death of a man I never met

[harrietvane]

I feel like we live in an awkward time between the invention of the internet and the invention of teleportation. Being able to meet and connect with so many amazing people around the world but not be able to go and hang out with them is both a blessing and a curse.

 

[k9ophile]

And...deaths of people I have met. One good death, one bad one.

A former neighbor...from 50+ years ago. The husband and I reconnected via the interwebz and his wife called me (from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada) and we chatted like olden times. Unexpected death. In his youth, NOTHING slowed him down. Very Irish Catholic with babies born annually...until he had testicular cancer. That's why there's a TWO YEAR GAP between babies #3 and 4...lol.

The other death was long overdue. My nephew's MIL, poor, poor thing, had ALS. They just wouldn't let her go...she's been bedridden, unable to communicate or eat, or move or breathe on her own for several years. I don't know what prompted it, but they administered morphine and finally unplugged her and she died at 7:00 this morning. Nephew's wife is a disaster, but their son...grandson of the deceased...said, "I feel like grandma died a few years ago and my mom and grandpa just figured it out."

I told MiniSue that if she plugged me in with something like ALS, I'd figure out a way to take her with me. That is, to me, WAY scarier than the thought of dying.

My anecdotal experience with people who won't allow natural death to occur are either guilty over the way they treated the sick person or have some financial reason to keep the person alive. My mom was in a nursing home for over twenty years due to her severe mental illness. What made her the person I knew and loved, died long before her body did. She used to beg us to kill her as she knew her life wasn't the same.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

My anecdotal experience with people who won't allow natural death to occur are either guilty over the way they treated the sick person or have some financial reason to keep the person alive. My mom was in a nursing home for over twenty years due to her severe mental illness. What made her the person I knew and loved, died long before her body did. She used to beg us to kill her as she knew her life wasn't the same.

That is so sad...and terrifying.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

My anecdotal experience with people who won't allow natural death to occur are either guilty over the way they treated the sick person or have some financial reason to keep the person alive. My mom was in a nursing home for over twenty years due to her severe mental illness. What made her the person I knew and loved, died long before her body did. She used to beg us to kill her as she knew her life wasn't the same.

And then...religion.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/04/26/why-catholic-hospitals-should-scare-you/

 

[JackieOnLine]

gah, that is horrible. yes, and scary.

 

[k9ophile]

That is so sad...and terrifying.

Yes, it was. She was at least able to know we'd end up in prison if we killed her. And of course, that made it worse for all of us.