13 July 2010

A good race run...

The Better Half's aunt passed away the other night, just over a month past Birthday number 95. Not a bad run, all things considered. She lived independently up until last October, then dementia and a mild heart attack saw us put her in a nursing facility. After New Year's, the mental facilities slipped pretty drastically and toward the end it was a reversion back to infancy.

Might sound hard-hearted, but I do believe in dignity in life as much as possible. I'm glad she's free of this existence. I choose to think that she's gone off to a better place. If that isn't your thing, then she's just gone-but trapped in an old body with no mind...it's still a release.

The amazing thing is that if her obit was going to be in the paper, it would probably read 'after a brief illness'. As many of you know, illness and dementia are only 'brief' if you aren't the one dealing with it!

To use a rather ancient joke, I hope I die peacefully, in my sleep-not kicking and screaming like the passengers in my car!

yankeedog out.

2 comments:

  1. That is a down side of modern medicine it can keep you going after you've vacated the premises. Then again I'd still like to hang around a bit yet.

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  2. Bangar-That's because you're not suffering from dementia. At least I don't think so.

    Therbs-A shame for both your parents. Six years of dementia-damn! That's a long time. And your description of it fits to a T.

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