tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21910560.post116661901015693283..comments2023-09-11T10:28:49.276+01:00Comments on Start Wearing Purple: Tamaraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06588239325265301779noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21910560.post-1166701509010605372006-12-21T11:45:00.000+00:002006-12-21T11:45:00.000+00:00Glad you liked the film - I found it sad and beaut...Glad you liked the film - I found it sad and beautiful.<BR/><BR/>Oh how well I remember those pro-life days of yours - didn't it almost cause the end of our friendship? ;>dorihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02657996382616170070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21910560.post-1166632341757626302006-12-20T16:32:00.000+00:002006-12-20T16:32:00.000+00:00Hey, *. You'd also be surprised to know then that ...Hey, *. You'd also be surprised to know then that I used to teach Sunday School. Well, Catechism. (When I was Mrs Fallon)Tamaraihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06588239325265301779noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21910560.post-1166631014997986642006-12-20T16:10:00.000+00:002006-12-20T16:10:00.000+00:00Red's story, of course, I know very well already, ...Red's story, of course, I know very well already, and it is part of our lives. Karen's story of her grandmother is very sad, too. Shit, the stuff we go through, huh...?<BR/><BR/>Glad you liked the film, Tanya. It's really very good, isn't it? <BR/><BR/>Funny, "knowing" you now, I find it hard to picture you as a pro-life campaigner. Be interesting to hear that stuff, like Karen says, tho', if you are happy to share.* (asterisk)https://www.blogger.com/profile/11969314216753450118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21910560.post-1166629964368500162006-12-20T15:52:00.000+00:002006-12-20T15:52:00.000+00:00Karen and Red - such sad stories. I am so sorry to...Karen and Red - such sad stories. I am so sorry to hear about the way you lost members of your family. My father has made it clear that he wants no tubes, no artificial breathing stuff. If they want to feed him via drip, fine, but if he dies, he doesn't want to be resuscitated. In South Africa, there is no such thing as a DNR order (I think - things may have changed) and we have learned that his specialist is not averse to using a little more morphine than required... I support his wishes. It's not my body to decide what to do with. I love him, I will miss him, but if he gets to that stage where he is immobilised and half dead (which he will, eventually) he doesn't want to be just a body to be kept around for sentimental reasons. <BR/><BR/>It makes no difference where or how you die. Death comes to us all. Why not make it comfortable, and on terms that you find dignified?Tamaraihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06588239325265301779noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21910560.post-1166629335927601312006-12-20T15:42:00.000+00:002006-12-20T15:42:00.000+00:00Glad to hear you liked the film. But then, anyone ...Glad to hear you liked the film. But then, anyone who is willing to be drawn into a debate would enjoy something as challenging as this.<BR/><BR/>It's a difficult balance, isn't it, between our selfish desire to have the people we love around us all the time and respecting their suffering and their desire to end it. It's particularly hard, I guess, when the person is question is relatively young. I'm not advocating leaving our elders on an iceberg to drift off to die (is that what the Eskimos do? I kinda seem to remember reading it somewhere), but if a person has lived a full life and is now in pain, perhaps we should listen to what they want and consider their motivations. <BR/><BR/>Incidentally, when my Dad was in hospital, he kept ripping out whatever tubes he had up his nose and trying to dress himself up to go home. My mum would tell me they had to tie him up to the bed half the time because he just didn't want to be there. How humiliating for this beautiful, strong man.<BR/><BR/>I said to her, "Why don't we let him come home?" and she shouted down the phone, "If he comes home, he will die, do you get it?!?" and I said, "Maybe, but at least he will die with his dignity, in a place he loves, not a friggin' hospital room where he can't even move because he is strapped to the bed." So, in hospital he stayed... and he died there. With just a nurse (paid for by my family... God forbid that the hospital actually had any staff looking after him) for company.Redhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04598718532932773138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21910560.post-1166621074054534392006-12-20T13:24:00.000+00:002006-12-20T13:24:00.000+00:00Tanya, I'd be curious to hear what changed your mi...Tanya, I'd be curious to hear what changed your mind from pro-life to pro-choice but only if you're comfortable talking about it - don't feel that you have to explain your opinions or views to anyone.<BR/><BR/>I'd definately with you on the thought that we often treat our pets better than our loved ones. My grandmother suffered from diabetes, scerosis (sp) of the liver, and finally dementia towards the end of her life. As she spent the last few weeks in the hospital not knowing who she was, unable to recognize even her husband of 50+ years, and not understanding what was going on around her, her doctors eventually decided to stop feeding her. Yes, she was certain to die fairly soon even if she was able to be fed but she basically started to starve to death before she finally passed. When my father told us about how she had been at the very end, I was disgusted. I would never let my cats suffer even 1/4 of what she went through. Yes, she was unable to make any decisions regarding her health but how could those who loved her so much allow her life to end that way? <BR/><BR/>Woman have won the right (in some countries/states) to decide what happens with their bodies but we deny people the right to determine when and how they want to die. If I develop a terminal illness and have no hope of recovery, there might be a time where I decide I've had enough. Why should the government, any religion, or my next door neighbour be allowed to decide whether I live or die. It's my life, it should be my decision or the decision of my family if I'm no longer able to think for myself.Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11066059792352397198noreply@blogger.com