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raeanna74 · 02-27-2004, 05:57 AM

I apologize that this is so long. I hope it makes sense though.

I have never thought that euthanasia was a good thing. I mean where do you draw the line. When someone is completely helpless, or useless? An infant is usless in that they have nothing but coos and smiles to offer but they aren't hopeless. I felt that euthanasia was playing god with peoples lives. Now I think I feel a little differently maybe. I'm still not sure how I would handle the grey areas but that will aways be a question for everyone to consider. The reason I'm reconsidering my feelings about this. Uncle David is dying of Alzheimers.

Essentially he's already gone. You cannot have a converstion with him anymore. He is getting to the point where he can't even talk much. When he does talk it's usually an accusation toward his wife, a question of who this "new" person is, or something so insane that we don't know what he's talking about. He really talks very little now. He has hit his wife, taking precious things from her or out of her jewelry box, destroyed lamps by taking them apart or taking apart his razors. He always loved to tinker but now he ruins everything he touches. He can't walk real well anymore but still manages to get into stuff. He's fallen many times and Aunt Nancy had to call for help once because he was fighting her and refused to let her help him get up but he had fallen in such a way that he couldn't get up on his own. They are both over 70. He hurts her feelings daily and even physically hurts her when he gets combatitive. He used to be a brilliant man. He spoke in English and knew some Japanese. In his life he had been a soldier in Japan, a highschool science teacher, and a pastor. He planted 4 different Baptist churches in Wisconsin. Those churches that he planted are growing and good churches. He and his wife adopted and raised two great boys. One of the boys is single and the other has 2 beautiful children of his own. Neither of them live close to home so it falls to Uncle David's church which he pastored up until only 3 years ago and to my mother who is Aunt Nancy's best friend to care for Uncle David and Aunt Nancy. In the last 2 years I've watch Aunt Nancy age nearly 10 years. This takes such a toll on her health and emotions. She went through this less than 10 year ago with her own mother who she cared for until she was unable to do it herself anymore. Within a month of putting her mother in a nursing home her mother passed away. Now she must go through it all over again. Uncle David would be ashamed of what he does now. Every night Aunt Nancy has to sleep like a cat and watch for when Uncle David gets up because instead of using the bathroom he now goes into the hall and uses the rack for the vacuum tools like a urinal. There is nothing she can do to deter him from it. He also fights her when it's time to dress in the morning. He has taken her own clothes and tried to put a sweater on his feet ripping it out. He's taken he clothes and thrown some away. He's hidden her jewelry. He has ruined 4 electric razors of his own and 3 bedsize lamps. He also ruined her alarm clock. He refuses to let her shave him and actually fights her so she ended up taking him to the barber shop yesterday and paid $17 for a trim and shave because she would have had to use a bladed razor and without his cooperation it would have been dangerous. She also took the 4 ruin electric razors to the shop for the barber to repair since he does that also.

All this has gotten me thinking. He is in stage 6 of alzheimers which has 7 stages. The very next stage is where he cannot, walk, talk, or toilet at all. How can that be dying with dignity. He'll end up dying in a hospital with tubes in him to feed and help him eliminate. We know he will end up that way and he has not memory of anything already. He doesn't hardly remember lang ago as a young man anymore. Yes he has nothing more to give but he's also tearing Aunt Nancy down and humilating himself. She can hardly take him anywhere anymore. People help bring him to church and he humiliates himself there or accuses Nancy of things in front of the people at church. They all know it's not true because of most of his accusations are so absurd but it's painful to watch and so very painful for Aunt Nancy. Sometimes she looks on the verge of tears when he's on a rampage. The loving, intelligent man she knew no longer exists. She's dealing with the grief of loosing that man every day and it's fresh every day because he's still "alive" if this is what you call living. I wonder, wouldn't it be best to let him go now while he still has some dignity? (whatever shreds of it there may be) and while his wife is still able to live her life? I think now after seeing what alzheimers really does to people and what I'm sure other deadly illnesses can cause I would not accuse anyone of wanting to give release to the invalid and their family. I myself would not want to go this way. Just give me an overdose of morphine please.

What is your experiences with things like this? How do you feel about Euthanasia and why? There are obvously some problems with regulating and deciding who gets to go and who doesn't. Where do you draw the line? Any ideas in how to decide when is he best time to allow it?

02-27-2004, 05:57 AM	#1 (permalink)
raeanna74 I'm not a blonde! I'm knot! I'm knot! I'm knot! Location: Upper Michigan	Euthanasia I apologize that this is so long. I hope it makes sense though. I have never thought that euthanasia was a good thing. I mean where do you draw the line. When someone is completely helpless, or useless? An infant is usless in that they have nothing but coos and smiles to offer but they aren't hopeless. I felt that euthanasia was playing god with peoples lives. Now I think I feel a little differently maybe. I'm still not sure how I would handle the grey areas but that will aways be a question for everyone to consider. The reason I'm reconsidering my feelings about this. Uncle David is dying of Alzheimers. Essentially he's already gone. You cannot have a converstion with him anymore. He is getting to the point where he can't even talk much. When he does talk it's usually an accusation toward his wife, a question of who this "new" person is, or something so insane that we don't know what he's talking about. He really talks very little now. He has hit his wife, taking precious things from her or out of her jewelry box, destroyed lamps by taking them apart or taking apart his razors. He always loved to tinker but now he ruins everything he touches. He can't walk real well anymore but still manages to get into stuff. He's fallen many times and Aunt Nancy had to call for help once because he was fighting her and refused to let her help him get up but he had fallen in such a way that he couldn't get up on his own. They are both over 70. He hurts her feelings daily and even physically hurts her when he gets combatitive. He used to be a brilliant man. He spoke in English and knew some Japanese. In his life he had been a soldier in Japan, a highschool science teacher, and a pastor. He planted 4 different Baptist churches in Wisconsin. Those churches that he planted are growing and good churches. He and his wife adopted and raised two great boys. One of the boys is single and the other has 2 beautiful children of his own. Neither of them live close to home so it falls to Uncle David's church which he pastored up until only 3 years ago and to my mother who is Aunt Nancy's best friend to care for Uncle David and Aunt Nancy. In the last 2 years I've watch Aunt Nancy age nearly 10 years. This takes such a toll on her health and emotions. She went through this less than 10 year ago with her own mother who she cared for until she was unable to do it herself anymore. Within a month of putting her mother in a nursing home her mother passed away. Now she must go through it all over again. Uncle David would be ashamed of what he does now. Every night Aunt Nancy has to sleep like a cat and watch for when Uncle David gets up because instead of using the bathroom he now goes into the hall and uses the rack for the vacuum tools like a urinal. There is nothing she can do to deter him from it. He also fights her when it's time to dress in the morning. He has taken her own clothes and tried to put a sweater on his feet ripping it out. He's taken he clothes and thrown some away. He's hidden her jewelry. He has ruined 4 electric razors of his own and 3 bedsize lamps. He also ruined her alarm clock. He refuses to let her shave him and actually fights her so she ended up taking him to the barber shop yesterday and paid $17 for a trim and shave because she would have had to use a bladed razor and without his cooperation it would have been dangerous. She also took the 4 ruin electric razors to the shop for the barber to repair since he does that also. All this has gotten me thinking. He is in stage 6 of alzheimers which has 7 stages. The very next stage is where he cannot, walk, talk, or toilet at all. How can that be dying with dignity. He'll end up dying in a hospital with tubes in him to feed and help him eliminate. We know he will end up that way and he has not memory of anything already. He doesn't hardly remember lang ago as a young man anymore. Yes he has nothing more to give but he's also tearing Aunt Nancy down and humilating himself. She can hardly take him anywhere anymore. People help bring him to church and he humiliates himself there or accuses Nancy of things in front of the people at church. They all know it's not true because of most of his accusations are so absurd but it's painful to watch and so very painful for Aunt Nancy. Sometimes she looks on the verge of tears when he's on a rampage. The loving, intelligent man she knew no longer exists. She's dealing with the grief of loosing that man every day and it's fresh every day because he's still "alive" if this is what you call living. I wonder, wouldn't it be best to let him go now while he still has some dignity? (whatever shreds of it there may be) and while his wife is still able to live her life? I think now after seeing what alzheimers really does to people and what I'm sure other deadly illnesses can cause I would not accuse anyone of wanting to give release to the invalid and their family. I myself would not want to go this way. Just give me an overdose of morphine please. What is your experiences with things like this? How do you feel about Euthanasia and why? There are obvously some problems with regulating and deciding who gets to go and who doesn't. Where do you draw the line? Any ideas in how to decide when is he best time to allow it? __________________ "Always learn the rules so that you can break them properly." Dalai Lama My Karma just ran over your Dogma.