hey cs,
i believe it was said here earlier but, it's probably best to have a legal document, living will or health care proxy or such. it alleviates family or friends from making difficult decisions under extremely stressful circumstances.

my dad, mom, brothers, and i were or are dnr.

my ma had high blood pressure, she told us (kids) that the docs said she didn't have to take them anymore.
it turns out she stopped taking the meds because she couldn't afford them and her pride wouldn't allow her to ask us for help.
she an aneurysm the size of a quarter in her left temple, a stroke, was in a coma for 3 1/2 months. she had to learn to walk, talk, feed and care for herself all over at 60.

my dad was 49, cardio-myopathy and given 6 months to live in feb of 1972.
several hearts attacks, a stroke in '80 and a cardiac arrest in '81. at that time, the state said docs had to make 3 attempts to revive. he woke up swearing the 3rd charge.

he was 71 years old, oct 3, 1994, first day of bow season, he got a nice buck. sat down for coffee and smoke while he waited for my brothers to help him haul his buck back. less than an hour later my brother, david, found dad dead.

my brother-in law shot himself in the head with a rifle oct 19, 1995. left my sister and 3 month old twin girls behind.

my brother, david, was healthy strong and full of poo, had 2 aneurysms or goliath arteriole-venus malformations (one the size of a golf ball in his left temple and the other the size of a lime in the back of his head) and in less than a week. he had spiked a temp of 108 for over 12 hours. he was pronounced brain dead, i made them check and re-check all of their tests, and results 3 times.

there was no recovery from that. death was a grace.

he died on jan 8,1999 at 39 years old.

after a family conference, the goodbyes, i was the youngest at 34, but i signed david's final paperwork to turn off life support and held his hand while his body left this world. just like when we were kids and held hands to cross the road.

at any rate, i worked at the same company that my older sister did, and apparently my sister had discussed her feelings of second thoughts with her co-workers. she blamed me for "killing" our brother, after all "i unplugged him", i had a few of her friends ask me if i felt like i had "murdered" him.

i asked "them" why i hadn't seen the sister or them, while i held his hand. i respected his wishes, "their selfish denial" would have prolonged his body's existence.

the point of all this babble is that we are not always allowed to choose when, how or what we die of.

making your wishes known gives us dignity and allows those left behind with the "comfort" of respecting your wishes.

my apologies, i've insomnia ramblings and talk or say too much.
make any sense?