Quote:
Originally Posted by jblum315
I remember reading a long time ago that the dying King George (father of Queen Elizabeth) was eased out of his suffering with an extra dose of morphine. The cynics said it was done so that his death could make the morning newspapers, but I believe he had a compassionate physician and no one was the wiser.
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I've read the same exact thing about Jackie Kennedy's "end".
I remember as she died the same day as my Irish stepfather.....
Actually, as part of palliative or comfort care now (in skilled nursing homes) we experienced them administering shots of morphine quite frequently on the last day.......the nurse sat by my side, actually.....and I watched her administer the morphine very frequently to my 91 year old mom........who had agreed to the "comfort care" which is also called palliative care (when she was admitted 18 months earlier). A little background; they didn't begin this until she could no longer swallow.
She had stopped swallowing food and even water..........so all that was given were "swabs" to moisten her mouth. It took about 24 hours.
I don't think people really suffer nowadays. A friend who passed recently was on a lot of morphine at the end; her husband said she suffered no pain at all, no distress.......this death was from lung cancer.
Times have changed.......hospice and nursing homes do know what they are doing to ease the patient's "sendoff" as well as the loved ones sitting with them at the end.........if that's any comfort.
We saw that Oregon documentary also. I have no problem with the Hemlock Society.........if that's what a person chooses.