I am finally pulling the plug on this. She is a total weirdo. My mother has not been doing well. She has alzheimer's disease. Actually, they say it's really small strokes, but it sure seems like alzheimer's. How far back do you want me to start. It's hard to tell when it started, when it got passed the point where her memory was coming and going and progressed to where it was going. She had feared this all of her life because her grandmother had it and her father had it. As a result, I believe that she tried her best to deny it and hide it. She also lives over an hour away from me. I've mentioned numerous times that I'm no driver, so I have witnesses. I'd also have to go through bad neighborhoods, negotiate dead man's curve, etc. etc. So my sister became concerned around Jan. or so. It was a little too late by then to be concerned about her well being because of course,  you can't exactly reverse that, you know. As cruel as it is, I think in some ways, it's easier on the relatives because you have a long time to get used to the idea. In many ways I'm lucky. It would be far worse to have lost her suddenly when I was a baby or a teen. It would be worse to see her die of cancer if her mind were clear and alert. In fact, she has always said that she wouldn't want to be kept alive on a ventilator, etc. When I was a teenager I couldn't listen to such talk and I would leave the room. I felt that I would never ever give up hope ever. Now I guess I realize that as sad as it is, sometimes, there is nothing you can do. Really. Nothing. I think the Terry Schavo case is a little suspicious because I don't think that many people in thier early 20s are that adamant in their desires for a living will. Maybe she could have mentioned it in passing while watching a news story, but that's about it. I think the cause of her condition was suspicious too, but I don't disagree with not keeping her alive.

The extent of the dilemma has really hit home. There are millions of people that are just existing. They wander around or sit in chairs all day. People feed them, diaper them, and go through the motions of having movie time or craft time while the people just stare, sleep, or scream. They could live for over a decade after they've forgotten who they are, forgotten what their loved ones look like, forgotten how to have any quality of life whatsoever.