Sandy's 2012 Book List Continues
61. STILL ALICE by Lisa Genova***** Touching and informative novel about Alzheimer's Disease and they way it affects not only the patient but also the whole family. Highly recommend this book. I truly believe that there should be a Kevorkian option for people diagnosed with Alzheimer's. If one found out that one has Alzheimer's I think there should be a living will available stating that at the point where the patient no longer recognizes their family or knows their own name, a humane, dignified death should occur if one chooses that option. I know of one family here in Andalusia where a woman with Alzheimer's had gotten to the point where she could no longer be left alone, could not take care of her personal hygiene, could not feed herself or remember how to chew and swallow the food that was fed to her. Trying to do what the family thought was the right thing, they allowed a feeding tube to be placed in her and she lingered in a hospital bed at home, unable to talk, to turn herself over, or to recognize anyone for 11 years. It was catastrophic to the family emotionally and financially. I really believe there should be an option available upon diagnosis where the patient gets to have their say in how their life will play out.
Death is never really dignified but the peace of knowing you and your family would not be put through the long, slow ,horrific death of a Alzheimer's patient would give that patient such peace knowing that instead of being a burden to their loved ones, one pill could be ingested and it could all be over.
This is legal in Oregon, it's called Compassionate Care, and I pray that it will be legal everywhere for people who are terminal and suffering.
62.CHASING KATE by Kelly Bryne**** A Kindle freebie that I really enjoyed. A captivating story and a fast read.
63. THE GLASS HOUSE by Jeannette Walls***** A memoir by an author who is a journalist with MSNBC. A fascinating memoir of not only desperation and despair, but also strength and self reliance. She had a very, very hard life as a child, growing up with a father who was a raging alcoholic who couldn't hold a job and spent what little money the family had in bars. Her Mother had a teaching degree but didn't work much at all because she was bipolar. She had a brother and 3 sisters who never had enough to eat and lived in shacks and abandoned houses. At times there was no toilet and they had to use a bucket in the kitchen. They were so very poor that there were never Christmas presents or even clean clothes or new shoes. All their clothing was from Goodwill and her Mother was too proud to accept charity of any kind for her children. They never had lunch at school but would try to find something in the garbage cans in the lunchroom they could eat. It was a horrific childhood but she was able to work and save enough money and she got out and went to New York City. With grants, student loans and scholarships she was able to graduate from Barnard and work her way up in the journalism field. Later her parents moved to NYC because all their children were living there and her parents were homeless for years. Her father finally died but her Mother remains homeless in NYC now because she chooses that life and refuses offers of a home of her own from her children. A good read.
Glad you liked STILL ALICE. I did too, much more so than LEFT NEGLECTED. And Tom Robbins touches on the compassionate care issue in FIERCE INVALIDS HOME FROM HOT CLIMATES, one of the characters wants to sneak his terminally ill sister into south america so that she can end her days comfortably stoned on heroin instead of dying in pain on morphine. A complex issue, to be sure, and like most complex issues exists in a 'gray area' and is impossible to speak of in terms of black/white, wrong/right.
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