[starfish923]

When my Mother-in-Law ended up in Nursing Home suffering, among other things, from emphysmia, I was shocked when I saw her dragging on a cigarette when I visited. The explanation was, this is their home and we can't stop them from smoking.

Those nurses were right on the money. Good for them! Emphysema is a killer from which there is no escape. Being in a nuring home isn't any fun either with the continual invasive poking and probing into one's body. Ugh. Your mother-in-law was allowed to spend her last days puffing away in some peace.

My aunt died from lung cancer, smoking 3-4 packs a day.
In the last months of her life the hospital wouldn't let her smoke. How stupid, useless and mean was that?
She was finally sent home to die. She smoked away those last weeks. She even bought a new blouse. I loved my Aunt Ginny. I miss her still.

I never have understood that mentality about the dying. Nurses and doctors would even have the dying "watch their diet." Completely unclear on the concept.

[Semper Paratus]

Dying from emphsyma is as bad as it gets. Your lungs can't breath enough oxygen in without assitance. Letting her smoke? I dunno.Might have been more merciful to just put a pillow over her head.

[Betty Jane]

My father in law died recently of Alzheimer's. It's a dreadful disease. His body was healthy, except his doctor decided his cholesterol was too high, at 186. The doctor prescribed meds for it and ordered Pops to cut his cholesterol intake.

Well, one of his few pleasures left was his daily dish of ice cream. After a month of him sulking, we ditched the cholesterol meds and started serving him ice cream once again. He died of pneumonia 2 years later. So, the doctor would have him miserable for two years for some trivial thing that didn't cause his demise anyway.

Even if we follow all of the health NAZI's advice we still won't live forever; it will just seem like it.