f you were diagnosed with a terminal illness, what would you do?

[Deja Q]

Just curious.

[blueknight]

1. i would spend..

what little money i have,and go everywhere i wanted to go

[CO Liberal]

2. Probably Die.....

:-(

[Nikia]

3. Make amends with everyone

It's the right thing to do not to leave things unresolved for those who will go on living after one dies.

[havocmom]

4. would depend on the disease, pain, mental degeneration

all the particulars would have a bearing on how I would respond. Since medical care is so limited, I would choose not to endure pain for a long time.

[no_hypocrisy]

5. One-way trip to the Netherlands when I would become incapicitated.

Legalized euthanasia is the only way I could exercise my choice of when I have had enough treatment, so to speak.

[Bucky]

6. The only correct answer is...

vote absentee. Given the demographics of some of our Florida Democrats, that may not be bad advice.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

7. f you were diagnosed with a terminal illness, what would you do?

First off I would not accept the idea that I was terminal. Second I would do with this man did.. or I would have someone treat me in the way he was treated.... that is all I would do... that is all I believe I would need to do.

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2001/Apr-22-Sun-2001/living/15843088.html
HEALTH: Back From the Brink

Doctor's last-ditch effort saves Las Vegan's life, sets him on path to recovery

[InvisibleTouch]

8. Look for alternative treatments.

Conventional medicine has a spectacularly poor track record when it comes to chronic/terminal illness. And I'd rather pursue my own course of healing (or dying with dignity, as the case may be), than subject myself to what I've seen too many people in my life go through.

[geniph]

9. Die.

[Deja Q]

10. What would you do before dying?

:-)

[geniph]

35. Sex, drugs, and rock & roll, babee!

I would not be regretting the things I hadn't tried on my deathbed!

[lpbk2713]

11. I would try to find the most expedient way out.

So as to not burden my kids with medical bills and so that they would get whatever assats I could pass on to them.

[ScreamingMeemie]

12. Because I have young children, I would fight tooth and nail to stay

alive. When my children are grown, if I had fought it before and found out it was back, I think I would just let things go.

[Deja Q]

18. Very thoughtful sentiment.

:thumbsup: In a different world, I'd be the same way. (I've no children and lack the emotional stamina or control to raise them. :-( But having held a child once, I can fully understand why parents like to raise them... I don't want to give the impression that, in this world, I'd just let go and let those who survived me scramble around... no way.)

[amazona]

13. probably not tell anyone if I could get away with it

A woman in my blackjack circle died suddenly, and that's when it came out that she had a brain tumor. "But she didn't tell anyone!" was what several people complained about, but I thought it was great. She just kept on coming to the tournaments, having a good time, enjoying herself, and not being fussed over. Unfortunately, a lot of terminal illnesses don't lend themselves to concealment but I have to say I admired the lady for putting on a brave face and keeping us all in happy ignorance til the end.

[Donkeyboy75]

14. Cocaine and heroin.

Seriously. I would never do it normally, but I bet the high is great.

[amazona]

15. if the terminal illness is painful the high is pretty zip from opiates

Opiates (and I'm assuming heroin to be in that group) don't act the same on cancer patients and some other disease victims as they do on healthy people. A friend's father was prescribed what was supposedly $100,000 worth of opiates for his pain from cancer, and he needed every bit of it just to feel normal for a few more months. I think if you want to dabble, you would do better to dabble when strong and healthy -- not that I would advise anyone to dabble, mind you!

[Donkeyboy75]

24. Right. This would be just after I found out.

And was still in relatively normal health.

[AlienGirl]

16. I'd have fun!

I would make some trips I've wanted to make, and stop worrying about retirement. :-)

Tucker

[Spirochete]

17. Borrow money from everyone I don't like

and give it to everyone I do like. hehe

[Habibi]

19. This question was posed here at DU

about a year ago. A DUer (whose name I don't remember--she was very new) responded that she was, in fact, dying, and had been given about six months to live. I don't know about anyone else on the thread, but I felt terrible about the smart-ass comment I had been about to post to the initial question. She seemed like a gentle soul, pretty much reconciled to her fate, and concerned mostly with making sure that the people she loved *knew* about her love before she left them. (That's my memory of the thread; I could be mistaken.) I remember that she also expressed some relief at not having to be around to help figure out how to solve all the problems we were facing--they were so overwhelming to her.

[IronLionZion]

20. If it was contagious, go to the Republican National Convention

I'm kidding! :P


I would try to enjoy life as much as possible. I would do things that I wouldn't normally do and try to travel if I could. And I'd probably try to die skiing in Alaska.

[kodi]

21. start breathing deeper and get a second opinion

after that, i would plan on killing my enemies. after all, what the hell kind of a deterrent would the death penalty be to me?

[2cents]

22. Only one thing to do ...

stay outta terminals. :9

Seriously - I'm not sure, but denial would be a big part of it.

[Southsideirish]

23. I once heard that many people go on cruises -and die on them.

Its a dirty little secret by the cruise lines that very terminal people often will sign up for a cruise in order to die on it - rather than in a hospital bed or at home. This is of course, if they are mobile enough at the end. I guess its one way to do it.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

25. I would look for someone to adopt my dogs, forget about paying my debt,

and accelerate my travel plans.

[sherrem]

26. I would

spend every second with my kids. I would do my best to get things in order for everyone, and I would write my obituary.

Obituaries are funny things. Such a simple little thing often causes a lot of friction in a grieving family. Being an avid genealogist, I would like to have a thorough obituary in the event someone 50 years from now cared enough about our family to research it.

[HEyHEY]

27. Write Visa and Canada student loans a really GOOD letter

[Swamp Rat]

33. Ha ha! yeah. One can explain to them that the downside of capitalism

sometimes bites you on the ass. The letter should be written on gold-leaf, handmade parchment, and written in the best calligraphy. After all, they paid for it!

[REP]

28. I Have Been

and it turns out what you do is try like hell to slow your disease down and keep the rent and bills paid.

[sandnsea]

31. oh my

I'm really sorry to hear that. Since my mom went through something similar, I can say you're absolutely right. That's what her and my dad did, and travelled as much as they could. And during the last few months of her life, she made sure to tell us kids every time she saw us "to take care of each other".

[REP]

36. Mine's Got A Long Lead Time

I have a fairly uncommon kidney disease that not much is really known about and for which there is no effective treatment, so my 'time left' could just be months, but it's more likely years.

[Name removed]

29. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[guitar man]

30. If it wasn't something contagious

There's this woman I've been wanting to get freaky with for about 10 years now.............

[Swamp Rat]

32. Party my fucking ass off!

Hopefully I'd make it thru Mardi Gras and croak on Ash Wednesday. Then my friends and family can boil me in a pot with crawfish, eat my carcass, burn the rest and drink my ashes in a banana shake, spiked with rum... and add other fruits to it as well.

[neverborn]

34. LSD.

[Name removed]

37. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[GAspnes]

38. I'd kill you

and a few other folks.

[St. Jarvitude]

39. Blow all my money at the roulette table

Wait until the absolute last moment before I'll be permanently confined to a bed.

Then, buy a handgun and a couple of bullets.

Go to the nearest casino with a high stakes roulette table, and bet it all on red.

If I win, all of the money goes to whichever charity researches the disease I have. If I lose, whatever.

Bullet to the head.

[St. Jarvitude]

40. Alternatively, enter high stakes poker tournaments/ring games

Keep going until I have to be confined to the hospital bed and then end the same way.