*POOF*

[Jimbone]

That seems like a harsh approach from the caregivers Sally... was it hospice, or just some asshole from the doctors office?

[OnBendedKnee]

What happens when we die?

Do you believe in souls?

My belief is that when one dies his/her soul goes to Heaven (or Hell). Then on the day that God raises all from the dead our bodies (new bodies) are joined with the soul

What a depressing thought that when one dies there is no hope and one just ceases to exist

Don't get me wrong, I do not want to die but am looking forward to that great big happy reunion when I will see all of my loved ones again. To quote the song "What a Day of Rejoicing that will Be" comes to mind.

The underlined sentence from your statement reminded me of this wonderful quote I recently read:

"We are going to die, and that makes us the lucky ones. Most people are never going to die because they are never going to be born. The potential people who could have been here in my place but who will in fact never see the light of day outnumber the sand grains of Sahara.

Certainly those unborn ghosts include greater poets than Keats, scientists greater than Newton. We know this because the set of possible people allowed by our DNA so massively outnumbers the set of actual people. In the teeth of these stupefying odds it is you and I, in our ordinariness, that are here.
We privileged few, who won the lottery of birth against all odds, how dare we whine at our inevitable return to that prior state from which the vast majority have never stirred?"*

[sally]

Sally, I'm really sorry about your mom. I think the doctors today are trying to prepare the family for the inevitable. But in your last paragraph they went overboard with the details. imo

No, she still has a fighting chance, they think chemo combined with radiation will work. They just gave her a care package filled with lung cancer info and I guess they figured that "what to expect when you croak" would be an extra special touch.

[username]

My mom has lung cancer and they gave her a pamphlet on the dying process, WTF? I really should call the oncology center and complain, WTF are they trying to do, scare the shit out of everyone.

We got the same pamphlet when my dad was diagnosed. It's like "what to expect when you're expecting" but instead "what to expect when you're dying". Fucked up. I hope your mom lives many years but I have to say, my dad passed without all the fucked up shit they outlined in that pamphlet.

[sally]

And if the death pamphlets aren't enough the waiting room is morbid too. They have all these pictures hanging up of a good looking Jesus healing people and instead of a tv they have this screen that shows pictures of trees and birds and crap with the faint sound of funeral music playing in the background. Steering at a goddamn egret for a half hour while listening to funeral music is quite uplifting.

[Duchess]

That's just awful. I don't know why anyone would consider that a soothing atmosphere. Jesus Christ.

I think you should tell them. I know you can be charming, put on your business voice and let 'em have it with both barrels. People going through what those who will be utilizing that room for need distraction not in your face sickness & death crap.

[Maggot]

Everyone knows they will die someday. Why is it so hard to believe when a person is diagnosed with the certainty of it all. I would say time to live life before its gone. It still sucks though.

[sally]

I heard on the news the other day that scientists came up with a drug that is completely wiping out almost every type of cancer in mice.

[OnBendedKnee]

I heard on the news the other day that scientists came up with a drug that is completely wiping out almost every type of cancer in mice.

Sadly though the mice wake up with a sudden addiction to fried chicken and grape soda.

[sally]

I heard on the news the other day that scientists came up with a drug that is completely wiping out almost every type of cancer in mice.

Sadly though the mice wake up with a sudden addiction to fried chicken and grape soda.

The world is overpopulated as it is so it evens out. Cancer in trade for shoot outs and sickle cell anemia.