coberst Posted January 27, 2009 Report Share Posted January 27, 2009 “Old Age ain’t for Sissies”—Betty Davis Technology has increased longevity thereby making death even more frightful, expensive, tortuous, and perhaps accumulatively more painful than before. Is this progress? “Never before in history has it been so hard to fulfill our final earthly task: dying. It used to be that people were "visited" by death. With nothing to fight it, we simply accepted it and grieved. Today, thanks to myriad medications and interventions that have been created to improve our health and prolong our lives, dying has become a difficult and often excruciatingly slow process.” Craig Bowron, Physician Bowron speaks of a woman who suffers from something that physicians call "the dwindles", which is essential a characteristic of old age in modern times. Three days a week she spends in dialysis so that she can spend the remaining four days of the week recovering; she is miserable seven days a week. Bowron speaks of another patient who is 91 who lies in his bed helpless with painful swollen arthritic joints after being felled with a stroke. There are no lifesaving medications in such cases; only life-prolonging pain can be offered. Bowron informs us that “everyone wants to grow old and die in his or her sleep, but the truth is that most of us will die in pieces. Most will be nibbled to death by piranhas, and the piranhas of senescence are wearing some very dull dentures. It can be a torturously slow process, with an undeniable end, and our instinct shouldn't be to prolong it. If you were to walk by a Tilt-A-Whirl loaded with elderly riders and notice that all of them were dizzy to the point of vomiting, wouldn't your instinct be to turn the ride off? Or at the very least slow it down? Mercy calls for it.” The good doctor is not speaking about euthanasia or even about the spiraling cost of health care; he is speaking about a sympathetic and rationalized dignity for those who have reached the end of a life worth living. “In the past, the facade of immortality was claimed by Egyptian kings, egomaniacal monarchs and run-of-the mill psychopaths. But democracy and modern medical advances have made the illusion accessible to everyone. We have to rid ourselves of this distinctly Western notion before our nation's obesity epidemic and the surge of aging baby boomers combine to form a tsunami of infirmity that may well topple our hospital system and wash it out to sea.” Bowron I think that the good doctor and I agree that there comes a time in life when “the only thing worse than dying is being kept alive”. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaelangelica Posted January 28, 2009 Report Share Posted January 28, 2009 In what countries is euthanasia legal? have you heard of the Hemlock Society? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coberst Posted January 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2009 In what countries is euthanasia legal? have you heard of the Hemlock Society? I have heard of the Hemlock Society but I know little about it. I have no idea as to which countries have legalized euthanasia. Our technology has forced us to adapt quickly or perish. Darwin informs us that the species that is unable to adapt to its changing environment is doomed. Our environment is determined to a great extent by our technological sophistication. This technology moves at rocket speed and our intellectual sophistication barely moves forward at all. If we do not change this equation quickly we are toast and perhaps all life on this planet might share our end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaelangelica Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 I would like to end my life myself. At my age there is nothing I want to do (apart from win the lottery and go on a spending spree). The future seems full of ill health, stupid doctors, depression, increasing isolation and penury. However it seems such a waste. I still have bits that could be recycled and help many others. Also my family would probably be severely pissed by my self-induced departure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaelangelica Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 I would like to end my life myself. At my age there is nothing I want to do (apart from win the lottery and go on a spending spree). The future seems full of ill health, stupid doctors, depression, increasing isolation and penury. However it seems such a waste. I still have bits that could be recycled and help many others. Also my family would probably be severely pissed by my self-induced departure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donk Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 I would like to end my life myself. At my age there is nothing I want to do (apart from win the lottery and go on a spending spree). The future seems full of ill health, stupid doctors, depression, increasing isolation and penury. However it seems such a waste. I still have bits that could be recycled and help many others. Also my family would probably be severely pissed by my self-induced departure.I've always been of the opinion that if somebody wants to go, they should be allowed to and, if necessary, helped. In your case though, I hope you hang around for a while. Today's my day for self-examination. Every year on 31st December I ask myself the same two questions, each subdivided into work, home life, hobbies: 1) Am I better than I was last year?2) Am I as good as I can be? They're about personal growth. I want to be able to say 1) Yes, 2) No. If I'm better than I was last year but can see scope for getting better yet, I'm still growing. A couple of times the answers have come out the other way around: no better than last year, and no prospect for improvement. Both times I've thought for a while and then picked a new direction. Both times it's been very much for the better This last year has been one of my best for personal growth, which is where you come in. I've learned loads of new and interesting stuff from the links you've posted. Purely selfishly, I hope you go on doing it. :) Happy new year! John Michaelangelica 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coberst Posted December 31, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 Copied from InternetWhole Body, Organ and Tissue Donation - Leading Willed Body Program All of us think about the future and the legacy we leave. We hope that our lives will make a difference and the world can be brighter, even after we're gone. Science Care provides a new way to work toward that dream. We serve as a link between individual donors and medical researchers and educators. As an accredited whole body donation program, our goal is to provide human tissue for medical research and education. Considering the shortage of human tissue for research and training, this is a vital service. It gives everyone the chance to contribute to the health and well-being of future generations. We realize that this is an important decision, and we do our utmost to ensure the dignity of our donors and their families. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coberst Posted December 31, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 I estimate that the average American who takes their final exit at his or her free will at the age of 75 saves the American tax payer about $300, 000. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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