How depressing was this week's reading?! I had already thought that the end of this class would be depressing when I read the syllabus, and prepared myself for it. In the last year and a half, I lost my first grandparent. My dad's mom passed away after a short battle with dementia, and rocked our little family. She was a strong matriarch that had endured many things not meant for her, and I was shaken by the empty void she left. I related to this week's readings when the legal definition of death was discussed. The legal definition is unreceptivity and unresponsiveness, no movements or breathing, no reflexes, and a flat EEG reading that remains flat for 24 hours (Fiore, p. 282). When I was in high school, my grandmother had a massive heart attack and essentially "died" on the operating table. The doctors and nurses resuscitated her and she would eventually tell the story of the "purple light" that she saw. I handled my grandmother's death better than I would have expected, I think because I knew her death was inevitable. When dementia kicked in, she steadily declined in cognitive and memory-related abilities. I was pleased that the dementia did not cause her to become mean, as happens in some cases. Her core personality was present until her death, and I have fond memories of her up until the end. "A person's age and corresponding level of cognitive development influence that person's perspective of death and dying" (Fiore, p. 282). As much as I hate the concept of death and would prefer not to think of it, I know that there is a natural progression of things that has to take place.
Another aspect of this week's readings that I felt compelled to discuss was the idea of Death with Dignity. This is a topic that I have extensively researched since I first heard of it. Euthanasia is defined as the act of ending a life in a painless manner to relieve or prevent suffering (Fiore, p. 288). Passive euthanasia would be used to describe something like turning off one's life support because there was no expected further recovery. Active euthanasia refers to intentionally ending a life, either by directly killing the person or by physician-assisted suicide (Fiore, p. 289). I have seen documentaries on this topic and I have somewhat strong opinions on it. If I were diagnosed with a terminal illness and doctor's informed me I had no chance of survival, I would want the option of Death of Dignity. Aside from the religious implications of it, I personally don't think God intended for people to suffer to that degree. If I were terminally ill, I would not want to leave the responsibility of taking care of me to my family. I love the idea of ending your life with dignity if otherwise faced with death, and I would move to an accommodating area if that circumstance happened to me.There are probably members of my family that would not agree with me, but I feel strongly about this.
Death is a strong topic and this was a hard topic for me to comment on due to the reason I didn't want to offend anyone yet I wanted to express myself to the best of my ability. I believe purely from my beliefs death with dignity is dying naturally, I cant imagine someone assisting me with killing myself or me wanting to kill myself. I understand some pain can be unbearable at times but miracles is the most amazing gift god has blessed us humans with, and I have seen miracles happen in many ways and forms. Dementia is a very tough way to pass due to the reason we slowly pass and die but in a very slow degenerative matter, I have seen my grandmother from my father's side die from that which was tough for me to grasp that, I only hope a cure for that disease and others that take away lives will appear in the next 10 years or sooner.
ReplyDeleteAshley,
ReplyDeleteI was so sorry to read about your grandmother. I haven't had to face the death of someone that close to me before, and I can't imagine how hard it must be for those who do. I agree that death is a subject I would rather not talk about and the material for this week was difficult to process.
I agree that the Death with Dignity concept is a difficult one to discuss. I don't know if it would be the route for me personally, but I think people have the right to that choice if they feel it is what's best for them. All in all, I think the concepts discussed are important to know, but like you said, depressing as well.