![]() ![]() It was a helpless feeling.Īlthough my mother’s death left incredible sorrow in my heart, I am comforted to know that she no longer suffers. Then, after we lost communication with her, she took her last breath and quietly slipped away. She was afraid of not being able to breathe and she emotionally left us when she heard the word hospice. We were surprised when a hospice told us it was just a matter of days. She became more anxious and afraid every day. Mom ran out of breath, and each breath taken resulted in personal pain. Her condition further deteriorated and she eventually came to live with us in our home, where my husband and I provided 24-hour care. She ran out of breath and could no longer take simple steps to go to the bathroom, much less take a shower. My mother was diagnosed with COPD when she was 71 years old. But I understand this decision is not for everyone. I am one of the overwhelming majority of Nevada voters who support medical aid-in-dying legislation.Ī new poll conducted this month shows 82% of Nevadans support medical aid-in-dying legislation, a jump of 10 points from the 72% from a 2021 poll. One of those options would allow terminally ill, mentally capable adults to obtain prescription medication they could decide to take to die peacefully and end unbearable suffering. I am relieved to know that Nevada lawmakers are once again considering a bill that would expand end-of-life care options. I don’t want to suffer for years the way my mother did. I want to die in my own home, surrounded by my loved ones, on my terms. It has made me realize that I do not want to die in pain, alone in a hospital, connected medical equipment that only prolongs suffering. ![]() This difficult experience has made me look at mortality in a new way. Most of us baby boomers have lived through this journey. No one should be forced to suffer that way. Those images of her 10-year struggle to breathe continue to play in my mind in slow motion. In her final moments, my mom gasped for air as her breathing became shallower and the period between her breaths became longer. My mother’s life ended quickly in 2005, but her severe suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) up until her death was long and unnecessary. This opinion column was submitted by Deborah Vonarx, a Reno resident. ![]()
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