No treatments for me.

Celine, thank you for the wine. Hugs to all.

Love Essa

Cindy, hoping you managed to have a comfortable night. Gentle Hugs.

Has anyone heard from Cin or Elaine? I am a little worried since we've had no updates in a few days here or on Cindy's blog and just wondered.  Hugs to all of you wonderful ladies!

Just checking in on everyone tonight. Special thoughts and prayers for Cin for freedom from pain, and for Elaine for strength and courage - I know it is so difficult to watch a loved one suffer and have no power to change things. Praying for moments of grace for both of them, and for all on this thread.

Thank you Cindy (and Elaine who must be experiencing such incredible psychic pain). There isn't any more that I can add that hasn't already been said by my wise and loving sisters.

nice not to be alone..isnt it carpediem...

(I still can't figure out how to post flowers, so will just post words...)



Cin and Elaine, thoughts and prayers for you and your family. Hoping you are pain-free and sharing loving time with your family.



Ali, Athena, Carpediem, Celine, Kayh, Gracie, Essa, and everyone else, thinking of you also and sending lovinkindness to you all.

Me, too...

Thanks Linda,



Xx

Thank you, Linda! I also appreciate the update and thanks for passing along our best wishes to Cin!

thanks for sharing all of it....answer a question, yes assisted suicide have to come my mind....

Sandy

Linda,

Thank you for calling ... Cin has been on mine a lot lately.  I hope they are managing her pain and she is feeling better.

hugs,

Bren

I think Cin has posted before about options available for medically-induced coma to relieve symptoms at some point.  This is not considered assisted suicide as I understand the definitions, but does provide comfort care and allows a person to refuse artificial support of all types, including food, water, breathing, etc.  There is an excellent introduction to some of these concepts from the Hastings Center, which is the premier publication for medical ethicists.  You can read at http://www.thehastingscenter.org/publications/briefingbook/detail.aspx?id=2202

I think there are 3 states that allow physician-assisted dying, Oregon being the first.  Many years ago I was aware of the Hemlock Society, which is now the Compassion & Choices organization.  Wikipedia has some basic information, most of which appears to be correct, but I am always a little reluctant to believe all of what is written there.  I do know that back in the '80s there was a lot of political interest in this, but as there was a push toward legalizing physician-assisted dying, there was also a push in medicine to provide better symptom relief, pain relief, better access to hospice, etc., and even though lots of people discussed this with their doctors in Oregon, most did not actually pursue it because they were treated better overall to relieve pain.  I hope this trend continues, but have given this considerable thought for myself.  I don't really know what I would or would not be able to do if or when life becomes too much of a burden - it's always easy to say what one WOULD do, but not so easy to actually follow through when the time comes.

Geez, a little morbid.  Sorry.

Tomorrow I am going to celebrate the day by going to an all-day art workshop.  I am celebrating for each of our lives, and how we have been blessed to find each other here, and how we share love and care for each other.

Blondie, I think that is more what I meant by "burden" ... poor quality of life becomes a true burden that is unbearable, but there are certainly other burdens that do NOT impair quality of life so much that it is unbearable. Thanks for the clarification prompt.

Thank you Linda..

i wish i could be there with cindy....but somehow you and others make me feel as i am.

thank you for sharring our hearts with her