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I have personal experience with someone like this. For many years, my wife’s mom would declaim “if I ever end up in a hospital in a coma with no hope of recover

I have personal experience with someone like this. For many years, my wife’s mom would declaim “if I ever end up in a hospital in a coma with no hope of recovery, just pull the plug; that’s no way to live”. We would all just nod and move on to the next topic of conversation. Tragically, later in her life, she had a fall and ended up in the hospital in a coma, with the doctors saying they were not sure if she would come out of the coma. She did, with big chunks of her memory gone, but her first lucid communication was sheer panic at the idea someone might pull the plug. It took a while to reassure her that no one was going to pull the plug. That incident has stuck with me all these years. People make bold statements about how they would behave in a crisis, and much of it is nonsense, the lack of an ability to truly put yourself in that situation, coupled with other factors like pride. Likely, when the author gets to the inevitable stage in his life, he will change his mind, and he won’t be a different person. Instead, if at this time he retains enough cognitive ability and memory, he will say “what a fool I was”.

_i____ii_______ 8y ago
Well there's also many examples of people who pulled their own plug when the going got too laborious and they saw the writing on the wall. He could end up being one of those people. Not everyone changes their tune regarding this matter. Some grab a pistol; some jump out a window.
- rabidrat 8y ago
  > No More Games. No More Bombs. No More Walking. No More Fun. No More Swimming. 67. That is 17 years past 50. 17 more than I needed or wanted. Boring. I am always bitchy. No Fun – for anybody. 67. You are getting Greedy. Act your old age. Relax – This won’t hurt.
naasking 8y ago
> Likely, when the author gets to the inevitable stage in his life, he will change his mind, and he won’t be a different person He likely will have a different opinion because he's a different person. The person living in the old folks' home is simply a different person, and is satisfied with different things in life.
- jacobush 8y ago
  Which is the story in many transitions in life, not just the next to last.
TheOtherHobbes 8y ago
It's impossible for relatives to make these decisions. It's also almost impossible for the people involved to make these decisions. I know someone who was put into the situation of having to decide whether her very elderly mother, who was in a coma, should be put through emergency treatment, or allowed to die. She made what she thinks was the wrong decision - but of course there was no right decision. No normal person could ever find that choice easy - which is why we try to leave it to doctors who aren't personally involved. I also know someone whose mother had a severe stroke, which left her unable to move or speak. She's absolutely convinced her mother was trying as hard as she could - unsuccessfully - to tell her she wanted her suffering to end. End of life is unbelievably traumatic for everyone. Unlike most life changes we get almost no warnings about what can happen, and no preparation for it.
- dragonsky67 8y ago
  >>End of life is unbelievably traumatic for everyone. Unlike most life changes we get almost no warnings about what can happen, and no preparation for it. End of life is the one absolute guarantee. If you are not aware that your life (and that of everybody you care for) will end at some point, you are delusional. Preparing for the end of life has been big business for almost as long as humans have walked the earth. Religion is completely predicated in providing the assurance that there is something beyond death. The growth of cryo freezing of bodies is in the hope that somehow you will be fixed of whatever killed you and you will be able to return to life. Death does not have to be traumatic. What is traumatic is unexpected death. There are many stories of the death of sombody both old and young after extended decline being a relatively calm event. The best thing you can do is to be open about your death with your family and friends. You don't have to dwell upon it, but your significent others should certainly be aware of your views on things such as organ donations and end of life resusitation desires. It makes everything a lot less traumatic if you have some idea of the desires and beliefs of the person in question. For some reason western cultures want to avoid the truth of their own mortality, and because of this death somehow comes as a supprise, as if it is somehow avoidable.

_i____ii_______ 8y ago

Well there's also many examples of people who pulled their own plug when the going got too laborious and they saw the writing on the wall. He could end up being one of those people. Not everyone changes their tune regarding this matter. Some grab a pistol; some jump out a window.

rabidrat 8y ago
> No More Games. No More Bombs. No More Walking. No More Fun. No More Swimming. 67. That is 17 years past 50. 17 more than I needed or wanted. Boring. I am always bitchy. No Fun – for anybody. 67. You are getting Greedy. Act your old age. Relax – This won’t hurt.

naasking 8y ago

> Likely, when the author gets to the inevitable stage in his life, he will change his mind, and he won’t be a different person He likely will have a different opinion because he's a different person. The person living in the old folks' home is simply a different person, and is satisfied with different things in life.

jacobush 8y ago
Which is the story in many transitions in life, not just the next to last.

TheOtherHobbes 8y ago

It's impossible for relatives to make these decisions. It's also almost impossible for the people involved to make these decisions. I know someone who was put into the situation of having to decide whether her very elderly mother, who was in a coma, should be put through emergency treatment, or allowed to die. She made what she thinks was the wrong decision - but of course there was no right decision. No normal person could ever find that choice easy - which is why we try to leave it to doctors who aren't personally involved. I also know someone whose mother had a severe stroke, which left her unable to move or speak. She's absolutely convinced her mother was trying as hard as she could - unsuccessfully - to tell her she wanted her suffering to end. End of life is unbelievably traumatic for everyone. Unlike most life changes we get almost no warnings about what can happen, and no preparation for it.

dragonsky67 8y ago
>>End of life is unbelievably traumatic for everyone. Unlike most life changes we get almost no warnings about what can happen, and no preparation for it. End of life is the one absolute guarantee. If you are not aware that your life (and that of everybody you care for) will end at some point, you are delusional. Preparing for the end of life has been big business for almost as long as humans have walked the earth. Religion is completely predicated in providing the assurance that there is something beyond death. The growth of cryo freezing of bodies is in the hope that somehow you will be fixed of whatever killed you and you will be able to return to life. Death does not have to be traumatic. What is traumatic is unexpected death. There are many stories of the death of sombody both old and young after extended decline being a relatively calm event. The best thing you can do is to be open about your death with your family and friends. You don't have to dwell upon it, but your significent others should certainly be aware of your views on things such as organ donations and end of life resusitation desires. It makes everything a lot less traumatic if you have some idea of the desires and beliefs of the person in question. For some reason western cultures want to avoid the truth of their own mortality, and because of this death somehow comes as a supprise, as if it is somehow avoidable.