Once again, although Mr. Buchwald is diagnosed as havihng died of kidney failure, he did not die of kidney failure. He died by refusing treatment.

It is quite possible that, had he chosen to continue treatment, he would have lived for several years. The circulatory problems suggest that he was also a diabetic and that he chose refusal of treatment as a more acceptable death than the slow deterioration that would likely have occurred. If his eyesight was also going, this would likely have been what is called renal-retinal syndrome. this syndrome is relatively common among advanced diabetics. These failures are related to circulatory deterioration, which is often manifested by loss of other body parts as circulation to them also degrades.