My mother just died on January 10th. She battled lung cancer, emphysema, diabetes, and crippling arthritis right up until the very end.

She also chose, and we supported, going into a hospice program. I watched her die. Every single day. For the last two months. She never had a feeding tube, or an IV for hydration or pain.

I think, Rabbi Sol, you have never been close to death. I base this on your description of withdrawing food and hydration to a person as euthanasia. That is not only wrong, it shows you have absolutely no knowledge of what a natural death looks and feels like.

For your information, patients withdraw from food and hydration of their own volition when allowed to die a natural death. She lost a lot of weight pretty quickly. As she ate and drank less, her body began it's natural process of dying. In her last 4 or 5 days, she didn't eat or drink much of anything. She remained fully conscious until the day before she died. She never complained of any discomfort from lack of food or water or hydration.

She eventually slipped out of consciousness when her pain medication was doubled. This is referred to nowadays as "terminal sedation". It is done only when the patient is in so much pain, it is intolerable for them to bear. My mother would scream every time she was moved. It was a blessing for her, and for us, that the time had arrived. She had been suffering tremendously. She was 81, and ready to go.

Maybe you would understand more, Rabbi Sol, be less afraid of your own and your loved ones' deaths, and have more compassion about the suffering of others, if you read up on what happens to the body when it is allowed to die a natural death, without medical interference. The websites my family found to be of great benefit to us were these two:

Family Care America

Americans for Better Care of the Dying

It isn't euthanasia. It is caring for our loved ones as they are dying. We are all going to die. Or as my dad always says "Life is terminal. Nobody gets out of here alive."

Hope the information helps you. If not, I'm sure others will find it useful. If you click on the "Handbook for Mortals" link, and then click on "Coping with events near death" you'll gain a much better understanding of what quality of life, and death with dignity is all about. And hopefully be much less fearful, too.