Modern medicine is wonderful for so many reasons. It cures diseases once considered a death sentence, takes away pain so we can be comfortable and gets rid of any tiny little symptom we consider slightly unpleasant or just plain inconvenient. But does medicine prolong our life past our intended expiration date? If we live to be 100 without much physical or mental capacity, are we really living anyway?
I'm thinking of my grandma, who is now 90 years old. She still lives alone, surrounded by all her chotchkes she loves, her sweets drawer stuffed with chocolates and her beloved cats, all 20 bazillion of them. Her mind, once sharp, seems to be racing to catch up to her slowly deteriorating body. She has always been witty, strong willed and determined, but her spark is slowly going out. Her sweet natured, pleasing disposition is giving way to forgetfulness, confusion and frustration. My parents are facing the struggles that so many people face when taking care of aging parents - taking car keys away, closely monitoring their daily happenings, controlling their finances, administering medications, making all their decisions for them. It's all in the name of safety, but so hard because each piece is another part of their former selves that they're losing.
Despite all the aches, pains and ailments of the elderly, the will to live is incredibly strong. Dayven jokes because every time we leave from a family visit, I always say "This might be the last time I see my Grandma" but she just keeps on kicking. He's convinced there's a chance she could outlive us all.
We all want our loved ones to be with us forever and the thought of them passing is almost too much to bear. But it's also really painful to watch someone you love slipping away little by little each day, so that they end up just a shell of who they were.
There's really no answer here. As long as medicine continues to progress, people will probably just keep living longer and longer. I only hope to continue living a quality life, as long as I'm alive and to try my best to live all the cliches - enjoy each moment, appreciate my blessings, etc. What more can we do? I guess I should consider myself lucky if my picture ends up on the side of a jelly jar one day!
1 comment:
I think this is a valid perspective Chels. I watched my Pa diminish to dementia. In the end I was praying for him to pass because it was so sad, and he had always been such a proud man. The intention of modern medicine is good, but it only considers the physical body, not the spirit. I liked this blog, it's something that's not talked about much.
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