What Would You Do?

[geriatrickid]

I'd go into denial, that way I wouldn't have to worry.

I've seen enough grisly deaths and had family members die slowly. I can't take it anymore. That's why I'd go the denial route.

Edited October 3, 2010 by geriatrickid

[gburns57au]

Thules, Settle down a bit please. Humour gets me through many things especially my current situation. These types of threads will attract attempted humour and some really funny posts, I knew my post would shock a few people but lets not lose the ability to have a laugh.

Beetlejuice, I did think about robbing a bank for a while, but then I saw a prisoner receiving chemo one day and had second thoughts

[Beetlejuice]

The thought of dying does not scare me at all. I am not that young anymore and can say I have done and seen it all.

None of us know when the time will arrive, death is part of life, and we are stuck with it whether we like it or not.

If my time were nearly up, the first things would be to get my affairs in order for those I leave behind. Second, begin preparing myself mentally for my departure. I mean, who knows, perhaps death is a new beginning, maybe it`s not the final end and there is some sort of parallel universe where we all end up as conscious beings? If I knew these answers I would be the richest man in the world, but we can live in hope, death may not be cut and dry.

The scary part is the venture into the unknown, but as a wise man once told me, everyone fears that the worst may happen, but when it does, it`s never as bad as you thought it was going to be.

The true story of Bridey Murphy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridey_Murphy

[StreetCowboy]

Imagine being told by the doctor you'd got five years to live, and then crashing your motorbike on the way home...

No wonder, fretting about that to-do list... and now how's the missus going to make the 59 remaining payments on the bike you just bought?

I think the first thing I would do is regret going to the doctor...

SC

[Loz]

While I was still healthy enough I'd become a vigilante and start offing all the bent bastards who are the bane of this country.

Sign me up for a week of that too.

THen I am going to drive to Epernay in my SLK to die from over-consumption of champagne. My terms.

[Loz]

A dear dear friend of the family retired this year. The same week he was diagnosed with an aspestos realated lung condition which gave him on the long side, 250 days. The man is a loving husband and father and a great friend. They are making the best of it but what a frightful blow. To have worked all your life for your freedom and then to have it cruely snatched away. Sure there is no good time to die (well, in your sleep maybe) but I feel he was robbed. I could understand why God might consider him good company, but a giving god would surely have let him enjoy more time with his loved ones.

Sorry if this is a bit sombre. just got me thinking...

Edited October 3, 2010 by Loz

[mca]

While I was still healthy enough I'd become a vigilante and start offing all the bent bastards who are the bane of this country.

Sign me up for a week of that too.

You'd be more than welcome mate.

God I'm off into daydream mode now

" Do I know who you are? I certainly do. You're the soon to be dead bitch looking into the wrong end of a Mossberg who decided to give the poor kids substandard school milk so you could buy a new house with a swimming pool from the money you stuck in your pocket. Oh, you know people do you? Well I hope you know a good temple abbot to give you a lovely sendoff. A, B, Seeya!"

[Familyonthemove]

Twenty ears ago I realised that the one bit of information I needed to plan my life was missing. Without a 'Use by' date how could I plan the really important things in life such as pensions, life insurance, marriage, motorcycle purchases etc

So I assumed that I'd last a bit longer than my dad and a bit longer than his dad, and used that as a guide.

I've passed that date (I'm 53, we're not a long lived lot) ... but because of my planning I've owned some great motorbikes, done some epic trips, married a great girl, live in one of the most vibrant cities in the world and have a crappy pension. Only the last point may turn out to be a slight error in my planning process.

[Loz]

better regret that which we've done than that we wished we'd done. as quoted before, too many of us go into the earth with the music still in us. better a paltry pension than a paltry collection of memories!

[F1fanatic]

Few of us really know what we'd actually do in that situation - it depends on so many different things.

My ex (we'd separated a couple of years earlier) was told he was seriously ill a year ago, that it could be life-threatening a few months later and finally went back home for treatment a month or so later - only to be told it wasn't what had been suspected here, it was even more serious.

Before he went home, he became v health conscious and 'spiritual' but, as I found out later by reading his diary, he decided to make the most of being able to go out and buy sex with different women (even though he had a g/f), whilst thinking only about getting better and "partying" once he beat the illness. Understandably he didn't tell anyone what he was really thinking or doing.... Denial plus common sense - hoping that everything would be OK with treatment.

As soon as he was properly diagnosed he underwent chemo (reasonable chance of recovery after treatment) -so couldn't start making the most of life in case things went wrong.

Things went seriously wrong v quickly and he died shortly after.

The OP made me think long and hard about what I'd do in those circumstances, bearing in mind what happened to my ex. Whilst I think I know - few of us actually can know.

I suspect that the vast majority of us will go into denial if there's a chance of recovery, whilst making the most of every easily available opportunity to make us feel 'alive'.

Edited October 3, 2010 by F1fanatic

[rixalex]

As a recently diagnosed lung cancer sufferer (March this year), My cancer is inoperable and incurable, the 5 year survival rate is about 10% with treatment being successful.

Put my affairs together, make sure that the missus is taken care of to the best of my resources.

Try and set up things to make it easier for the missus when I finally depart.

Try and live each day as normal as possible, chemo side effects can be a pain.

People imagine all sorts of things in this situation, but at the end of the day you do what you can. Travel is out as the risk of infection is too great, however if my treatment fails and nothing further can done then I would probably do a trip back to LOS to see the in laws.

The biggest problem is that you cant plan anything long term, so you have to live day by day.

So sorry to hear the news. Hope you and the family is coping as well as you can and that you are making most of the time that you do have.

[Ulysses G.]

Few of us really know what we'd actually do in that situation - it depends on so many different things.

...I suspect that the vast majority of us will go into denial if there's a chance of recovery, whilst making the most of every easily available opportunity to make us feel 'alive'.

VERY thought provoking post.

[gburns57au]

Few of us really know what we'd actually do in that situation - it depends on so many different things.

...I suspect that the vast majority of us will go into denial if there's a chance of recovery, whilst making the most of every easily available opportunity to make us feel 'alive'.

VERY thought provoking post.

Denial wasnt a deal with me, I suspected pretty much knew what was wrong with me from the symptoms. Once the diagnosis came down it was pretty much acceptance. I do get fear, anxiety, worry and sometimes regret but never denial.

I think most people know what is wrong with them before diagnosis and therefore prepare themselves beforehand. Certainly this is true for most of the people I have met on this particular journey.

Thanks to those who have wished me well. It is like being on a train with no doors and stations....a ride you cant get off, just ride it to the terminal

Edited October 3, 2010 by gburns57au

[travelmann]

go on a 6 year world cruise!

[Theoutsider]

I would get my house in order

Its not dying that scares me it the way I go that scares me. and the big c scares me

My thoughts go out to gburns

I found the the Tibetan book of living and dying was a good read.

[Robby nz]

As I started this I had better write a bit more.

First off, sorry to hear of your situation Gburns, make the best of the time you have mate.

As for me I go in for a minor OP in a couple of days and depending on what it is they take out... well we will see.

Dont have a bucket list as such, Ive had a good life and done a hel_l of a lot of things and done them pretty well as I wanted, have everything fairly well in order, as much as possible anyway.

But if it comes down to being given time then as Im quite fit now I want to travel to places (mostly in SEA)I havent been, see things I havent seen.

Not interested in cities, bars, people even.

Want to get into the remote places, the forests of Kanchanburi, the upper and lower Maekong river and the Bolivan platau.

Then theres a little moo bhan on the Andaman coast I would like to spend a bit of time at, the sea on one side, do a bit of fishing and swimming and the forest on the other.

First thing, whatever happens is a trip back to NZ in Dec to tour the south Island in my campervan, then back to TL with a new visa in March.

Anyone want to buy a campervan in NZ next March?

Then plan an itinarary around visa runs, try to find some of the real wildlife, and I dont mean the Pattaya ladyboys.

Wouldnt it be great to see a real live tiger in the wild or even better a asian rhino.

Enough for now.

Robby