Re: Holland: the new killing fields

[Marta Russell <ap888@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I've had several relatives die from cancer -- two of those I was
fairly close to the process.  One died from pancreatic cancer and
another from lung cancer.  In both cases they were given enough
pain medication (and pancreatic cancer is one of the most
painful) until they died.  One died at home (the doctor provided
a supply of morphine at home) and the other in a hospital with a
morphine drip.

The answer, I think, is to find a doctor who is not a sadist and
who is willing to relieve pain and if possible to get into a good
hospice situation where there is palliative care.  And of course,
dying is not easy but neither is life.  Some things we endure -
there is no remedy for them.

Marta

Macdonald Stainsby wrote:
>
> Alright Marta- Let me drop any pretense to theory for a minute, and just 
> express a
>gut
> level feeling here. Maybe you can answer this for me. I understand your fear 
> and do
>not
> believe it to be paranoia or what have you. There is no depths this system 
> will not
>sink
> to save money for the wealthy and powerful. But here it is. Both sides of my 
> family
>have
> a large history of cancer. There is every reason in the world for me to be 
> concerned
> about this. I have watched family members tortured until they eventually died 
> from
>it.
> It, as I am sure you know, is not pretty. I love life, "Life is beautiful..." 
> as
>said by
> Trotsky fully encompassed it. But a life like the one I watched torn from my 
> father,
> well I want the right to say "no!". I don't want to live like this. Life isn't
>getting
> better.
>
> What is such a person to do?
>
> Macdonald
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>
> > One doesn't have to be a Marxist to understand that costly
> > patients will be the first to be done in.
> > marta