I just finished reading a Nurse's Story by Tilda Shalof. It was full of heart-breaking stories of families forced to give up on their critically-ill patients, all told from the perspective of the medical professionals. It reminded me too much of my dad's final days, when, given a choice between taking all measures necessary to prolong his life and quietly letting him go, we chose the latter. We did it for him--if I had been making the decision based on what I wanted, I would have kept him around, in the hopes that if he had the chance to beat his cancer, he could. But although he was incredibly brave, he didn't want to fight. He wanted to live his last days in peace.




And when I read this article, about a nurse who decided to stop receiving treatment for her tumor once she realized the scope of her illness, I started thinking more about the life and death choices we are forced to make, either for ourselves or someone else.

From the perspective of someone left behind, choosing not to fight, choosing to give up uncomfortable treatment and live their final days in peace almost seems like a selfish choice, like that person is choosing the easy way over you. But I think family members need to broaden their understanding, to put themselves in the shoes of the person facing the disease. It's impossible to know what it's like to stare death in the face unless you've done it. Choosing to give up is never an easy choice. But sometimes it's a necessary one.