Euthanasia

Good Death is the Greek meaning for Euthanasia. What is good about dying? Nothing really , unless it has been a long, drawn out illness and the person has suffered immensely. Death becomes a release for the person suffering and for the family. Seeing someone you love suffer for weeks or months is not for the faint of heart. You try to hold on and hope your loved one can beat this. You pray for better days and a cure. You pray for more time with your loved one. You pray and Pray. In the end you pray that the suffering ends and your loved one finds peace.

Working in healthcare for 12 years I have witnessed terminal illness at many stages but ironically the first death I witnessed was not an older person or someone with a terminal diagnosis. She was talking and a minute later she was gone, her death was that quick. I remember seeing the official death certificate at the age of 12 and the cause of death, it said CVA. I didn't know what CVA meant but later on when I started studying Nursing I found out it meant stroke. My mom died of a stroke, she was only 42.

In hindsight when I look back now I remember the days leading up to the stroke. We had traveled 100 miles earlier that weekend and my mom got sick. My dad took her to a local hospital and they couldn't find anything wrong, basically said she was imagining it. That she was crazy.

So we headed home, less than 2 days later she was gone. I wonder now if she was having TIA (Transient Ischemic Accident) also known as mini-stroke. Sometimes mini-strokes occur as a warning sign to let you know there's a problem. The medical treatment in 1983 was not that advanced for strokes, she died instantly. With my mom I always ask myself what if the Drs did further testing would she have lived longer? Seen all her kids graduate? If the Drs could of saved her, what would of been her quality of life? In a way she had a good death. I know that now. I know she's watching over me.

Being raised in the church we are told when our time is up, God calls us home. That each life is a gift and we are here for a purpose. Once our journey on earth is done, we are welcomed back home in Heaven.

What about when the illness is long and drawn out, the suffering is unbearable? If you have a pet suffering, euthanasia is the right thing to do. If you allow a pet or animal to suffer you are called inhumane but its okay for humans to suffer?