Edit

I forgot to mention this last night, and I should have

One of my great uncles was in the hospital (I don't remember the reason right now). His brother, another great uncle, was going to see him and fell on some stairs at the hospital and broke his hip. The uncle with the broken hip has hemophilia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemophilia), a blood disorder where the blood does not clot. If not the oldest, he is one of the oldest people in the United States with the disease (he's about 58). Most people with hemophilia die very young, either from cuts that won't stop bleeding or from complications related to treatments such as blood transfusions. The broken hip will require surgery to repair. The doctors will not operate because of the hemophilia (presumably because of the low chance of survival). Without the surgery, he will be bed ridden for the rest of his life. He has told the doctors that he would rather die on the operating table than live that way, but thus far they have not consented.

I don't know what is the best outcome here. I certainly understand both sides. If it is your wont to seek guidance from a higher place, I hope you can remember their families and join me in asking for the best result for everyone.