Alive at any price

I just read a story about a kidney transplant.  "Dying" is a little strong though. 

A kidney patient can walk around with zero functioning, for years, as long as they receive dialysis.  A heart patient, though, is a lot more limited (one of my FB friends has Ventricular Assist Device - an artificial pump to help his heart). 

Ron and I have ridden paratransit for many years.  I'd say a good 40% of the clients are dialysis patients, another 40% "slow" in a group home and "day program" (ferried to and from every weekday), and the other 20% are, well, other. 

I often wonder which group will suffer first when eugenics comes to town. Dialysis?  Uses up a lot of healthcare, and the ones I meet are not working.  The slow?  They will never work (the day programs are just daycare), and the group homes and other programs aren't cheap.  HIV?  Could be.  I know the meds are expensive. 

It doesn't really matter, because I believe it is coming. 

However, Ron and I have plenty of say in our own lives, at least for now.  In fact, our wishes will correspond pretty exactly with what "they" would want for us anyway. 

"No extreme measures!" 

I don't want dialysis.  If I have cancer, cut it out, but no radiation and most likely no chemo.  I'm not vain about my hair, but I've seen the effects.  That's not "living" to me. 

Ron agrees.  He's already died once, he can't wait to go back.  Neither of us is going to do anything to speed the process, but we won't fight it much, either.

I really don't get the "life at any price" thinking.  Maybe it's because I've had a difficult life.  Maybe it's because I have "faith" in something better, after. 

I certainly wouldn't want any transplants! 

It's ironic.  After Ron's accident, I didn't have any say in his medical care.  We weren't legally married and I didn't have a power of attorney.  Anything short of that and you, honey, are out of luck.  The "blood kin" gets to make the choices. 

In my case, "blood kin" (Ron's Dad) said "Do anything, alive at any price".  So we end up with 2 heart operations, a hole in his head, a clot filter, weeks in ICU, etc.  I'm glad they did (most of the time!), but if Ron had been talking I think he would have opted out. 

He's told me what he wants and I'll abide by his wishes.  If I'm in bad shape, I do wonder if he'll abide by my wishes.  I could see him, overcome by emotion, making choices I wouldn't want - but I'll leave that up to him, and God. 

If God wants me living, I'll live.  If it's my time, nothing will stop it.