The last of my maternal uncles breathed his last
yesterday. A cousin of mine has been tethered to a ventilator today after a
fall. The uncle was 93. The cousin must be around 80.
I am 64. I have lived twice as long
as an average Indian of 1947. When India wrested independence from the British,
the average life expectancy of an Indian was 32. Today the average life
expectancy in India is 70 years, according to Macrotrends. My uncle, who was a
teacher by profession, defied the national statistics. My cousin, who is a nun,
is being assisted by one of the innumerable multi-speciality hospitals in
Kerala to keep going and defy the national statistics.
Would she want to keep going? My
inextricable perversion raises that question merely because I have always had a
soft corner for her. She is a tender person. Someone who believes that love is
the only purpose of human existence. She wouldn’t do anything that would give even
the littlest trouble to others. I felt sorry for her when I was informed that
she was sent to the ventilator. Would she want that? I have serious doubts.
I don’t ever want to be plugged on to
a ventilator in any event. Haven’t I lived long enough?
There must be dignity in death just
as much as in life.
I don’t want to lie in a hospital bed
looking like a corpse that will be gawked at by friends and relatives.
Have you seen the last moments of bedridden
people? If you have, you wouldn’t want to lie like that at all. One final
dignified fall is what you would want.
I have written many times defending
euthanasia precisely for this reason: dignity in death.
Since we are at it, let me also state my wish on what should be done after my death. I want my body to be cremated in an electric crematorium without any religious ritual. Let there be serenity too in death in addition to dignity.
Make sure your next of kin knows your wishes. My great-grandmother stated her wish not to be put on a ventilator. When she had her final attack, she called paramedics, and they put her on a ventilator (as she had called for assistance). She was shortly thereafter taken off of it (as my mother knew her wishes), and she passed. She was in her 80s.
ReplyDeleteAs of now, my wife knows. But I may have to think of someone more.
Deleteknow about reincarnation read my blog
Deletehttps://felixanoopthekkekara.blogspot.com/2024/08/the-reincarnation-of-cameron-macaulay-i.html
I agree.
ReplyDeleteThank you
DeleteHari OM
ReplyDelete🙏 I recently made similar requests of my sister. YAM xx
Good to know there are others who think this way.
DeleteInterested in knowing about what happens after death read my blog to find out and feel free to express your views
Deletehttps://felixanoopthekkekara.blogspot.com/2024/08/the-reincarnation-of-cameron-macaulay-i.html
How nice would it be if we don't fear death and we know when we would die.
ReplyDeletewe can complete all the things we need to do before our death.
sir, when free please visit my blog too. I have posted a new one
https://felixanoopthekkekara.blogspot.com/2024/08/the-reincarnation-of-cameron-macaulay-i.html
I did visit your blog and will do in future too. It's good to read what a student writes.
DeleteWouldn't it be wonderful if we could control the time of our departure from the world like we have managed to control births (at least to some extent)? I understand your wish and I agree being on the ventilator shouldn't be an option. I'd never ever want my children to face the dilemma of if/when they should let me go. To be honest, my greater fear is to live a half-life like that or a life of dependence rather than that of dying.
ReplyDeleteLiving a half or more dead life is worse than hell!
Delete