I just read two very insightful posts that Andrew of http://lymphomajourney.wordpress.com posted/reblogged. The first was under the heading “Why not choose death” http://lymphomajourney.wordpress.com/2012/12/04/why-not-choose-death-sunrise-rounds-sunrise-rounds/ and the second “Morphine too little or to much?” http://sunriserounds.com/morphine-too-much-or-too-little/

I read the articles through the eyes of a primary caregiver who has prayed for her child’s death many, many days. https://tersiaburger.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=3&action=edit . BH, (Before Hospice), I often blogged about The Right to Die with Dignity…..

Over the past 10 years I have seen my child suffer so much indignity and indescribable pain. I have seen the despair in her eyes, the helplessness in the eyes of her boys….I have stood next to her bed and physically pulled my hair in frustration – tears pouring down my cheeks. I have wept before God and prayed for Vic to die. I begged God to take away her suffering.

I advocated the right to die with dignity.

Vic has been in the care of Hospice for the past 3 months. In this time Vic has been given a new lease on life. Hospice cannot change the prognosis but they have given Vic quality of Life. For the past three months Vic has been able to occasionally get out of bed, go for milkshakes with her boys, she went to Jared’s confirmation and Jon-Daniel’s honours evening. She completed her photo albums.

Vic is in renal and hepatic failure. Her tissue is horrendous. Her pain is under control! As and when symptoms surface, Vic’s medication is adjusted. She is treated with compassion and respect. Her wish is the teams command….

As the situation is now I am so grateful that my child is alive. I treasure every breath that she takes. We chat, laugh and cry. We dream of going to Italy in 2013.

So given the situation now what would I advocate – The right to die with dignity or the right to live?

I have no doubt that if Vic’s pain and symptoms got worse, I would want her suffering to end. If it remains as great as it is now of course I want her to live. But it is key that Vic is allowed to live with Dignity!

As much as I advocate the right to die with dignity I believe that the final decision lies with the sick person. It is not for family or physicians to play God. The patient has to be the only decision maker.

I must admit that if the decision was mine to make, my child’s suffering would have ended a long time ago.

We all have the right to Live with Dignity. There is a huge difference between breathing and living…

Breathe may refer to: Breathing, to inhale and exhale consecutively, drawing oxygen from the air, through the lung http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breathing

Life (cf. biota) is a characteristic that distinguishes objects that have signaling and self-sustaining processes from those that do not,^[1][2] either because such functions have ceased (death), or else because they lack such functions and are classified as inanimate. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life

BH (before Hospice) Vic breathed. Now she lives. She may not live for a long time but she has the right to live with dignity!