(((red))). Well put, Oak. I very much agree.

I often wonder if part of the difficulty for those with terminal illness or illness that ultimately progresses to terminal, is knowing how far down a certain treatment road they really want to go and how and when to make that decision. It often seems to me that medical intervention takes on a life of its own. Once you start, it's hard to know when or if to stop, even when the writing is more or less on the wall. My husband's friend's mother brings this to mind. She's been on some form of chemo and/or radiation for years and despite the fact that her prognosis has been bad for a long time, she kept with it, treatment after treatment. It wasn't until late last week--after a botched biopsy--that she reached the end of her rope. Sadly, I don't know that any of her doctors helped her navigate that decision anywhere along the way.

I may have linked to this before, but this article from the New Yorker gave me much food for thought when I read it.