My dad passed away on the 28th of August 2008 just three weeks after he turned 80. He had been fighting cancers (and I mean the plural) for the last 22 years surviving against all the odds through 5 major operations. His last three days in this world were nothing but a horrendous sufference. Those last three days slowly and utterly ripped off all his dignity one tiny bit at a time with every single painful breath. He actually died suffocating for THREE long and painful days. All the doctors I called to help him in any way told me that there was nothing that could be done. They said they could not give him any tranquilizers as "it would depress his respiratory centres"! So he was left completely conscious to witness and hear his own misery and to cry out loud "I can't take it anymore! I can't take it anymore!" The last hours before he died we all prayed to God not to heal him but to take him away because we couldn't stand anymore to see him suffering the way he was.
After all these I haven't lost my believe in God - but I'm certainly close to lose my faith in humans. I trust there are a lot others out there that have passed through similar experiences and I would like to know if they can sleep at night without hearing their beloved ones begging for mercy. I would also like to know if there is something that could be done to help the ones we love to pass away in peace and dignity when there is no hope left. I am not sure if I am looking for euthanasia as the answer though.
