As a note, the man I mentioned above had ALS which basically disconnects your brain from your body, making it so you no longer can control your limbs, progressing to more basic functions. As I mentioned, you eventually lose the ability to intentionally swallow. The living hell part, is your brain is fully alert and functional throughout the process so you are trapped in your own body completely helpless and knowing what is happening and how you are going to die. It’s a rough gig that I wouldn’t wish on anyone

Rumi, my condolences. I know somewhat of what you went through you. Being the eldest son it was my responsibility to argue before a panel of doctors, lawyers and Religious representatives to pull the plug on my Father. My Mother was incapable of doing anything other than to sit through this inquisition. It was brutal for all of us but it was what my Father, a 30 year Marine, would have wanted as he'd of been brain dead and on a breathing machine if they could have save him.

Life and death are sometimes meaning having to deal with the bad times as well as the good times. That's why we ALL should take advantage of the good times while we have them because we all know that sometime down the road we'll have to deal with the not so happy things.

I have no problem with assisted suicide. It's much better than blowing your brains out in a bath tub. Mike

Always thought of ALS as the perfect argument for assisted suicide. Pure conscious torture and no possible chance for a cure. At least, thus far. It seems where is our compassion and decency, yes even respect for the sacredness of life, not to "rescue" them from such living hell.

This is a real scenario that happened maybe twenty years ago and ended up in court. A husband following his wife home from work in his car, saw a truck smash into her vehicle. His wife's vehicle immediately burst into flames. The heat was so intense no one could get near it to help. Yet it took everything from those there to keep her husband from trying. Everyone could just watch the horror unfold, seeing the wife writhing in the driver's window, apparently screaming, as the flames roasted her alive. The husband went to his truck, grabbed his hunting rifle from the rack, and took aim. It is said that the crowd was silent, many seeming to bow their heads and pray, while others softly nodded. He killed her. Was that in any way wrong? Would any here do anything differently?

A Slippery Slope... It could be used in an unethical way by those that might gain by the persons death. My family was in that situation with my father. He wanted to die in his own bed, in his own home, and in his own terms... but a care nurse took him out of the home to the hospital, operated on him to clear his bowels, he had a stroke, and lost sense of who he was. He had to be rotated every 2 hours to prevent bed sore, confined to a hospital bed, served only a liquid diet and where diapers... I asked the nurse why they were retuning him in this condition but she only replied that they couldn't do anymore for him and was sending what was left of him home. He received 24 hour care from us, my sisters helping out and a care nurse and Hospice. The choice was keep him at home or completely use up what ever he had saved.


Thankfully, with the help of Hospice he lasted only just a little over a year... The sad thing was he really didn't recognize us but would ramble about all the things he did in the Navy... Stories we had heard long ago, over and over and over.

I agree, Assisted Suicide" should only be considered when the patient has no chance of recovery, their life has passed them by, and they are a serious burden to others. Pain is not an option because of the painkillers they use.

It's really difficult to see a Loved One in this condition and having Lost all Hope, and Wishing for an Resolution.

wow I can't see. My eyes just welled up. It sounds like your father had a lot of emotional pain and ended up into a fight with alcoholism. I'm so sorry for your families sufferance. It's something that ruins ready families you saw it firsthand. Many of our life's lessons are very painful. Yours is no different. But what you did when you forgive you become forgiven. It sounds like your father was given permission to cross the Great Divide and contact you and express his love. Only The Power of Love has the ability to cross this divide. It sounds like your dad is okay and he just wanted to let you know that and that he loves you very much. This is one of the mysterious ways of God's will in his messages. This is probably one of the best posts to come to this site. To see and here people share their experiences and pain and joy. The Christ has mysterious way of bringing people together he does not want his children to suffer on this planet in to avoid the Judgment of God. You probably already heard me apologize for any indiscretions I have caused in the form of aggressive verbage. Like I said we all tend to argue with each other on this site which is no different from anywhere else. When people hate and fight with each other is the work of Satan it keeps us from God's love. It is so much better on this side of the fence. Sorry for your loss and your pain. Maybe Administration will B standing beside itself wondering why these people aren't fighting with each other anymore. In the end of days all truth will be coming out family is now if you watch TV from time to time. I believe we are in the end of days. And now is not the time to fight with each other. To see you people share your stories is actually a way of cleansing your house in preparation for the Christ. I wish you all the best friend. Take care be understanding of people. Not everybody else here has accepted the Christ. Tomorrow is always a new day and people are given another chance to find the Christ. Like I said it is always darkest before the dawn. And it sounds like your darkest days are behind you now. God be praised Jesus be praised! Take care can be a good friend to all men. And all of God's children said,Amen!

Because humans are not animals and can't be compared to animals. This is a very dangerous road to start going down. We would run the risk of cheapening human lives. It wouldn't happen right away but guaranteed it will - inch by inch. In the Netherlands more people are asking for it and their condition doesn't have to be fatal. Those numbers are increasing.

You can't explain to an animal either why you're prolonging its life and its suffering by chemotherapy that won't work or why you give it the indignity of running around with its back end supported by wheels. People don't do that for the animal's welfare they do it for themselves. Down off soapbox.

Well said, and I have noticed that the people sharing on this topic are not fussin' and fightin' my friend.

Over the course of a few decades, I gradually began to see that all the pain, suffering, defeats, humiliations and losses were what I came to call the "awful mercy of God." Things we would never wish would happen to us and would try to avoid at all costs--bury, ignore, lie about them, blame others--become transformative, what help to give us more freedom in Christ. Without them, our path would have been harder and more dangerous.

Yes, I very much got the feeling that part of the reason for that "dream" was to let me also know my father was at peace and not just for me to heal. Somewhere inside there was still that son's love for his father and probably the hidden wish all along for his well-being. Thank you.

We may have had a rough start, not that I remember anything in particular, but like you said we tend to argue with each other. For me, water under the bridge. Be well.

It is amazing how God works, even in dreams. And thank you for sharing yours. On the night of that dream, the second before I closed my eyes, I very much still hated and resented my father; one would think only fantasies of how to seek revenge and make him suffer would fill my head, as well as for you. We both experienced a miracle. And I imagine if we both had a therapist we would be working on our feelings for years to come, our emotions casting shadows over our lives and the people we care about all that time. Nothing but grace can explain it, in my eyes.