Elizabeth Edwards Dies

[Carmen813]

I wasn't expecting to see this so soon.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/46093.html

Not sure what comments to make about this, I didn't follow the Edwards political drama very much.

 

[techie81]

Wow that was really quick, I thought she might have at least 6 months. Sad day.

 

[PokerGuy]

I disagree vehemently with her politics (a flaming liberal), but that aside, sad for her and her family, may she RIP.

 

[sactoking]

Quite surprised by the suddenness of this. I had thought when she announced a couple days ago that she was stopping treatment she would make it several more months. I guess she had made peace with everything and was able to let go.

 

[Infohawk]

Was John Edwards there? I haven't followed whether they broke up, made up, or what...

 

[OBLAMA2009]

how come celebrities always die right away?

 

[Infohawk]

how come celebrities always die right away?

Huh?

 

[monovillage]

May she rest in peace, she had a very hard road to travel the last several years of her life. Most likely her sudden passing after announcing no more chemo was a personal choice for her.

 

[Anarchist420]

That's sad

 

[Capt Caveman]

Was John Edwards there? I haven't followed whether they broke up, made up, or what...

I just heard on the news that he was present with the rest of the family at the house.

 

[werepossum]

Sad news. I disagreed with her politics almost across the board, but she was foremost a mother and seemed like a pretty good one.

 

[classy]

Wow that was really quick, I thought she might have at least 6 months. Sad day.

That is true. Just a day or so ago she was resting comfortably and the next gone. I feel kinda bad for John Edwards a lil. I believe if she had not gotten sick to the point of dying, he probably would have stayed strong. I think the thought of another dying immediate family member just broke that dude down.

 

[Skitzer]

May she RIP

 

[manimal]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGQ8UHSL05A&feature=related

I listen to this movement from the Mozart Requiem whenever loss comes into my life.

 

[ProfJohn]

Sad news, stories this morning said she had a few weeks at most so this is certainly a surprise.

Nice to see that her and John put aside their problems.

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

I'm going to be the realist here based on my recent experience in Hospice care...

I am not suprised that she went so fast. Not because it's natural to die so soon after stopping care, but because it's very normal for the victim and those closest to her to have already decided it was time to end it.

Assisted suicide is not the circus that Dr Kevorkian made it into. It happens quietly all the time. The patient decides that the constant PAIN and NAUSIA and all the other horrible, horrible, God-awful things that come when you're near the end and suffering from a horrible disease are just too much to bear and either they end it themselves or they have someone do it for them. Usually an overdose of pain meds.

"But what if you get caught?"

You don't. If you're registered with a hospice service it's very simple. The paitent dies. The loved ones who were there when the patient expired call hospice who sends a nurse over. That nurse confirms the death and records it as an 'attended death' on the certificate. Then the morturary takes away the body and carries out their wishes (burial, cremation, whatever...)

No police. No autopsy.

I've had this conversation. It will be forever burned into my memory.

I'm pretty sure this is what she chose to do. If this is the case I fully support her decision. Based on my experiences over the last few months and conversations I've had with other people who have had similar experiences... this is my conclusion.

May she find her peace.

 

[ProfJohn]

^ similar thing with my step dad

He had leukemia and wasn't going to make it so he decided that he was ready to go so they turned off his oxygen etc. And afterwards the Dr. told my mom that "he helped him go" Most likely turned up the morphine or something along those lines.

In this case the message that she was stopping treatment was probably aimed to just give everyone a heads up that she was going to die soon. I know with my step dad he fought right up to the last day but there was just no way for him to beat the phenomena he had in order to make it back to chemo. Had there been a chance to beat the phenomena he probably would have kept fighting and I am sure it was similar with Elizabeth.

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

^ similar thing with my step dad

He had leukemia and wasn't going to make it so he decided that he was ready to go so they turned off his oxygen etc. And afterwards the Dr. told my mom that "he helped him go" Most likely turned up the morphine or something along those lines.

In this case the message that she was stopping treatment was probably aimed to just give everyone a heads up that she was going to die soon. I know with my step dad he fought right up to the last day but there was just no way for him to beat the phenomena he had in order to make it back to chemo. Had there been a chance to beat the phenomena he probably would have kept fighting and I am sure it was similar with Elizabeth.

If I was too subtle... I think she was a suicide. I think she saw the end... she saw what it had in store... and she didn't want to go there.

And I don't blame her one bit.

 

[ProfJohn]

I know what you meant, but it is hard to tell from what information we have.

For all we know the decision to 'stop treatment' could have meant that they were going to stop any and all means of keeping her alive. She may have already been on the verge of death before yesterday and they just 'gave up' and she died shortly afterwards.

Hard to tell what condition she was in yesterday and if she took her life a few weeks before she would have died naturally or if she died right when she would have without any outside help. We may never know.

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

True... We will never know. But based on what I read in the article it was the first conculusion that came to mind. If they had turned off a ventilator or shut off a feeding tube... ok. But that doesn't seem to be the case.

And my opinion isn't worth the paper it's printed on... so it's just that.

 

[hal2kilo]

I know what you meant, but it is hard to tell from what information we have.

For all we know the decision to 'stop treatment' could have meant that they were going to stop any and all means of keeping her alive. She may have already been on the verge of death before yesterday and they just 'gave up' and she died shortly afterwards.

Hard to tell what condition she was in yesterday and if she took her life a few weeks before she would have died naturally or if she died right when she would have without any outside help. We may never know.

When ones in a very weakened state to begin with, things can happen awlfully fast. I lost my father, who was not in the best of health, but not on the edge, so to speak, he died very shortly after he had a sepsis infection. In less than 2 weeks, he went from being in the hospital, seeming to recover, then rapidly going downhill, to death.

My condolences to her loved ones. I know of no one who really knew her that had a negative thing to say about her.

 

[werepossum]

I'm going to be the realist here based on my recent experience in Hospice care...

I am not suprised that she went so fast. Not because it's natural to die so soon after stopping care, but because it's very normal for the victim and those closest to her to have already decided it was time to end it.

Assisted suicide is not the circus that Dr Kevorkian made it into. It happens quietly all the time. The patient decides that the constant PAIN and NAUSIA and all the other horrible, horrible, God-awful things that come when you're near the end and suffering from a horrible disease are just too much to bear and either they end it themselves or they have someone do it for them. Usually an overdose of pain meds.

"But what if you get caught?"

You don't. If you're registered with a hospice service it's very simple. The paitent dies. The loved ones who were there when the patient expired call hospice who sends a nurse over. That nurse confirms the death and records it as an 'attended death' on the certificate. Then the morturary takes away the body and carries out their wishes (burial, cremation, whatever...)

No police. No autopsy.

I've had this conversation. It will be forever burned into my memory.

I'm pretty sure this is what she chose to do. If this is the case I fully support her decision. Based on my experiences over the last few months and conversations I've had with other people who have had similar experiences... this is my conclusion.

May she find her peace.

If this is true, I'd support her completely. If you know there is no miracle cure waiting just around the corner that might possibly save you, why suffer such horrible pain for weeks, knowing you'll be mostly unconscious from pain meds anyway? Especially sad though to lose a loved one so near Christmas.

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Think Sparky Anderson too... The day after he announces he's in hospice care he's gone.

Probably topic for a new thread but Hospice's secondary function is to serve as a cover for those who need to end it all and a blanket of legal protection for the friends and family who assist them. And thanks God for them... No circus, no hysterics, no publicity... just a quiet, caring signature and confidentiality.

 

[Carmen813]

Frankly, as a cancer survivor I could foresee circumstances where I would make such a decision. There is little reason to drag your family (and yourself) through months of unnecessary suffering.