I had the misfortune of watching cancer ravage my grandfather for two years. There were medical treatments which could have taken parts of it out, but the likelihood of surviving two cancer surgeries . . . and the cancer had gotten into his blood.
My other grandfather developed pneumonia. Had smoked and drank for upwards of 60 years. There was nothing we could do within normal means. We gave him as much morphine and other painkillers as was possible without risking renal failure.
You didn’t murder your grandmother: you helped her to end her life peacefully and with as much grace and dignity as was possible. You also saved the sanity and heart of your grandfather.
Marc, my prayers are with you and your family, and all others in that most difficult of spots. I truly don’t know if I could have the courage to do that.
wow.
I am one of those that you can email, should you need to.
{{{{{{{{{{{{Marc}}}}}}}}}}
** Marc, ** I’m so terribly sorry that you and your family have had to endure all the worst kinds of decisions you’ll ever have to make on behalf of someone that you’ve loved for so long. She isn’t hurting anymore, but the coming days for you will stretch out very long at times. Please know, you’re in our thoughts and prayers, take care of yourself.
I salute you, sir. You were eloquent in your silence, and are even more so in your words.
You and your family faced an incredibly trying situation, where you were forced to make an impossibly difficult personal choice for someone who was unable to make that choice herself. Unfortunately, the results of your choice played out unexpectedly slowly, so you were forced to reexamine your choice over an extended period.
Of course you have doubts. You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t. I can do nothing to help you resolve those doubts except to say that if I were in your grandmother’s situation, I would hope that those who were caring for me would have the strength and fortitude to make the choice you and your family did.