I treated people at the end of life early in my career. Usually the choice is to give enough meds to treat pain effectively and shorted life, or under treat pain so they can live hours longer?
My personal decision was not to make the choice myself, I would explain the situation to the patient if they were competent or with the family otherwise. Usually the choice was made to aggressively treat pain.
I was diagnosed with cancer last year, God has blessed me with good health since then but I know it could still recur. If I am in that situation and have my family with me, I would choose the pain medication, the reason being is I saw what a prolonged agonizing death does to the family members. I want my kids to remember my passing as a peaceful event.
I don’t think this is euthanasia, end of life is a discrete event, like child birth, you can choose to do it “natural” if you want but it is not morally wrong to treat the pain if the risk and benefits are known and an informed decision is made.
“I want my kids to remember my passing as a peaceful event.”
We were so blessed to have that with my mom, and hope that you can have that with your children. Some day in the distant future! On a Thursday night she was sitting up, enough strength to knit a row, and talking, including memories from the 1920’s that were like yesterday. And then Someone flipped the switch. That Sunday morning she died. But what brought peace to her (and us) was her faith in God.