PART TWO: MY FINAL JOURNEY

This is a continuation of my two-part series on dementia.  Part 1 was earlier this week.

If the end is near, it would be wonderful if there was an afterlife.  As I have been generally good, this final phase surely would be Heaven.  According to this poll:

A new poll shows that 51 percent of people in the world believe in God. Only 18 percent don’t and 17 percent are undecided.

More than 18,000 people participated in the London-based poll in 23 countries conducted by global research company, Ipsos Social Research Institute.

The Ipsos/Reuters poll also found that 51 percent believe that there is an afterlife while 23 percent believe they will just "cease to exist." Around a quarter (26 percent) simply don’t know what will happen after death.

Frankly, I found it surprising that only 51% of those surveyed believed in an afterlife.  I'm among those 23 percenters who think that we will just cease to exist.  Thus, my final journey will not be to Heaven or Hell.






Most people just die, from a heart attack or car accident or the like.  Cancer patients usually suffer for a period, and that can't be a particularly pleasant journey to the end.  Dementia buffers any length of suffering, but I don't wish to pass through this phase before it is all over.  Similarly, existing on the second floor of 15 Craigside can only be one of constant declination.

Realizing all the above, and luxuriating in my, now, 144th day of euphoria, I've been thinking a lot lately about some sort of final journey while I remain coherent and physically able.  Nothing like suicide, which would be awful, but something like a delightful odyssey.

Five years ago Julianne Moore starred in Still Alice, and won an Academy Award for Best Actress.  The film portrayed something called familial Alzheimer's disease.  I'm pretty sure I don't have this ailment, for you need to be younger than 65.  If you do, though, your memory fades pretty quickly.  

She told no one about her plan, recording an audio message to herself to take an overdose of sleeping pills to commit suicide.  But plans went awry.

In Part One I wondered if dementia was beginning, and, while I don't think this is the case for me at this time, as I've generally been forgetful most of my life, I have thought about someday similarly phasing out under optimally enjoyable conditions.  We have no control over our birth, some smartly plan for their lives... but how many of us plan for our death?  Sure, the estate, wills and those things.  But comprehensively arrange your final journey?

For many, they have religion, and think they're going to Heaven and meet with past friends and family.  Maybe even pets.  For those who don't have this psychological edge, the end could be anything from fearsome to insignificant to desirable.

I moved into 15 Craigside, partly because they promised to take care of me until this end, even if I run out of money.  However, they're not idiots, and won't accept you unless you show sufficient financial resources to insure that you are adequately covered.

There is a care facility on the second floor.  I only rarely go there because it is kind of depressing.  Only after moving in did I realize that the last place I'll want to live as a transition to death is this second floor.

So what are some other options?  Well, as I eliminated from consideration earlier, one can commit suicide.  But that's not me.  I heard, though, that if you can find a way to breathe nitrogen--like by fashioning scuba gear to accomplish this task--the death will be easy and painless.  Then again, read this to be unconvinced.

While our atmosphere is 78% nitrogen, how can one acquire 100% nitrogen?  Easy, this is the gas that is used to minimize oxidation of wines.  However the $8 "green gas" sold by Amazon and wine shops is a mixture of nitrogen, carbon dioxide and argon.  Amazon does sell ten nitrogen cartridges for $15.  You might say this is an overkill amount.  Joke.  But, still, joke or not, even that would be out of character for me, especially as I know of a few better ways to engineer your end.

I've long felt that death would be terrible, in that there will be eternal gloom.  More recently, I'm trying to convince my mind that perhaps this inevitable outcome would not be all that bad, in that what will come will be eternal peace with no pain nor suffering.

The world is leaning more and more towards allowing a right to die.  However, this right can only come if you have a terminal illness, and dementia is not terminal enough.

The one exception is euthanasia, or assisted suicide, in Switzerland.  An organization called Dignitas, founded in 1998, provides this service, charging between $8000 and $12,000. While all this actually remains illegal in the country, non-profit organizations administering life-ending medicine seem to be tolerated.  Sixty percent of patients come from Germany.  More than 2000 have used this service.  Here is a typical site for one's end of life:

Fortunately enough, I have found two individuals who have agreed to take me to Switzerland.  But more so, one of them will serve as the recording used by Alice in case I lose any sense of reality.  I have promised paying for all costs including a partly global journey for me.  Some options?

• Perhaps a portion of a world cruise in a penthouse.
• Or maybe a first class plane trip, going west, staying at the best hotels in town and partaking of Michelin 3 star and Pellegrino best 50 restaurants:
• Japan
• South Korea
• China
• Thailand
• Mauritius
• Cape Town (I've never been to South Africa)
• Dubai
• Munich
• Zurich

I calculated that this final journey would cost around $100,000, a sum I'll need to keep in reserve.  Would I go?  Not sure, but I don't yet need to make this fatal decision.  Also too, more and more, this has become a fantasy blog site.  A few thoughts are not necessarily real.

I was planning to go into medical solutions for dementia, but I'll do this soon in a future posting.

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