O/T Prince Charles Tests Positive

[macstheman]

Longer than that in some cases, Swale and I wholly agree with your sentiments.

I consider us extremely fortunate in that all four of our parents suffered relatively sudden deaths which didn’t involve an enormous loss of dignity. My mother lasted a week after a stroke at the age of 84 but the prognosis in terms of quality of life was hopeless and I genuinely believe in those circumstances she lost the will to live.

It’s truly tough to lose a parent in such circumstances...both my father and father in law, there one minute gone the next. Total shock...there’s no chance to say any sort of mutual goodbye, but I’d honestly prefer that to my mate’s experience of having to watch his father take five years to die having no idea of who was visiting him and being doubly incontinent most of that time.

It’s a grown up debate the country needs to have. To some extent one can’t judge till one is in that position but I honestly feel that, from my own point of view, I wouldn’t want to live without a certain quality of life and my heart goes out to those suffering terminal and horribly debilitating illness who are not allowed to die with dignity.

Cheerful eh? Needs to be a huge adult debate but probably not in the midst of a pandemic.

You’re right about the divorce rate...I’m off into the garden!

With regard to dignity at the end of life my uncle (dad's brother) and auntie had a special end! He was 86 and she was 84, they were childhood sweethearts and married in their early twenties. Unfortunately, they couldn't have children but were inseperable all their married life.
They both enjoyed good health, he was Chief Pharmacist with Boots and they had a comfortable married life. They retired to a country village living in a picture postcard cottage. They kept a few lambs and he had a large allotment so their retirement was to be envied!
He ultimately suffered a severe stroke which placed him in a coma. My auntie visited him daily getting lifts from friends from the village. The stress proved too much and she suffered a stroke placing her in a coma as well. At the hospital it was realised that neither would recover and their beds were placed side by side. The next day my uncle passed away and only a few hours later we also lost my auntie. So my uncle never new my aunt was ill before he passed away whilst she did know that he had passed way!
They were buried in the same grave at a joint ceremony.
Sad but, in many ways, a beautiful end to an endearing love affair.