Howard Berkowitz wrote:

It's a terribly difficult question. I did feel a deep emotional bond
with my last cat to die, who seemed to tell me when he still wanted to
[...]

Definitely the tough side of having a pet.

It was much more difficult with my mother, although there were
significant differenes. She had metastatic breast cancer in 1975, and,

[...]

consciouness and memory slipping away. At that point, I told her staff
comfort measures only -- do not attempt to cure potentially fatal
complications such as pneumonia. They refused, and, indeed, insisted on
intense life support even when she certainly was no longer conscious,
and was not going to wake up.

Sounds like you've been through the wringer. Been there myself so I
can sympathize.

Problem is, medical people are trained to "keep people alive". You
know, "do no harm", at least in a physical sense.

Technology can drive a glimmer of hope in immortality. "It's not
*fair* to die; we can *fix* it!" We all know we die. We just
don't believe it.

Death is natural. But sometimes, it seems the medical community,
and the consumer of medical services, looks upon it as a cop out
or a failure.

Irrespective of our feelings, eventually, it's simply time to go!


SMH