Posted by Cranpain (205.188.197.29) on March 22, 2001 at 20:50:03:
I am concerned by the number of recent posts indicating desperation on the part of CH sufferers. Several have mentioned "ending it" as one way to alleviate the excrutiating pain. This disturbs me. Please allow me to explain why. This may be a bit maudlin, but it's the truth.
In 1978 my youngest son died from a disease that I had never heard of (Reye's Syndrome). He was fine one day, and gone the next. He was ten months old. He never got to throw his Dad a ball, catch a fish, kiss a girl, or any of the ten thousand other things that bring joy to a child. I would have given everything I owned, and mortgaged everything I would ever obtain in the future, to allow him to have a full life. But it was not to be, for whatever reason. Yet I see those who have been give the gift of a "full" life talk about rejecting the gift by ending it prematurely. I am a chronic CH sufferer, whose only relief is to go down the pain scale a bit from time to time, so I know what pain, depression, and desperation are like. But there are too many good things in life to end it because of of one (or a few) bad things.In addition, there are many things in life that an individual can reconsider and change their minds about. But death is final. There is no "Wait, I think I'll change my mind about that".
My Dad has endured four open-heart surgeries, plus fifteen angioplasties and ballon procedures. He constantly wears a nitro patch, and frequently has to take nitro tablets in addition to the patch. Yet he loves life, and fights for every breath, every hour, every day. Can't we at least do that in return for the gift of life? Consider it carefully folks. This is serious business. Life is precious.