As all my friends know, I have been seriously ill since a stroke ten years ago. When I go to bed at night, there is a greater than average chance that I won't be around to wake up in the morning. I am getting the best possible medical care, yet about a year ago, I had a blood clot in my lung that could easily have been fatal.
I am not afraid of dying. To begin with, I am a Sikh and fear of death just isn't part of the program. Second, I have died - flat-lined - in the past, so I have actually experienced death.
What Dr. Kalsi says here is the absolute truth in my case. Death is not the enemy. Over zealous doctors who want to keep life in a body ready to die are the enemy. As with the medical professionals he mentions, I have a DNR (DO NOT RESUSCITATE) order. I signed it after much thought, consultation with medical professionals, and prayer. When it's my time to move on, please allow me to do so with calm dignity. Whatever your wishes are about this, I urge you to put them in legal papers and make them known to your family, especially those who will be making your medical decisions when you cannot.
And I must thank Dr. Kalsi for this article. Death is a subject too often avoided, sometimes with calamitous results.
