[Abathar]

"they don't want to be in a cold hospital and linger indefinitely, if possible, they'd rather be at home for a shorter time with people who love them."

For me it is all about quality and not quantity. Some people are so afraid to pass on that they go to heroic measures costing hundreds of thousands of dollars to extend their life for a couple of months, instead of accepting what God has deemed and being with family and friends in quality time. I never want to be a burden on my family or society when it becomes obvious that the cost/comfort ratio becomes too one sided I will go in peace, with my family and friends with me.

[Hildy]

One of the last times my mom was in the hospital, a neurosurgone came to me and told me he BELEIVED my mom had hydrocephalus...water in the brain and that was what was causing the small amount of dementia she was experiencing. He wanted to operate on her brain!

My mom was 79 years old and in terrible health. He was so nice and was so sincere.

He told me age doesn't matter, he operates on people into their 90's. Think about that. There would have been families that would have said YES on the false hope that their loved one would have gotten miraculously better. Common sense tells you not to do brain surgery on an elderly person who is not in good health. Besides, the amount of her dementia was so minute...Why would I do that to my Mom?

Can you imagine how much brain surgery would cost Medicare? These are the problems we face. Just because we can, doesn't mean we should.

[reagan_fanatic]

Well put. I agree with you there.

[Hildy]

I never want to be a burden on my family or society when it becomes obvious that the cost/comfort ratio becomes too one sided I will go in peace, with my family and friends with me.

UH OH...That's the secret handshake to be deemed a member of the CULTURE OF DEATH here.