She tried to understand, but as gnott pointed out she knew she could end it at any time.
However,could she do it for a month or a year, or several years? each year getting worse.
Yes, she would still know she could stop at any time,throw in a couple of trips to the hospital with pnuemonia or respiratory failures, not knowing if you were going to make it this time.
Or the pain that lung cancer patients don't deal with? the medications; dragging around (and stepping on a air line that rips your ears off----maybe that would be better worded as having to wear a leash with 50" max length).
having to figure out if you can go shopping & if you do, what to buy because IF you can stand up long enough too fix a meal, will you be too worn out out eat it?
The isolation as 1 by 1 your friends go away because you can't keep up with them or do the things they can still do.
The SOB to walk to another room. and as gnott pointed out, just taking care of daily hygiene and taking a day to cleanse yourself so you can "try" to go to town the next day.
or your short term memory fading from the grey matter in your brain degenerating; searching for words that you know what you want to say but just cant find the word.
and one of my favorites people tell me is: go outside & get some fresh air" ---fresh air? when wind, heat, cold, pollen's, dust, coal coal & wood stoves make it worse.
having my picture taken & the most i can do to look better is whip off my canula before they click the shutter---and always trying to smile and put on a good face.
but to not breath for a day, is like the time i wore glasses with a dot to see thru to experience how my friend with retinitis pigmentosa (loosing her periphial vision--blindness). I did it for a day, and thank god I didn't have to do it for life---it taught me empathy & what she experienced, but i knew I didn't have to live it and give up all the things a blind person does.
i'm not complaining; this is my lot & everyone gets one. but if one more person asks my if i smoked I want to slap them
I admire her for trying to understand, but as the saying goes, "walk in a persons shoes"
good post Ozboy. and I hope to have empathy for others going thru what ever they are enduring (mental illness too-"depressed, get up and do something fun" or "snap out of it")
you got me with this post obviously