It wasn’t suicide and yes, you don't know her and how strong her faith was in God. Her body was simply winding DOWN. She used to feverishly knit. She couldn’t get her fingers to do it and finally couldn’t remember how to do it. Her top teeth were false. Her bottom teeth were her own. The bottom row was literally falling out, one by one. We’d ask her, where were they - she had no idea. We were just thankful she didn’t choke on them. We were dreading when the dentist would come to do an impression ... for new teeth. Money was never an issue.
Her legs had circulation problems and she had a sore that would heal - the body’s immune system was not really working anymore ... amputation was being considered by doctors because of the blackness. There was no way in the world we’d have her limb or limbs cut off - nor did she want that.
No, AGE is RELEVENT. There is a sad time when the body is simply worn out. You can’t keep propping a person up with chemicals and other things - you have to face reality.
She didn’t fear dying. She loved life. She also knew that her time was coming. She had no problem with that. She accepted reality. She often felt bad when a younger relative died of a disease ... she often said "I would have gladly given my life in exchange for him - he was young and had his life in front of him ... I’ve have a wonderful life ... ."
There comes a point where you let GOD handle it as He did. Thankfully ALL the doctors were wrong about inserting a feeding tube. She was of sound mind and REFUSED - she told them point blank, she’d try to drink liquids and move on to solids but left the outcome up to GOD. Surprisingly she did just that! She survived double lung pneumonia - at AGE 100. It wasn’t her time. Four months shy of turning 101 she had heart failure. No diseases. Just a gentle shutting down of the body - a gentle ending.
We knew what was happening. There are different changes that begin to happen with the body ... breathing is lower ... the person shows agitation but when all the family came - she was calm and relaxed. She KNEW what was happening. When everyone was there, she told us she loved us all and would see all of us soon. Then she let go as she was sung into heaven. It was bitter sweet. It was the perfect ending for a Godly woman.
I strongly disagree on going to “heroic” efforts under circumstances like this - AGE is RELEVENT! This was not euthanasia or suicide - it was simply accepting God's will and recognizing the reality that our bodies will NOT last forever on this earth.
A heart transplant at age 100 would have been ridiculous. She probably would NOT have survived the operation or any operation at that point. Yes, AGE DOES MATTER! Her body was literally shutting down ... it is MOST UNWISE to FIGHT GOD taking a loved one home to heaven.
It was her time to join Him. I can't speak on other situations with other people ... I know that this was a correct decision. She left our family surrounded with people who love her. We miss her and we will always love her. We all look forward to be reunited again for eternity - as she stated, "death is just a temporary separation" - she is right!
I was agreeing with you wholeheartedly. I said “Age is not irrelevant.”
When a person has a multitude of irreversible, worsening ailments, and is 100 years old, there certainly is a time to throw in the towel. Age and multiple infirmities certainly do figure in calculating what procedures are obligatory, or reasonable though optional, or unreasonable.