Aunt Sophie

My great-aunt Sophie was using supplemental oxygen when I was still learning to read. She and her sisters were always saying they wanted no extreme measures taken should they ever fall into a coma. They defined "extreme measures" as machine-assisted living for longer than a few months.

Her baby sister Gertrude decided, however, that Sophie must not have meant it for really real when Sophie got really sick. Ventilators, feeding tubes, and pain were Sophie's daily companions for far, far longer than a few months.

Once, in the presence of most of the family, Aunt Sophie ripped out as many tubes as she could reach, and choked out in a ruined voice, "Let me die, goddamn you, let me die."

Aunt Gertrude continued to insist that Sophie really wanted to live. And tied Sophie's arms down to prove it.

Despite many, many family witnesses (both to old discussions and recent outbursts) to the contrary. Despite HER OWN ADAMANT TESTIMONY.

By the time Aunt Sophie died, all the entire family could remember were the years of suffering, the pain, and ultimately a long coma that accomplished nothing but bedsores and brain damage.

Poor Terri's SCREWED.

So I guess I've got the right to laugh, and laugh hard at http://durrrrr.blogspot.com/.