How do you want to die...?
Poll
3 votes (100%) | |||
No votes (0%) |
3 members have voted
June 25th, 2020 at 6:58:11 AM permalink | |
SOOPOO Member since: Feb 19, 2014 Threads: 22 Posts: 4157 | My best friend from college just passed on due to esophageal cancer. On his 3 year anniversary of getting the dismal diagnosis. He lived around 2.7 years close to normal, just with some diet changes, and some bad days due to chemo. His bad days were mostly just extreme tiredness. But he knew he had a bad diagnosis with the outcome most likely sealed. Around 4 months ago he had severe back pain, a metastasis to his spine, emergency surgery, he was now permanently weak in one leg and barely able to walk with a walker. But his mind was still 100%. Follow up MRI showed 4 more metastases, all small and not of consequence clinically other than the fact that they will grow and there will be more, and they are in his CNS and his brain will come under attack. A week before he passed he woke up screaming, and knew his time had come. He was on hospice already and they started him on a morphine drip until he passed one week later in his sleep. He had the ability to have all of his kids with him, he actually helped plan his own funeral, was able to tidy up his finances for his widow and children, he got to say goodbye to all that were important to him. My whole career I've seen the other way. Someone fully alive, a car accident, stroke, surprise heart attack, and they are gone. For the longest time I've pondered if the second way was better, but after seeing my friends demise, I want to go that way. I think that having the ability to 'go to your own funeral' is something I'd like to do. If I knew the end was near, but not imminent, plan a party..... invite all those that you think would come to your funeral. So that you can have your life celebrated instead of your death. And when the real funeral comes, the mourners can remember the pre-funeral. |
June 25th, 2020 at 7:18:06 AM permalink | |
kenarman Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 14 Posts: 4470 |
I have had 2 friends that have basically done that and the 2 friends were in totally different groups and didn't know each other. They each had a big celebration of life on a birthday. Neither was diagnosed terminal but both were approaching 90 and having enough issues that they knew the end was coming in the next couple of years. They were gatherings of 100 or more people with an open mike and lots of stories. They were fun affairs. Neither had a funeral when they died other than small family goodbyes. "but if you make yourselves sheep, the wolves will eat you." Benjamin Franklin |
June 25th, 2020 at 7:41:25 AM permalink | |
Mission146 Administrator Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 23 Posts: 4147 | Suicide, gunshot. Pretty much the same thing, except much earlier, depending on the diagnosis. "War is the remedy that our enemies have chosen..let us give them all they want." William T. Sherman |
June 25th, 2020 at 9:18:10 AM permalink | |
AZDuffman Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 135 Posts: 18136 | Fast and painless. Shot, bus run over, in my sleep, piano fall on me. Fast and painless. I will not do chemo. The President is a fink. |
June 25th, 2020 at 9:24:54 AM permalink | |
Gandler Member since: Aug 15, 2019 Threads: 27 Posts: 4236 | I am sorry about your friend. |
June 25th, 2020 at 10:01:49 AM permalink | |
SOOPOO Member since: Feb 19, 2014 Threads: 22 Posts: 4157 |
Thanks. He had a great life. Married for around 30 years.... and I never heard him say a bad word about his wife. 3 good, successful kids. Career success. Traveled the world. 61. |
June 25th, 2020 at 10:09:01 AM permalink | |
ams288 Member since: Apr 21, 2016 Threads: 29 Posts: 12422 | I want to live forever. “A straight man will not go for kids.” - AZDuffman |
June 25th, 2020 at 10:14:56 AM permalink | |
Mission146 Administrator Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 23 Posts: 4147 |
"Eternity, my friend, is a long f***ing time."-Bad Religion "You" "War is the remedy that our enemies have chosen..let us give them all they want." William T. Sherman |
June 25th, 2020 at 10:47:19 AM permalink | |
Evenbob Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 146 Posts: 25010 |
You're living in the eternal moment right now. How long is it? If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose. |
June 25th, 2020 at 11:28:49 AM permalink | |
Mission146 Administrator Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 23 Posts: 4147 |
Don’t know, don’t care. The vast majority of it is completely immaterial to me, quite literally. "War is the remedy that our enemies have chosen..let us give them all they want." William T. Sherman |