Right to die?

I just watched an episode of Boston Legal. There was nothing better on. It had a case of assisted suicide. The husband was arrested for murder. He was acquitted. His lawyer argued how we humanely put our suffering pets to sleep because we are humane. He spoke of the daily decisions in hospitals to end life by increased morphine drips and turning off a ventilator. I didn't know the content of the show before I watched it. It upset me of course. I couldn't help but think of my Mom dying in her hospital bed when we decided to turn off her ventilator. It was the most horrible thing I have ever experience watching. The doctor told us it would be over in a couple of hours. It wasn't.

My mother was a strong woman who survived the loss of her first son to drugs/suicide and her three back surgeries. She kept fighting the last 23 hours of her life. She died in the ten minutes I went outside with my dad so he could smoke. I suspect, but have no proof the nurse came in and gave her a morphine overdose. It was too much a coincidence. I felt ashamed when it was finally over because I was glad. I was glad her suffering of the last two years had ended.

My dad called me when they rushed my Mom to the hospital that last time. He said he couldn't make that decision [turning off life support] alone. He knew, as I did, my mother's wishes in her living will. She didn't want to kept alive after loss of brain function. I was there and supported the decision to turn off her ventilator. the rest of my mothers family didn't understand and didn't come to her funeral. It is now a year later and they are still not talking to us.

So, I am here still thinking of my mother. It is one of those things I will live with for the rest of my life. If you don't have a living will get one. I need to. My Dad actually got one done after my Mother died. Do we have a right to die? Who knows. I wish there was no suffering but that's niave.

peace

dumbdavid