I’m on the cusp of 60, and this is the first time it’s hitting me that I’m going to be in a higher-risk group merely because of my age, although I survived an often-fatal cancer 15 years ago. I’m really looking forward to retirement in five to seven years and certainly hope COVID-19 isn’t going to thwart that for me. I’m pretty sure this life is all we have, but am hoping to be pleasantly surprised if I’m wrong.
The prospect of dying from covid-19 doesn’t bother me. What really scares is me possibly having 6-8 weeks of severe coughing.
I’ve had serious, long coughs before and there were times I wished I’d just die and get it over with. The destination (recovery or death) doesn’t bother me, it’s the excrutiating journey on the way that scares me.
This thread asks:
“What are your thoughts about dying ?”
Happy to see that no one has responded:
“Been there, done that.”
I have read about triage but nowhere did I see that a 69 year old will be denied treatment. Please share if you have seen that. From what I have read competition for ventilators will not be with 30 year olds, but 80 year olds. (And 80 is the new 60, but based on time left, I suppose that is reasonable.)
carpe diem!
I am not worried about dying. I understand that it is an inevitable part of life. The moment that I was conceived it was inevitable that I would die. The earth has been here for billions of years. This particular life is a very tiny part of that.
Living forever on the other hand would be terrifying. We all make mistakes. Can you imagine what it would be like if your mistakes would haunt you forever?
My family is not ready for me to leave this world. I want to stay around for them, at least for a while. I am very proud of them and want to help my children continue on their path to being productive and responsible adults.
From the day I was born I started dying.
There’s a 99.999999% chance I won’t die from corona virus.
Don’t think about dying, think about how you’re living.
Death has become a normal part of life for me. If I didn’t have meds, I’d be dead by now - before the age of 30.
I’m an atheist and don’t believe in an afterlife. I believe in doing what you need to do here and now and leave your legacy that way.
I dread much more Mr R dying and leaving me alone than I do my own death.
As I work in healthcare, on the floor that will be accepting Covid-19 patients, I got someone to witness my POA for healthcare a few days ago. I had planned a party with friends to all sign for each other, but it has been postponed over the past 2 years for various reasons. So I filled it out and neighbors witnessed. The health care related deaths in China are concerned, so am thinking about the possibility. I am well over that higher risk age of 60, and find it ironic that the warnings to social distance are at odds with the age of full retirement for health care workers.
I don’t want to die, especially as I’d like to experience a bit of retirement, and more importantly, my kids just lost their dad in the last six months, and I want them to have one parent around for a while yet. But…one can’t choose one’s time, so a level of acceptance that the time is rather arbitrary is essential to carry on in peace while doing what one can to improve the odds.
I think about it fairly often, as a way to think things through. The way I thought about aging, and being over 50 or over 60 when I was in my early 20’s. Same thing – it is inevitable and I didn’t want to be surprised, or fighting it when the time came.
I’ve done a lot of reading on the topic, most recently “Final Gifts” written by a hospice nurse. But another great book whose title I cannot remember (because I’m over 50) was written by a Harvard neurosurgeon who had a vivid death/near death experience and wrote about it. [ETA link to book:
https://www.amazon.com/Proof-Heaven-Neurosurgeons-Journey-Afterlife/dp/1451695195 ] Figured he was reputable. There’s another book by a SUNY Stonybrook professor [ETA titled “The Lazarus Effect”] about dying, the first half of the book is the mechanics of dying, and how to increase better outcomes with how they are treated (i.e. if revived). That part was mildly interesting. The second half of the book was gathering anecdotes of near death/death experiences – because there are similar threads running through many of the experiences – and then studying them, and devising a study – applying the scientific method to these stories. In short, b/c so many people relate the experience of leaving their body and floating up to the ceiling, there are some hospital rooms at Stonybrook where there is a shelf near the ceiling with a picture on it that cannot be seen from the ground. The professor is hoping that if someone dies in the room, is revived, and remembers what happened, he can ask them what the picture is which would conclusively prove that one leaves ones body and it isn’t a hallucination or something.
Actually, here’s an article describing his study, which I find fascinating:
https://news.stonybrook.edu/newsroom/press-release/general/141009parnia/
Also, as an agnostic, I have had two experiences of someone who was dead, or was dying communicating with me. It was kind of shocking in both cases. As an agnostic I don’t know what happens after we die, but since I don’t know I can choose to believe there’s nothing, or I can choose to believe there’s something. I choose something.
None of this has anything to do with the coronavirus 
It’s not on my bucket list.
I’m a Christian and have no fear of death. Just not looking forward to the lead-up if I linger.
I would have died by 19 if I’d been born even 30 years earlier, from recurring UTIs. In fact, that is how my mom’s older sister died in 1948, when she was 15 and my mom was 10. I am very thankful for antibiotics. I take them every day and will probably always have to.
I’m really not ready yet and believe I still have the energy to continue defying the odds and continue leading a full and rewarding life. Given just dad died at 95 and mom at 90 is still quite healthy, and all my sibs are still alive, I believe I may well have more years left in my life.
I have appreciated the thoughtful posts on this thread and think being able to frankly consider and discuss death is a good thing, including ways not to overwhelm our healthcare system and avoid folks “dying before their time.”
Good simple summation of Pascal’s wager.
I am a Christian and know where I am going after I die. I am ready for that. But like everyone else in the world, I do not look forward to the actual process of dying, try to avoid suffering, and don’t want to go while I still have things on earth to look forward to. I think my job right now is to spread hope, not fear, and to do what is in my power to alleviate distress and suffering in others. Things may suck for a time here on earth, but I firmly believe that this is not all there is.
I don’t want to outlive my dogs any longer than is necessary to assure proper resting places for them. But, I also don’t want to predecease them as I love caring for them. And they need me.
Don’t spend a lot of time worrying about tomorrow and ruining my today. But it happens.
I’m at peace with it all in a comforting way.
I truly believe there is essential essence of the universe. It’s perfectly designed and infinite. I believe in a universal truth or spirit or divine being. I follow science and feel someone had to light the Big Bang firecracker.
We are are universally connected and all made up of matter from the same sources. We live as individual units and miss that we are a singular phenomenon and connected before and after this life.
Is there human consciousness after passing away. Not sure, but I know there is peace as before birth without any pain or longing. I sleep well too. Could it be like that, perhaps.
Essential truth and understanding would be great too.
I do know that I am permanently part of this universe and that gives me peace.
I have human matters prepared for to address those left behind. And on the fun side and current joy, I just funded a permanent scholarship at my alma mater for the honors college neediest students. For books each year for a couple of students and ultimately gaps in aid. That’s my little legacy that makes me happy and with a little bit of me left here when I’m gone.
Stay safe and keep calm too!
Just buried my dad last week so, yeah, it’s been on my mind.
@“Youdon’tsay” my deepest condolences.
@“Youdon’tsay”. Sorry sorry for your loss.