got up this morning I was thinking, what I am going to do today. Seeing, as I am unemployed, a writer, unable to make money at anything I do, I got to thinking.

As I was making my breakfast, I thought of all the gifts, talents and skills that God has given me, I know there are many. By the way, I’m not bragging, I’m just able to do a lot of things.

Currently, I’m not able to make any money at any of them, but I have those skills nonetheless. By the way, I had no intentions of writing about something like this when I started my day this morning, it's a writer's thing, after listening to the news, thoughts started coming into my head.

Different things were going around in my head, one of them, believe it, or not, were the envy of the dead. I heard on the news this morning about French fashion icon Hubert de Givenchy who had died at 91. Apparently, he died in his sleep.

I thought, what a beautiful way to go, not lying in a hospital like so many others writhing in pain. Let’s be honest, some people have horrible experiences in their last days. Yet, some people, not too many though, can peacefully pass away without any discomfort at all, they close their eyes and they never wake up again.

Yet, some people are in so much pain, their body artificially being kept alive, while the nurse places a bedpan under them to get rid of any waste which is being involuntarily expelled from their body. What a horrible way to spend their last days.

I remember many years ago someone saying, you are born into this world not being able to speak, unable to walk, unable to care for yourself. You have to have someone change your diaper and clean all your pee and poop. Then, if you live long enough, you leave this world, not able to speak (Alzheimer’s/Dementia), you need someone to care for you, you can’t walk, you have to wear adult diapers, and you need someone to clean your pee and poop.  

Then there are some people, who are in so much pain, that they consider euthanasia. Why do they want this? The reason is, because they don’t want to suffer any more pain. They know their body is breaking down; nothing else can be done for them to help them sustain a normal life. Here is one definition for euthanasia "a deliberate intervention undertaken with the express intention of ending a life, to relieve intractable suffering".

Is it not weird how we see things, if your dog or cat is in excruciating pain, you will take them to the vet to have them put down (euthanasia). If you have a horse that has a broken leg or irreparable damage, the vet will put them down (euthanasia). 

Yet, some people will say, if we are supportive of euthanasia, then we’re playing God. Other people will say, but an animal can’t speak for themselves, that’s true, but neither can some adults who are sedated and in extreme pain.

I know that euthanasia is a very controversial subject. Some people are either all for it, or totally against it. Some are somewhere in the middle. Do I want to live with this decision, is it mine to make, is this what they would have wanted, will they come back and haunt me at night. On the other hand, will it haunt me, the very thought of allowing someone’s life to be taken. Did I do the right thing?

It’s a tough decision to make, the thing is, if you don’t feel that you can live with making that decision, and then don’t do it.

Now, there are some people who are quite able to make that decision on their own, they make arrangements with a doctor after some long consultation and the decision is made. It’s not like taking out a loan or mortgage; once the decision is made you can’t go back on it. Once the Pentobarbital is inserted into your vein, that’s it, it’s all over, goodbye world.

There are some in this world who will quietly pass on in their sleep like French fashion icon Hubert de Givenchy. Then there are those who will suffer an excruciating death.

Written by Chris Turner

March 12, 2018