Dying
 

Don't want to muck up Hugh's thread, but as I get older I worry less about dying and tend to worry more about getting some illness where dying becomes a long, drawn out event. I would welcome a heart attack as opposed to so many other ways you can die.

same here

It's not that I'm afraid of death, I just don't want to be there when it happens -Woody Allen

I want to die peacefully in my sleep like my grandpa and not the other people in the car when he was driving. - Unknown

I want my tombstone to read "What was I thinking?" - Roseann Barr

He who dies with the most toys is still dead. - Unknown

Which is why I never had an issue with Kevorkian.

One should be able to decide.

Death should be spectacular.

Feel the same way but then I have been at peace with my passing for a long time now. Hope that there is something "on the other side" but if not then thats life and I sure am not going to change it.

Worrying about it will not help nor change anything, so might as well keep enjoying life until your time comes...

Friend of mine always said he wanted to die "in bed with my boots on, shot by a jealous husband just as the "happy ending" occurs"....

Truthfully want mine to be a lot less dramatic... like a heart attack in the middle of the night while asleep...

Unfortunately we don't get to choose how we die. My mother wanted to be taken to Switzerland (dignitas) but my sister and I refused to take her. At the age of 94 she died of old age/stroke but somebody said at the funeral that she died 10 years ago which was partly true as her arteries narrowed, got glaucoma, got deafer and finally broke her hip last year. The way I figure if I make it to 80 in reasonable health that is fine. Ernest Hemingway committed suicide I believe in his 60's but that is no way to leave this world. I just don't want to be like my fil languishing in a nursing home at the age of 96 with a walker and a catheter. Life is still fun, we do lots of walking and take holidays.Life seems to have more meaning now. Enjoy the present because we don't know what the future holds for us.

I have seen 90+ year olds in nursing homes strapped to their chairs and unable to do anything. I'd rather get hit by a bus.

That's my dad. He's on his 5th year, now. Stroke victim, left side paralyzed. Can't do for nothing. Recognizes some of his kids, but not all of us. He's been within a hairsbreadth of death 3 or 4 times now, we all get to grieve anew, but then he always seems to rally.
The rest of the immediate family lives with the sword of Damocles, just wondering when we'll have to drop everything.
Mom stayed by his side every day till she died in a car crash last year, (going to see him, of course).

Only the medical community benefits.

Absolutely sucks balls. No way to live, no way to die.

Yeah, I hear you. But I console myself with the statistics that I got from somewhere: 2/3rds of people die in their own homes, living by themselves. It happened to my father. They found him in the kitchen sitting at the table with a cup of coffee. He had his head in his hand. The family doctor said it could have been a heart attack or a stroke. He was not too healthy in either condition but it slowed him down only moderately.

In my opinion, that is love and devotion of the highest order, to make that kind of personal sacrifice day in and day out, year after year. Your Mom was an angel. Mere words do not suffice... it is overwhelming... huge respect for your Mom.

_

I work for a company that owns nursing homes and rehab centers. I'm in several of our buildings everyday. Do yourself and your family a big favor and go quick.

My grandfather died in his sleep at 82 still working 40+ hours per week at the business that he built, going to Kansas State football games, spending time with his family, and overall enjoying life. We found out later that he had been having heart issues for years that he kept from the family (including his wife), but generally he was still physically and mentally in good shape. Damn good way to go in my opinion.

On the weekends I work the deck on a friends 30” fishing boat…a few weeks back the seas were way angry and we should not have been out there. At one point when the boat almost rolled, I thought this is it…I am not going to make it home to see my wife and kids. The bizarre thing is, I was totally fine with it. If I am to go, this is the way I want to go.

“You only go around once, but if you play your cards right, once is enough.”

And I am not frightened of dying, any time will do, I don't mind. Why should I be frightened of dying? There's no reason for it, you've gotta go sometime.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GVM7ZpQrCnQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I had a heart attack 4 yrs. ago. I coded twice in the ER. The doctor told my wife if it had happened at home that I would not have made it & I live half a mile from the hospital.
I now look at this as bonus time. I am at peace and when my time comes so be it.
Use what time you have wisely as one never knows when death will come.

I want to die peacefully in my sleep like my grandpa and not the other people in the car when he was drivinghttp://www.usber.info/h.jpghttp://www.usber.info/d.jpg

I have a dear friend who lost an 8.5 month old daughter last week. We're a bunch of grown men who've had better lives than 99.99% of the people who've ever lived on earth, with our Porsches and trips to Europe and getting laid, having loving families, eating great food, etc..

Whenever I go, I've had it lucky. As long as it isn't a stroke + nursing home. The old saying is that if you're lucky, you die of a heart attack. If you're not lucky, cancer. This from a dear 89 y.o friend who watched his Army buddies get blown to bits in Europe 69 years ago.

I am still sorry about your buddy, Hugh. But he's not suffering, only his survivors.