If you could choose how you die

snickerscharlie

I want to die peacefully in my sleep just like my auntie did.

Not screaming, like the passengers in her car.

Motorsheen

Gunnery Sergeant Hickman told me:

"Everybody wants to go the Heaven, nobody wants to die."


..... I reckon he was right.

Motorsheen

A few years ago I visited my grandfather in his hospital room. His health had greatly declined and we frankly didn't expect him to come home.

He was laying there with all of the tubes and wires and hook-ups that you see in a hospital room. He suddenly started having very struggled breathing and I could see the fear in his eyes.

He was strong enough to reach for a bedside pen and notepad. He took the pen, scribbled a note and then passed away. I was honored that his last and dying thoughts would be directed to me.

We called in the nurses and doctors... and he was taken into their care.

It was then that I looked at this cherished note that he had written to me; it simply read: "you're standing on my oxygen tube."

DWBalboa

Death by Penélope Cruz.

DWBalboa

bpetrosky wrote: »

Tortured to the death by the Spanish Inquisition, but I don't expect that will happen.

No one expects the Spanish inquisition!

zyxst

This turned into a Chit Chat thread real quick.

I regret giving a truthful, honest post.

stanmann571

Motorsheen wrote: »

Gunnery Sergeant Hickman told me:

"Everybody wants to go the Heaven, nobody wants to die."


..... I reckon he was right.

I'd say he's wrong on both counts.

There are notably people who want to die.

And

People who don't want to go to heaven.

singingflutelady

It's not that I want to die but through my own experiences with illnesses and pain plus seeing people going through endless suffering I know there are things that are WORSE than dying. I have a Crohn's friend who didn't want an ileostomy even though he was in and out of hospital every month. Last September he had a major perforation and needed 4-5 emergency surgeries. He now has short gut syndrome, abscesses, fistulas, been septic 4 times, is TPN dependent, NPO, has 3 broken vertebrates in his back because of years of corticosteroid use with no hope of ever leaving the hospital alive but who have doctors who are too scared to actually admit there is nothing more they can do. His Crohn's is now back and his Dr is putting him on a biologic (immunosuppressant) which is the worse thing they can do just to say they tried. Nope I would not want that. I'd want to be in palliative care getting adequate pain relief and NOT be subjected to that torture.

pinuplove

zyxst wrote: »

This turned into a Chit Chat thread real quick.

I regret giving a truthful, honest post.

I'll answer truthfully. Having seen both my parents die by the age of 21, I've given the matter more thought than I probably should have.

My mom died of a blood clot, pulmonary embolism. It was basically instant. Due to a genetic blood clotting disorder, I think I have a better-than-average chance of going this way (although I'm obviously doing what I can to circumvent it). My dad died in ICU after 3 weeks on a ventilator following complications from heart surgery and eventually sepsis. It was not the death I would have wanted for him, and definitely not one I'd want for myself.

Most of all, I don't want to die of cancer. I've seen it slowly kill multiple family members, and it is never a good way to go. The thought of knowing for months and months that the end is inevitably near and suffering through treatment to prolong it (or possibly not, I don't know) haunts me.

Motorsheen

stanmann571 wrote: »

Motorsheen wrote: »

Gunnery Sergeant Hickman told me:

"Everybody wants to go the Heaven, nobody wants to die."


..... I reckon he was right.

I'd say he's wrong on both counts.

There are notably people who want to die.

And

People who don't want to go to heaven.

..... maybe so, but I wasn't about to argue with him.

on his worst day, he could kick my tail.

Motorsheen

zyxst wrote: »

This turned into a Chit Chat thread real quick.

I regret giving a truthful, honest post.

honest answer:

I want to pass away gently with my loving family by my side, after having said goodbyes, and after a long & productive life.

Tacklewasher

Stockholm_Andy wrote: »

I'd like to go quietly in my sleep like my grandfather...not screaming and shouting as you plunge over a cliff like the people on the bus he was driving.

Dammit. I was going to post that.

Tacklewasher

DWBalboa wrote: »

Death by Penélope Cruz.

Is that like death by Snoo Snoo?

DWBalboa

Tacklewasher wrote: »

DWBalboa wrote: »

Death by Penélope Cruz.

Is that like death by Snoo Snoo?

Close enough.

saragd012

PaperDoll_ wrote: »

I don't know what I'm likely to die of, but I do know I definitely do not want to go in my sleep. That thought has always terrified me. I actually want my death to be something painful. I want to be well aware of it at the moment. I always assumed I'd go in a car wreck, but hopefully not for a very long time.

For whatever reason I've always assumed I would die in a significant car accident as well. I'm not really put-off by the idea of dying, a little curious about it to be honest, but I'd obviously prefer to keep living for a good deal longer. I think the curious part is what makes me want to be aware and conscious, I (presumably) will only experience dying one time, dying in my sleep would be like not being able to check off that very last item on my bucket list.

HoneyBadger302

-What do you think of the above, what are your thoughts?

I don't dwell on death, but I grew up around it (farm kid with lots of pets, and all of my grandparents were gone by the time I was 27) and am aware life doesn't always go "as planned" even when everything is done right. As I age (about to turn 40), I see more and more friends and acquaintances that are dealing with the big scares such as cancer, and see the aging of my family members.

Ain't none of us getting out of this alive, so I've ended up with a bit of a YOLO attitude (doesn't mean I'm not saving towards a retirement, but it's not my highest priority, either).


-So really what do you think you're likely to die of, based off your action?

Well, potential of death is a very real aspect for me to accept - I ride and race motorcycles. It's a sport that can, and does, kill people. That is something I have to accept and be aware of, ensuring I'm not leaving someone else with a pile of crap to deal with. Just a fact of the sport, and one I accept willingly. Yes, I do what I can to be safe(er) such as this year investing in an airbag race suit.

Assuming my sport doesn't kill me, genetically, I'm likely to die of a stroke. Stroke has killed the majority of women on my maternal side as far back as most can remember. Granted, most lived to a decent, but not magical age (late 70's to 80's). Then again, none of them worried too much about a healthy diet or lifestyle, either. I have historically eaten better and "healthier" than my family and been more fit, and I hope that may extend my stay on this planet. Most of them have been obese, I barely got into overweight at my heaviest (according to BMI). Still makes this the most likely way for me to die though, even if it's a bit later in life.

The only known cancer case is my maternal grandmother who got lung cancer. She smoked like a chiimney most of her life, only giving it up in her 60's I think it was. She survived the cancer, then died of a stroke.

On my paternal side it's harder to say as the family history isn't recorded (my great grandfather was adopted, and no one has ever mentioned his wife or anything about her). My P.GM had type 1 diabetes and died from that eventually, and my P.GF just went downhill very quickly after that. Both were in their late 80's/early 90's.

Nadspee

I'm like 99% sure my reproductive organs are going to revolt against me and kill me. My Dad is a cancer survivor, so genetically I'm already higher risk. I say reproductive organs specifically because women who don't have kids increase their risk (I hate kids and intend to be childfree forever.) I'd rather have cancer than a kid. I've also never taken BC and that increases risk too. I'm so convinced that I'll get some sort of reproductive cancer that I've actually considered having a hysterectomy (I'm 31 years old). I wont do it yet though, because if I DO get cancer, I want to make sure it's in parts that can be removed. I'd rather have cervical, or ovarian or uterine cancer rather than lung or brain... so I guess in a way I'm HOPING I'll get reproductive cancer!?!?!

If cancer is cured, I'd like to drown after my plane crashes into the ocean, just so I can see what that would be like.

If I die of natural causes I want my body chummed into the ocean. (Like for shark fishing) I think being eaten by a shark seems kind of cool...but I want to already be dead.

mram3582

I don't have any kids or significantly younger relatives, so if I make it to old age I am probably just going to take the walk. Hopefully, I will live in a place where I can freeze to death. First you're cold, followed by confusion, followed by euphoria, and finally you think that you're hot and strip off all your clothes. That is how I want to be found...naked and happy. In all likely hood though, it will probably end with me wondering what this button does..."oops"....

johnslater461

I just know that when I die, I want my remains scattered over New York, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles...











...and I don't want to be cremated.

madwells1

-What do you think of the above, what are your thoughts?

I have actually been thinking about something related to this a lot lately--call it a mid-life crisis or something. My thoughts lately have been this: If we knew our expiration date, what would we do in our life at this very minute?

Honestly, I would love to know my expiration date. I could plan for retirement appropriately, get rid of stress related to mundane things, but more important, live my life to the fullest every second. We tend to get wrapped up in so many minor things, that we forget that we need to truly enjoy life. I have always dreamed of 'expiring' around 80. That would give me some good retirement years, and avoid my potential for dementia or long term illness that only brings hardship and struggling not only to myself, but others around me.

-So really what do you think you're likely to die of, based off your action?

Unfortunately, pessimist that I am, I will probably live until I am 110 and have Alzheimers and dementia. Someone in the nursing home will probably put a pillow over my face because I will have turned nasty and crazy because of the disease. Sad, but true.