My husband's health had gradually deteriorated after a lifetime suffering from Chrone's Disease, circulation and heart problems, and a stroke.
We had watched a friend's distress, when her husband had been resuscitated and treated with antibiotics in a nursing home for 18 months, even though he was comatose for most of the time. The staff said that they had to keep him comfortable.
When DH suddenly became ill, and was taken to hospital, it was obvious that, if he recovered, his quality of life would be even worse than before. The doctor had a quiet chat with me, and asked for my opinion. I told him, though it broke my heart to do so, that he would not want to continue living in such an unhappy situation, and that we should let him go peacefully. They transferred him to a private room, and he slipped away the next morning.
Although it was a shock to finally lose him so quickly, I don't regret my decision. He was 82, and had suffered enough from operations and ill-health. I think that he was ready to go, and I hope that I will be treated in the same way, if the circumstances arrive.