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The answer to this question is, absolutely not! I'm sure there are a great many of us who have had to answer this dilemma. I know for myself personally, it was the most difficult decision I ever had to make. It was also a decision my siblings and I made together.

No matter how much you may love or care for someone, they're wishes in this kind of dire situation have to be honored! Our fathers wishes were very clear from the very beginning. His living will was very straight forward. Under NO circumstances did he wish to go on living, if his prognosis was terminal. Which it was.

My father was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 1984. The doctors said the common name for his particular type of cancer was, Wildfire cancer. In other words, by the time he was diagnosed the cancer had spread like wildfire through-out his entire body. There was absolutely no hope of recovery, at all! He was in horrible pain! The kind of pain which would drive someone to madness! It was without a doubt, the worst thing I had ever witnessed.I can't imagine in my worst mightmare how terrible it must have been for him. But what I do know is what he told me in his room at the hospital.

You see, my father and I were closer than the rest of his sons. He made it very clear to me that under no circumstances were we to try to lengthen his life. I agreed to his wishes but the rest of his family did not. His brothers, my uncles tried to get him and the doctors to start chemo therapy, and other things. My father adamantly refused! My uncles tried to use the argument he wasn't in the best of mental states to make that decision. The doctors and the son's disagreed.

It turned into a huge family battle, but ultimately the son's and doctors won out.For which my father was very grateful. We were allowed to bring him home. All we could really do was try to control the worst of his pain. Which we did as best we could.

My father passed away less than a week later. He was at home with us, and he was happy with that.Since that time,there has not been one word spoken between my uncles and my fathers son's.
We ALL loved my father. Each in they're own way and I know in my heart, we did what he wished.

It's still very hard to think about such things, even though it's been twenty-five years ago.
We all wanted to try to save my dad, but all it would really have done, was prolong his pain. And even though his family thought we did the wrong thing, I know that following his wishes was the right thing to do.

So, even though it's a very tough situation, the person who is terminally ill has the right to say, Enough is Enough! The patients right's superseed what the family want's everytime. If the patient is terminally ill, without hope of recovery!

So, in conclusion of this article just let me say, if you ever find yourself in such a horrendous situation. God forbid! Please remember, it's the patients rights that should take precedence over all others!

Learn more about this author, Jonathan Clayton.
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